The doors have been closed at the Nanaimo Casino for more than one year and employees have launched legal action to retain their jobs. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

rigged

Nanaimo casino employees suing for wrongful dismissal

Jun 16, 2021 | 7:02 AM

NANAIMO — Numerous employees of Casino Nanaimo have launched lawsuits against the larger organization, claiming they were fired without cause as the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Civil claims filed in BC Supreme Court in Nanaimo by non-union staff last fall claim Great Canadian Casinos Inc. (GCC), who owns and operates the casino, changed their contract agreements without consent to have them fired, rather than laid off as operations closed.

“GCC wrongfully and constructively dismissed the Plaintiff by unilateral changes made to the underlying employment contract in contradiction to the terms of a temporary suspension. All extensions of the layoff period were required to be negotiated and consented to by the employees. The Company declined to go through this process with its employees.”

During the layoffs, which turned into alleged firings, GCC is accused of not allowing staff to draw down their legally banked vacation pay, health benefits were retracted and long-term disability pay and benefits were terminated.

“(GCC) acted in bad faith towards its employees at Casino Nanaimo regarding the termination of their employment, failed to comply with statutory requirements of an employer and failed to take proper steps to conduct a mass termination.”

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The employees who’ve launched legal action are seeking acknowledgement of wrongdoing and the accrued money owed.

In an official response filed with the courts, GCC claimed it had not cancelled health and dental benefits and the employees launching the civil suit were not fired or wrongfully dismissed from their jobs.

No further legal action has been taken in the file since early November, 2020.

None of the claims have been proven in court.

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spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt