As over 2,000 employees prepare to go on strike today in Ontario, Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has a plan in place. A contingency effort is ready to go if the unionized employees strike due to a new contract waiting to be signed.

Earlier this week, Unifor announced that employees in the group would strike at midnight today if a new work agreement is not signed. Unionized workers want better wages and benefits, plus pensions and work changes.

Ready to Continue Operations

The 2,000 people that may strike are working at eight casinos operated by Great Canadian Gaming Corp. This is a large number of people and would affect the operations of each venue in a significant way. According to Great Canadian, they have a plan in place and are continuing to negotiate with Unifor.

The company says it is committed to reaching an agreement with union members. Officials want to sign a deal that will provide fair and attractive wages to members as well as benefits and careers. If the strike occurs, the operator reportedly plans to minimize the impact on its operations and continue to offer services to guests.

The exact details of the plans were not provided. We can only guess as to what Great Canadian plans to do. It could be that individuals are brought in to serve guests as best they can in the interim.

The Strike Details

Several casinos are part of the pending strike, and employees include those who work as table game dealers, on slot machines, security, kitchen, cashiers, food and beverage, guest services, maintenance, and housekeeping.

The employees are hopeful that a deal will be struck today so that they can receive the requests made, including turning part-time positions into full-time employment. Several casinos are connected to the strike, including the Casino Woodbine, Casino Ajax, Shorelines Casino Peterborough, Shorelines Casino Thousand Islands, Great Blue Heron Casino, and Pickering.

Two other casinos are in the mix but will not be affected until a later date. The Elements Casino Mohawk and Elements Casino Brantford face potential strikes as well, but contract negotiations can continue past today’s deadline.

It will be interesting to see if the major Ontario gaming operator decides to make a move and provide what employees desire or if they will hold out a bit longer and the strike will take place. The loss of 2,000 employees would be a bit hit, so I imagine that negotiations will end eventually to ensure operations run smoothly.