Solidarity growing among striking casino workers, says union leader

700 workers in 4 cities in Okanagan continue fight for ‘family-supporting wages’

Striking casino workers remain united and are holding strong in their fight for higher wages, says B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union president Stephanie Smith.

Almost 700 BCGEU members working at Gateway Casinos in four locations in the Okanagan, including Kelowna, walked off the job on June 29, after mediation broke down with their employer.

“Their solidarity is growing stronger and they are getting great boosts from other BCGEU members, as well as other unions visiting the picket line, sponsoring meals for picketers and generally showing their support for our members,” Smith said Tuesday.

Workers are fighting for higher wages and better working conditions. They say it is impossible to get by on the current wages paid by Gateway.

“(Gateway) keeps saying they can’t afford to pay our members family-supporting wages, but they refuse to back up their claims by providing the company’s financial information to the mediator,” said Smith.

A Playtime Casino union worker named Shelley has worked at the Kelowna casino for 12 years as a server and bartender.

She said the wages paid by Gateway are not enough to live on and take care of her elderly mother and young granddaughter.

“We have to be strong in continuing this strike to get the decent wages we deserve,” she said. “Despite what the company claims, in reality tips do not make any significant improvements to the wages they pay me.”

When asked if she thought they would get a deal by Christmas, Smith said the employer first has to “get serious about bargaining.” Thus far, mediation talks have failed to produce a deal. “The BCGEU takes bargaining very seriously, and we accept that compromise is always necessary,” said Smith. “We have moved very slightly over the course of these negotiations. The employer is another story entirely.”

The union has a “healthy strike fund” that is helping to offset some of the financial challenges of being on strike for so long, said Smith.

“We want to make sure that when our members do go back to work, it is because they got the deal they deserve, not because they couldn’t afford to stay out on strike.”

Gateway Casinos did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday.