British Columbia Casino Staff Join Union
After taking a vote, the employees at a popular golf resort and casino, St. Eugene, have decided to join the BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU).
The St. Eugene casino resort is the largest casino in British Columbia's Kootenays. St. Eugene's is located in Cranbrook, British Columbia.
BC Casino Resort Staff Join BCGEU
Many employees who are in the hospitality and the casino field have chosen the BCGEU as their union. After a vote that took place, the 84 St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino chose to join the union.
Casino employees who will be joining the BCGEU include cashiers, slot attendants, dealers, guest service representatives, front desk representatives and housekeepers.
In a staff vote on August 7th, 41 St. Eugene staff members voted yes to join the union, versus 22 who voted no. As the majority voted yes, the motion was carried and the casino's employees will now be represented by the BCGEU.
Employees have chosen to join a union because it will give them a stronger voice when dealing with issues that arise in the work place. A number of workers have concerns about job security, and fairness in the work place.
Another reason why the British Columbia casino staff joined a union is in order to benefit from collective negotiating and bargaining with their employer. The next step for the staff to take is to elect a committee that will do the negotiating.
Erin Sikora, a spokesperson for the BCGEU said: "Many of the workers decided to join the union essentially because they wanted respect in the work place, and the union to address some key issues such as wages, job security, seniority and fairness."
Darryl Walker, the President of the BCGEU said: "We're thrilled to welcome these new members from St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino in the BCGEU. With a union on their side, these members know they will have the support they need to get the wages, job security and respect that they deserve."
BCGEU and NUPGE
The British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union is part of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE). This labour organisation has more than 340,000 members.
In the past decade, there have been 1,200 workers who have joined the BCGEU/NUPGE. There are other casinos that have employees that have chosen this union, including Gateway casinos located in New Westminster, Burnaby, and the Okanagan.
