Casinos workers go all in

Photo: Trevor Nichols

Unionized employees with Gateway Casinos four Southern Interior operations are ready to hit the bricks.

Mediation efforts Monday aimed at reaching a settlement have reportedly broken off.

The union has served 72-hour strike notice. They will be in a legal position to strike Friday.

Earlier this month, workers at the four Gateway Casinos operations voted 93 per cent in favour of strike action to back their contract demands.

Following the vote, the company applied to the Labour Relations Board, requesting mediation.

Gateway Casinos Entertainment Ltd. operates Playtime Casino in Kelowna, Lake City Casino in Vernon, and Cascades Casinos in Penticton and Kamloops.

Last month, casinos workers said they had been offered an 85 cent an hour raise spread over four years.

The approximately 675 workers are represented by the BC Government Employees Union.

This comes on the same day unionized workers at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam reached a tentative agreement with their employer. Hard Rock Casino workers have been on strike for six weeks.