By Greg Fry

Gateway Casinos eye mediation dates in labour dispute

Jul 3, 2018 | 12:22 PM

KAMLOOPS — Gateway Casinos is hoping for a return to mediation talks with its unionized workers in the near future.

Tanya Gabara, director of public relations with Gateway, says the company is hoping the BC Government Employees Union (BCGEU) agrees to meet for mediation July 9 to July 11 with both a mediator and the BC Labour Relations Board.

She says Gateway was hoping those talks would take place this week (from July 4 to July 6) but says the BCGEU notified the company over the weekend that they “were no longer available” to meet this week.

But BCGEU spokesperson Erin Sikora says the union has agreed to meet for mediation talks from July 9 to July 11 and is waiting for the mediator to confirm his attendance.

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Either way, Gabara hopes both sides meet as soon as possible.

“From Gateway’s perspective we want to get our unionized employees back to work. We remain committed to mediation whether that’s this week or next week. Bargaining is a process and we can’t get to a mutually agreeable contract if we don’t come to the table. So, we’re committed to doing that.”

The biggest sticking point between the two sides, who have been without a contract since September 2017, is wages.

In June, Gateway said the union’s demands for wages would lead to, on average, wage increases of 62 per cent and said those demands weren’t “reasonable.” The BCGEU countered those demands may look large, but not in the context of their current low wages.

About 200 BCGEU members are currently on strike at Cascades Casino in Kamloops and 675 province-wide.

The job action has forced Gateway to scale back its hours, though slot machines remain open. Table games, the Match Eatery, and Atlas Steak + Fish will remain closed.