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Casino workers and concerned community members met at a Niagara Falls community centre to take the next step in a campaign to defend good jobs in the city. The town hall, organized by Unifor, comes as the next step in a campaign that has also included rallies both at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls and at Queen’s Park in Toronto.
An Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Request for Proposals (RFP) aimed at privatizing Ontario’s casinos was recently studied by an independent investigation. The investigation found that the RFP put 1400 local jobs at risk through the threat of closure at the Fallsview Casino.
Katha Fortier, Unifor Assistant to the National President, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, Niagara Regional Chair Alan Caslin, MPP for Niagara Falls Wayne Gates and Local 199 President Greg Brady also spoke at the town hall.
Security workers at the casino are unionized through Unifor Local 199. Local 199 President, Greg Brady pledged to defend the jobs and dignity of people currently working at the casino. “I’ll fight for all of you,” he told the crowd. Brady spoke not only to the 1400 workers whose jobs are at risk, but also the larger community of farms, restaurants, hotels and the peripheral industries that would be dramatically affected by the loss of a Niagara Falls’ casino.
“It’s unacceptable, we have a chance here to make a change,” Diodati called for a united front for the community against the threats of these cuts. He highlighted the change in priorities. Niagara's casinos were built to bring good jobs to the community but are now being treated purely as revenue source for the province with no regard for the working people and industries relying on them.
In the face of these changes, Katha Fortier reminded the workers present that they can have protection and job security though a union. Unifor unionized gaming workers at Caesars Windsor and Casino Rama have a direct say in workplace changes that may result from modernization. The national union can offer a mechanism to fight back on job cuts.
If you are interested in learning more about joining Unifor, visit www.unifor.org/join
