New West Starlight Casino workers join BCGEU

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union is fast emerging as the union of choice for casino workers in B.C. after more than 210 staff at Gateway Casino's Starlight gaming facility in New Westminster voted over the weekend to join the union to make their workplace better.

BCGEU president Darryl Walker says the Starlight dealers, slot machine attendants and guest services staff chose BCGEU to help them address their key issues.

"We extend a warm welcome to our newest members from Starlight," says Walker. "With a union on their side, they know the odds are better that they can make progress with their employer around issues like wages, job security, seniority and overall fairness in the workplace."

The next step for these Starlight staff, says Walker, is to elect a negotiating committee, develop bargaining priorities and sit down for contract talks with their employer.

The successful Starlight vote brings the total number of BCGEU members to about 1,300 at Gateway Casino facilities across the province. This includes 600 at the Gateway's flagship casino in Burnaby and 500 staff at affiliated Lake City Casinos in Kamloops, Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon.

Walker says the union will step up its efforts to work with other Starlight employee groups and bring them into the BCGEU fold.