More workers at B.C.'s second largest casino join BCGEU

Cranbrook child educators, along with 230 labour
market development specialists also grow union ranks

Another group of employees from Burnaby's Gateway Casino have voted to join the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union, bringing the overall number of BCGEU members to about 600 at the province's second largest casino facility.

BCGEU president Darryl Walker says the 35 newest union members from the casino are drop team workers and supervisors who are responsible for collecting money from gaming tables and slot machines, transporting it to the casino's count room, and-under both audio and video surveillance-counting the proceeds.

"We are pleased to be the union of choice for B.C. casino workers," says Walker, "and we welcome these new members to our ranks. They joined our union to make their workplace better and address their priority issues like wages and working conditions."

The union already represents most Gateway staff, along with about 500 more workers employed at Gateway-owned casino facilities in the Interior. Negotiations are already underway for some Gateway Burnaby employee groups, says Walker.

Meanwhile, child development staff at the East Kootenay Infant Development Society in Cranbrook have recently voted to join BCGEU as well. Walker says these new members chose his union after carefully researching all of the options available.

And Walker says the union's ranks have grown by 230 more members as a result of the transfer of labour market development and job training staff from Ottawa to Victoria.

The transfer of responsibilities is part of an agreement reached between the federal and provincial governments. B.C. will receive $500 million over the next six years for labour market programs and services aimed at those who are unemployed but are not eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits or programs, and those who are employed but with low education or low literacy levels.