The new agreement, which covers 185 bartenders and servers working at the Greenwood Teletheatre in Toronto as well as Woodbine and Mohawk racetrack and slots, was ratified by 90 per cent and includes wage and benefit improvements for both full-time and part-time employees in addition to new job protection and workplace safety language along with many other gains.
Contract talks between the CAW and Woodbine Entertainment broke down in early December over a number of important issues, including the company’s demand to scale back wages, resulting in a 17-day strike.
“Right from the outset we told the company there will be no wage concessions for these workers,” said Hemi Mitic, Assistant to the National President. “Our members showed tremendous courage and willingness to fight this issue as a matter of principle, and we won.”
CAW national staff representative Brian Stevens acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the membership and the bargaining committee in negotiating a very good settlement.
“This contract not only improves the lives of our members at the racetracks and slots, it also helps establish a standard for the entire gaming industry,” Stevens said. “This is a testament to the idea that fighting back really does make a difference for working people.”
This is the workers’ first contract negotiation since joining the CAW in August of 2007. The CAW represents over 7,500 gaming sector workers across the country.
