Casino Rama Resort has been in the center of attention over the past few weeks because of unexpected staff reduction. Estimations have been made at the heels of the controversial situation and they show that these 70 unionized and even more non-unionized laid-off workers would have a considerable impact on the local field.
This Tuesday is about to see more conversation on the subject. Labor unions have the power to protect workers and fight for their right to have fair work conditions. This is an essential part of any industry, especially the gaming one.
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment is the casino operator overseeing the gaming venue of the largest First Nation casino resort in Ontario. Casino Rama Resort has been known as a propelling force for the region of Orillia. Among the main reasons for this popularity have been the regular artists making their way there for a live performance.
Steady Jobs Lost
Such a diverse schedule makes the location a diverse one, able to attract both gaming enthusiasts and families with their kids. The casino venue used to be the main engine of this complex, reaching a daily performance of CA$1 million.
This meant that Gateway Casinos had the responsibility to maintain this stellar performance and even increase it down the road. The spending cuts that would facilitate the building of many new casino locations across Ontario hit hard the casino venue staff with ongoing staff reduction over the past months.
About a year ago, when the new management made its way in the number of individuals working at the casino venue reached 1,700. Gradually this number slumped to 1,200 prior to the latest cuts. Both full-time and part-time positions were affected by the reduction.
An undisclosed number of non-unionized casino staff members have also been laid off soon after that. Addressing the issue, Dean Beers, President of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce, expressed his concerns. When it comes to Orillia, the impact of job cuts is projected to have noticeable repercussions.
Casino Rama Progressively Reduces Jobs
According to the official statement of the casino operator, a large portion of the individuals laid off utilized the voluntary exit incentive program. This means that some of the casino employees have chosen themselves to leave and receive monetary compensation for that. Regardless of this, the staff reduction would still be felt across the region. Mr. Beers stated that other local businesses seeking employees would be on the pursuit of new staff members.
Projections are that The Sharing Place Food Bank is about to see a surge of individuals making their way there on the regular. August 6 is about to see Unifor National have a frank conversation with the casino operator managing the location, seeking a better approach down the road and eliminating the need for bigger staff cuts in the future.
Casino Rama unionized workers that are still employed fear that they might be the next to exit. Unifor National would also seek protection for them. August 8 is about to bring more action and take matters to the streets with an organized peaceful rally. In order to guarantee enough time for the protest, action is about to commence at 11 a.m. at Tudhope Park and continue all the way to 1 p.m.
