Bulletin
Government safety plans for casinos
December 23, 2020
To: All MoveUP members at Hastings, Cascades Casino Langley, Cascades Casino Penticton
With a COVID vaccine on the horizon, governments across Canada are making plans for return to work across all sectors of the economy.
We’re reaching out today to let you know that we have been meeting with other unions across the province to make sure that the gaming industry gets up and running in a safe and responsible manner both for you, and for the public.
Casinos were among the first to shut down when the pandemic was declared, and the provincial government had indicated that they expected casinos to be the last to reopen under their restart plan.
We supported that common-sense decision at the time. When COVID first hit, casinos were not a safe place for customers or workers to be in for a large variety of reasons that you shared with your stewards and OHS reps.
Since that time, however, the gaming industry – including the BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and the employer – have worked at the direction of government to put together health and safety plans should they decide to reopen casinos in a limited capacity.
We want you to know that we have begun talking with other unions representing casino workers such as the BCGEU, the United Steelworkers, and Unifor to understand these safety plans, and what workers want.
We appreciate your patience, and your understanding throughout this difficult time. We wish you and your families a safe and healthy holiday season, and we will have more information for you in early 2021.
In solidarity,
Kelly Quinn, Union Representative
Christy Slusarenko, Vice-President, Combined Units