FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8 2006
Casino security
staff to hold “Deal or No Deal” rally
NIAGARA FALLS – Security staff
at one of Ontario’s largest casinos will rally Tuesday to push
their employer, Casino Niagara, to stop stalling on contract
talks.
Date: Tuesday, May 9,
2006
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Where: Casino Niagara,
new Fallsview site, main entrance, Niagara Falls
Members are fed up that the
employer, a consortium led by Chicago-based Hyatt Corporation,
has refused to seriously bargain a new collective agreement.
“All the employer wants to do
is cut things out of the current agreement,” said OPSEU Staff
Representative Paul Johnstone. “They want to reduce holiday
pay, and penalize union representatives that are negotiating
on behalf of the members.”
Johnstone points to some of the
main demands that are on the bargaining table, including fair
shift scheduling, reasonable disciplinary language, proper
layoff language and the hiring of more full-time staff.
“The casino promised this
community good full-time jobs” Johnstone said. “Instead, we
have a security workforce that is 46 per cent part-time and
rising. That’s hard on the workers, and can compromise guest
safety.”
Johnstone said the members are
also angry that the employer filed for conciliation after 18
days of bargaining, without even once responding to any
monetary issues. “That’s not bargaining,” Johnstone said.
“That’s just bully tactics, typical of big American
companies.”
The security staff will be
joined at the rally by OPSEU President Leah Casselman. The
contract between the security staff and Casino Niagara expired
March 31, 2006.
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For more information, please
contact:
Paul Johnstone (519) 375-5946
