Ontario casino workers authorise strike action at two southwestern properties

Unifor Local 444 members at Cascades Casino Chatham and Starlight Casino Point Edward have voted to authorise strike action if talks fail, the union confirmed on 6 November 2026. Workers at Cascades Casino Chatham approved the measure with 91.5 per cent of the vote, while Starlight Casino Point Edward employees returned a 93.8 per cent authorisation. Contract talks were due to continue over the weekend ahead of the current collective agreements' expiry on 11 November 2026.

Vote totals and membership

Unifor Local 444 represents a combined 214 employees across the two casinos: 97 at Cascades Casino Chatham and 117 at Starlight Casino Point Edward. The strike authorisations do not mean employees have immediately walked off the job; they legally enable industrial action if negotiations fail to produce a new agreement before the contracts lapse on 11 November 2026.

Negotiations timetable and next steps

Union officials said bargaining sessions were scheduled over the weekend prior to the 11 November expiry. If talks do not yield a settlement, the strike authorisations provide the union leadership the capacity to call for a strike at either or both properties. The outcome of the weekend discussions will determine whether the dispute escalates into a work stoppage.

Local impact and context

Both casinos are in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Cascades Casino Chatham and Starlight Casino Point Edward are the only two properties represented by Local 444 in that area. The union did not report walkouts following the votes; operations continued while bargaining proceeded.

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"Contract talks were scheduled to continue over the weekend ahead of the expiration of the current collective agreements on November 11," Unifor Local 444 said in its statement, confirming the timetable for negotiations.