Casino Ajax and Pickering workers strike over wage gap with Toronto location

About 900 workers at Casino Ajax and Pickering Resort walked off the job Friday, demanding wage parity with employees at other Great Canadian Entertainment casinos across the Greater Toronto Area.

Union members rejected a tentative agreement offering a 14 per cent wage increase over four years, with roughly two-thirds voting it down. Greg Weaver, president of Unifor Local 1090, said wages at the Toronto location—formerly known as Woodbine Casino—range $2 to $4 more per hour for the same positions as those in Ajax and Pickering.

"We're going to strike 24/7 until the company gets back to the table with us and brings the fair wages that we need," Weaver said on the picket line Friday. "We need parity and we need it now."

The union represents housekeepers, cashiers, security guards and table games dealers. Samuel Ho, a table games dealer and union chairperson, said members remain committed despite hardship. "At the end of day, none of us want to strike," Ho said. "We want a fair deal. We want to be able to be equal to our counterparts."

Great Canadian Entertainment said the casinos will remain open during the strike, though some amenities may be affected. The company said it remains committed to negotiations. The strike will continue indefinitely until an agreement is reached, Weaver said.