Ontario Casino Dealers Prepare to Strike If Colleagues Not Brought Back to Work

As Ontario prepares to launch its private iGaming industry and sports betting, the province does face some difficulties in bringing back all land-based casino staffers home. As reported previously, this has prompted some lawmakers to object to April 4 as the official launch date of the interactive gaming industry in Ontario, arguing that the land-based sector is still recuperating from the COVID-19 pandemic.

IGaming Delay Regardless, Casino Employees Must Be Brought Back

In focus is the Montreal Casino where 97.4% of all dealers on the job voted in favor of pressure tactics in order to force the property into hiring the staff that was furloughed during the lockdown which impacted Ontario’s casinos heavily. Even though most staffers were promised a possible return to the job, not all have been brought back, reflective of the limited consumer visitation rate as well as other financial challenges now faced by the province’s casino properties, and Montreal Casino in particular.

It’s in this context that the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the dealers, stated that it would seek to start interfering with the ordinary running of the business until such a time that other employees are brought back on the job. The union has argued that the casino is actually trying to conceal the fact that it has laid off hundreds of workers who may never come back to the job.

Union Is Ready to Stand By Employees

The threat of the online gambling industry is not in any way helpful as well. Union consultant Jean-Pierre Proulx made an official statement condemning this:

“What is particularly terrible about this situation is that even if the casino recalled 100 percent of these dealers, only 60 percent of the tables would be operational. We’ve already lost a lot of workers.”

Union consultant Jean-Pierre Proulx

Proulx argued that dealers must get adequate job securities and protection at their workplace because they have been an invaluable part of the economy, contributing to the province coffers. Staffers have already switched to union shirts to express their disagreement with their colleagues being laid off.