Steelworkers Union and Gateway Casinos Sign Return to Operations Agreement for Ontario

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United Steelworkers (USW) and Gateway Casinos are pleased to announce a return to operations agreement has been reached after several weeks of negotiations with USW representatives in Ontario.

“Our workers at Gateway Casinos in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Sudbury are pleased with the agreement that respects workers and brings our members back to work in a fair and respectful way,” said Albert Williams, Unit Chair of USW Local 8748-18 in Sault Ste. Marie.

“The employees going back to work are thankful we have a union that fights for our rights and works constructively to bargain a strong agreement that is fair for all,” Williams emphasized.

The details of the agreement will apply to more than 300 USW members at Gateway Casinos properties in Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Sudbury.

The Return to Operations Agreement will provide an extension of benefits while also improving job security for USW members. As part of the agreement, USW members will also have an option to elect a retroactive paid leave partially funded by the federal government’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

“We share the same goals of the USW and are focused now more than ever on bringing our employees back to work across all our sites in the province of Ontario,” said Scott Phillips, SVP, Human Resources at Gateway Casinos. “We are pleased we have been able to work together to leverage the CEWS to offer our employees paid leave during this unprecedented public health crisis.

The agreement also includes a number of items to assist Gateway’s business to more quickly and efficiently return to business and to get as many Gateway employees and USW members back to work as quickly as possible. Both parties look forward to working together on preparing all of our sites to re-open as soon as the provincial government provides the necessary approvals.

The United Steelworkers union represents 225,000 workers in Canada in virtually every sector of our economy, including the gaming industry.

Information about the union’s response to the pandemic, as well as resources for members can be found at www.usw.ca/covid19.