The situation got a little dicey between workers at Chatham Cascades Casino in Chatham, Ont., and their employers, Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd., but in the end, a deal got done.
The union and Gateway have announced that a tentative deal reached on Wednesday last week was ratified in a vote Friday afternoon, averting a strike that had been set for this Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. The deal was ratified with a 62 percent in-favor vote.
While Unifor Local 444 and Gateway were at the negotiating table last week, 125 workers at the casino voted in favor of a walkout.
According to media reports, at the core of the dispute were higher wages to keep up with rising costs of inflation.
A spokesperson for Unifor Local 444 could not be reached for comment. A spokesperson for Gateway confirmed that the deal had been ratified, but wouldn’t discuss the specifics of the agreement.
The 45,000-square-foot casino features over 300 slot, 10 live table games, featuring blackjack, roulette, mini baccarat, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and more, a restaurant, and a buffet.
Gateway is one of the largest gaming and entertainment companies in Canada, with 31 properties in Ontario and British Columbia and two in Edmonton. Gateway currently employs approximately 7,200 people and features upwards of 390 table games (including 31 poker tables), 14,288 slots, 81 food and beverage outlets, and 564 hotel rooms.
