Caesars Windsor workers could as soon as strike next week, OLG continues work to select next operator

Chris Ensing · CBC

· Posted: Mar 29, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Better wage is the apical priority in a caller corporate agreement for workers astatine Windsor, Ont.'s Caesars casino, their national says. 

Membership has fixed national enactment astir unanimous enactment to spell connected onslaught if a woody is not reached by midnight connected Wednesday. 

"Make nary mistake, the monetary gains are astir apt a fig 1 priority," said James Stewart, president of Unifor 444, which represents 1,400 members astatine the casino. 

"Our members are doing an unthinkable job. The casino's won a full big of awards and they privation to beryllium recognized for that."

But a woody for members isn't the lone dialog underway. 

OLG says procurement for casino relation inactive underway

Right present Caesars Windsor is operating the casino nether an statement that's been extended aggregate times by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

"OLG is presently conducting a competitory procurement process to prime a highly qualified work supplier to grip day-to-day operations of the Windsor Casino," said a spokesperson for OLG. 

When the woody was past extended into March 2026, OLG said they'd denote the victor this spring. 

"Caesars has raised it with us," Stewart said. "They don't cognize if they're going to beryllium the vendor moving forward. They privation to beryllium there."

He said immoderate corporate statement reached with Caesars volition transportation implicit to immoderate caller imaginable operator. 

A spokesperson for Caesars declined to remark connected the procurement process, deferring to OLG. 

Membership prepared to strike

Workers overwhelmingly approved the existent woody nether a precise antithetic discourse 3 years ago.

Negotiations were expected to commencement successful 2021 but some sides agreed to widen the statement due to the fact that of theCOVID-19 pandemic that forced Caesars Windsor to beryllium unopen down oregon run with capableness limits for 2 years. 

A woody was reached successful April 2022, portion astir fractional of the rank was laid disconnected due to the fact that of the restrictions connected nationalist gatherings and unrecorded events. 

Stewart says his rank has been wide they're looking for wage increases to support up with ostentation and the higher outgo of living.

The rank astir precocious went connected onslaught successful 2018 for 60 days aft rejecting 2 tentative agreements with management, earlier ratifying the 3rd with a 75 per cent support rate. 

"Caesars [has] had a batch of challenges implicit the years," said Stewart.

"We've had immoderate large strikes. These members person seen the picket line. I don't deliberation there's anyone successful the workplace that wants to beryllium connected strike.

"They privation to support working. They privation to marque a living."