Alberta is growing, “moving and shaking” as they say. It is the envy of many around the country who think the streets here are paved with golden opportunity - if not the precious metal itself. Companies make grandiose offers to workers in the hope of attracting cheap labour. Many arrive only to find desperate circumstances in both housing and working conditions. The so-called Alberta Advantage is only an advantage for the bosses, and so workers continue to fight for basic rights within many of these low wage jobs; health and safety, living wages and the right to join a union.

Edmonton is the battle ground at the moment for workers at the Palace Casino and are on strike for a first union contract. Palace Casino, owned and operated by Gateway Casinos G.P. Income Fund., is the 3rd most profitable business in B.C. The Alberta gaming industry contributes more to the Alberta provincial government coffers then Alberta Big Oil.

It has been a battle that started well before the September 9, 2006 strike began, which continues to this day. The fight for wages and working conditions are the two key issues confronting Palace Casino workers.   CEO David Gadhia and V.P. Howard Worrell pay many of their workers starvation wages. The average wage of a Dealer is $8.88 per hour and the average wage of a Server is $7.01.

In 1993 Palace Casino workers, tired of harassment, poor working conditions, low wages and benefits attempted to join the UFCW Local 401 but after employer interference opted for a staff association which over 10 years ultimately failed. The failed employee association resulted in the 2003 decision by employees to join UFCW Local 401. Two years of bitter litigation due to Palace Casino interference lead to the Alberta Labour Relations Board’s (ALRB) recognition of the legal merger of the Employee Association and the UFCW. The Union won certification, despite the employer’s extremely aggressive tactics in its anti-union campaign, and was certified in August 2005.

At the heart of this fight is the struggle for workers to freely join a union. It is a struggle that affects each and every worker, because this is about ideology. This is about a giant industry, supported by the Alberta government, refusing, due to ideology, not business demands, to negotiate as they have repeatedly been instructed to do by the ALRB. Why not negotiate? Because the Palace Casino, and casinos across this province, want the unfettered right to operate and maximize profits on the backs of the working poor.

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