Stewart became an interim president in August 2017 and now he would be running for the secretary treasurer position, while David Cassidy would be probably elected for the top job. On May 1, he announced that he was stepping aside as Unifor Local 444 President as of June 1.

Meanwhile, the head of the local chapter of the union, James Stewart has left the fight between Caesars Windsor and its workers. Represented by the labour union Unifor Local 444, the workers hit the picket line due to the unsatisfactory terms in their new contracts, mainly low wages and pensions.

The closure was a result of a strike announced by casino and hotel workers on April 6 after they had rejected a proposed collective agreement with their employer, Caesars Windsor. Since April 6, however, the resort has been closed – hotel reservations booked for the month of May have been cancelled, all Colosseum shows and concerts until May 18 have been postponed, and the casino has been, of course, non-operational. Indeed, it is one of the largest and most popular casino and hotel complexes in Canada and as such, it is also one of the main driving forces behind the tourism sector in the City of Windsor and in Ontario. Clearly, the resort is much more than a gambling destination, although the casino draws thousands of gamblers each month from the province and from several US states. It was recognized in the Best Local Attraction – Gaming category and received two major awards, namely Best Entertainment Venue and Best Hotel. In March, Caesars Windsor won three awards in the annual Best of Windsor Essex organized by Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI). But the impact of the closure is spreading far beyond Ontario’s gambling industry and local tourism is expected to take a severe blow if operations at the casino resort are not resumed as soon as possible. The labour strike that closed Caesars Windsor at the beginning of April has entered its fourth week, with little hope for an easy solution any time soon.

Casino windsor strike