More than 430 employees from Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam, B.C. are now members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU), after employees voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the BCGEU.

"We are tremendously proud to welcome Hard Rock Casino,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU president. "There's strength in numbers, and this is a marvelous opportunity to realize gains for casino workers across the province." The BCGEU also represents casino workers at River Rock Casino, Grand Villa, Starlight Casino, St. Eugene Mission, Lake City and Great Canadian Casinos.

The new certification to be issued by the Labour Relations Board includes: security officers, dealers, slot attendants, count teams, cage cashiers, guest services representatives as well as their respective supervisors; it also includes the casino's culinary department, boxmen, guest relations hosts, retail associates and theatre staff (ushers and box office.)

Union representatives will be meeting with new members from Hard Rock in the coming weeks to begin the process of negotiating a first collective agreement. 

Hard Rock Casino employees represent the second largest group of casino workers to unionize with the BCGEU in the past six months. Since December 2015, more than 700 workers at River Rock Casino have voted to join the BCGEU. River Rock is B.C.’s largest casino and the sister casino to the Hard Rock.