Workers at Winnipeg dinner theatre give strike notice

Workers at a Winnipeg dinner theatre have voted unanimously in favour of a strike.

On Tuesday, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 832 (UFCW 832) announced that its members working at Celebrations Dinner Theatre rejected a wage offer and have given notice that a strike will begin on Sept. 5, 2023.

UFCW 832 represents more than 30 staff members at Celebrations.

“The employer showed up with absolutely no money whatsoever in their offer and said anybody that works there would have to get minimum wage,” said UFCW 832 president Jeff Traeger.

The union said the workers have been without a contract for three years, and had agreed to hold off on bargaining until the company was able to recover from the pandemic.

Traeger noted the workers are asking for higher wages.

“This dispute is 100 per cent about wages. We live in an inflationary time right now,” he said.

“A lot of these workers are students, they are part time. They can’t even afford groceries on what they’re making on the minimum wage with the part-time hours.”

Bob Cunningham, who is the president of Celebrations’ parent company Act Three Entertainment, said in a statement that bargaining is ongoing and affected ticket holders will be contacted.

Cunningham noted it is the local hourly staff that voted to strike, not the stage performers.