Almost 900 employees at Ajax Casino and Pickering Casino Resort are now on strike after contract talks did not lead to a new collective agreement.
Members of Unifor Local 1090 initiated the strike just after midnight Friday following failed negotiations with Great Canadian Entertainment, as stated in a news release from Canada’s largest private sector union.
The union mentioned that the bargaining unit consists of workers from both locations, including gaming floor staff, cash cage personnel, food and beverage teams, housekeeping crews, bus drivers, and shipping and receiving workers.
“Our members at Ajax Casino and Pickering Casino Resort have made it clear they are ready to take to the picket line for a fair deal,” Unifor national president Lana Payne shared in a media advisory.
“These workers kept the resort operating through tough times, and all they want is fair pay and job security.”
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Workers turned down a tentative agreement because it didn’t align wages with those at another casino, said Local 1090 president Greg Weaver on Friday.
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“We rejected a tentative agreement that didn’t help us achieve our goal of getting parity with Woodbine in the future,” Weaver said during a press conference. “They’re earning more than $3 an hour extra across the board compared to our members doing similar jobs at the same time.”
Picketing workers also reported facing abuse from patrons while working.
“We’ve had chips thrown at us. We’ve had cards thrown at us. People screaming in our faces. We’ve had people yelling at us, talking bad about our families,” stated games dealer and Pickering Casino chairman Samuel Ho in an interview with .
Housekeeping employee Deborah Bienstman mentioned that staff often handle intoxicated or frustrated customers.
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“Patrons come in either drunk or upset because they lost their money. We deal with it.”
“We get pushed. They’re not supposed to do that. They’re not supposed to touch us, but it happens,” she added.
In response to , Great Canadian Entertainment confirmed that nearly 900 employees at Ajax Casino and Pickering Casino Resort are striking due to contract negotiations falling through; however, both properties remain open.
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The company noted that it has been negotiating with the union for several months trying to reach an agreement.
“Regrettably, despite our best efforts, we have not been successful in reaching an agreement,” executive vice-president Chuck Keeling commented. “We are committed to continuing constructive discussions with Unifor to get our team members back to work as soon as possible.”
The business indicated that both Pickering Casino Resort and Ajax Casino will stay open during this labor disruption; however, some services might be impacted.
– With files from Germain Ma,
& copy 2026 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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