Province confident MLL will settle with 750 casino workers before strike deadline

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This article was published 05/12/2023 (766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The new NDP government is hopeful a fair deal can be reached with Manitoba Liquor and and Lotteries casino workers who recently voted in favour of going on strike.

On Saturday, 98 per cent of the members of Unifor Local 144, Unit 37, which represents more than 750 workers at Winnipeg’s McPhillips Station, Club Regent and Shark Club casinos, voted in favour of going on strike if they don’t have a new contract by the end of the month.

The workers, who include casino dealers, slot attendants, security personnel and grounds employees, have been working without a new contract since June 2022.

Unifor has said if the contract isn’t settled workers will begin job action on Dec. 23.

Another section of MLL employees, about 1,400 Liquor Mart workers, settled for compounding wage increases of about 12 per cent over four years after going on strike for about three weeks in August.

Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Glen Simard, who is the minister responsible for the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, said he is confident that the the corporation and union “will be able to settle a fair deal for their employees.

“Over the summer we saw how the previous government treated their workers with divisive tactics, when all workers wanted was a fair deal,” Simard said in a statement Tuesday.

“It’s a New Day in Manitoba and this government is listening to the concerns of our public-sector employees. I look forward to a solution that simultaneously demonstrates our respect for workers and our commitment to responsible management of the public purse.”

A spokeswoman for MLL said the corporation has declined to comment on the strike vote.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca