Media Advisory - CAW Security Officers Ratify First Contract with Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort

NIAGARA FALLS, ON, April 22, 2013 /CNW/ - Security officers ratified their first CAW collective agreement with Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort by 81 per cent. The vote took place at a membership meeting late last week.

The 200 officers are represented by CAW Local 199.

"We are incredibly proud of our security officer bargaining team's success in negotiating an excellent first CAW agreement with the company managing Niagara Falls first-class resort casinos," said CAW Local 199 President Wayne Gates.

"In these turbulent times for Ontario's gaming industry, the protection of a strong union contract will provide a measure of stability and certainty to CAW Niagara Casino security officers."

Gates added that a union contract is something other Ontario gaming employees could benefit from, particularly given the potential for privatization of this Ontario government-managed industry.

Full-time and part-time officers who worked 1,500 hours or more in 2012 will be paid a total one-time payment of $1,400 by May 15, 2013. Employees working fewer hours will have these payments prorated depending on hours worked.

In 2014, Officers are entitled to an additional prorated payment of $750 or an optional general wage increase by July 1 should one be provided to other Casino Gaming employees by the employer. Wage rates will also increase by $0.35 per hour on April 1, 2015 and again on April 1, 2016.

At current wage rates of $21.05 per hour before increases, full-time and part-time CAW security officers at the Niagara Casinos are the highest paid in Ontario's gaming industry and are expected to remain so under the terms of this new agreement. There were also a number of benefit and work improvements negotiated under the new agreement.

The security officers joined the CAW in 2012.

SOURCE: Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW)

For more information contact CAW national representative Mike Menicanin at 905-704-8226, Wayne Gates, President CAW Local 199 at 905-328-9532 or CAW Communications Director Shannon Devine at 416-302-1699.