Caesars Windsor workers get $4-an-hour raise over new 3-year deal, union says
Union says employees approved the deal to the tune of 83.3%
The union representing roughly 1,400 workers at Windsor's casino says a new three-year agreement has been ratified with the gaming facility's operator.
An impending work stoppage was avoided at the eleventh hour last week when a tentative deal was hammered out.
Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart said the deal is "the most lucrative contract since Caesars Windsor opened."
According to Stewart, workers, both full time and part time, will see a $4-an-hour raise by the conclusion of the three years, starting with an immediate $2 per hour for the first year. One-dollar-per-hour raises are set to follow for the next two years.
"All in all, it's more money than they've received in a collective agreement than they ever have since the inception of Caesars," said Stewart.
"When you do the math just on straight time hours, that puts $18,000 in our members' pockets over the life of the agreement. If you're part time [it's] a minimum $11,000, assuming you're not working more than the minimum."
Employees have a defined contribution pension at the casino, he added, so the pay increase automatically leads to pension improvements too.
Employees rubber stamped the deal on Tuesday with just over 83 per cent approval, according to the union.
In a Tuesday night statement by Caesars Windsor, the casino operator said it was "pleased" to announced the new collective agreement and things remained "business as usual."
Nearly 2,000 casino workers previously went on strike for 60 days in 2018.