An incident in which a woman was alleged to have been punched on the first day of picketing at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver on May 11 is being investigated by Coquitlam RCMP.
Bev Calderoni said she and a friend, both in their 70s, were looking for a fun Friday afternoon of entertainment at the casino when she tried to drive into the parking lot.
They were unaware the B.C. Government Employee and Services Union (BCGEU) had gone on strike that day.
Calderoni said she thought the union’s yellow placards were part of an event being put on by the casino in the parking lot such as a car show.
Calderoni claimed people were blocking her car and yelling and screaming. “At one point this man jumped out at my car and bends my windshield wipers without any warning,” she said.
Then, she alleged the man reached into the open passenger window and punched her friend on the side of the head or neck and tried to grab her purse.
“I was stunned. I went into kind of stunned mode, I didn’t know what was going on,” said Calderoni.
She claimed casino security escorted them away from the picket line and the police came to take a report. She added the security officer told her they had video of the incident and that casino manager Jimmy Ho came to talk to her and promised to cover any damages if ICBC did not.
Calderoni, a New Westminster resident who makes trips to various Lower Mainland casinos on a regular basis, said she would have respected the picket line and not gone in the casino if she had known about the job action.
“It’s just the violence of it that makes me angry,” said Calderoni. “I’m really angry they hit my friend, and that’s not what a union should act like.”
A week later, she was so upset she fired off an email to BCGEU president Stephanie Smith.
“What I do know is that the individual involved was not a BCGEU member,” Smith told The Tri-City News.
She said the man was a member of another union who was there to offer support and got upset when Calderoni’s car came to a stop on his foot.
“We’re very sorry Ms. Calderoni had an experience like that on our line,” said Smith, adding Calderoni has been invited to the BCGEU offices to discuss what the union can do to support her, “in particular around her vehicle.”
Cpl. Michael McLaughlin confirmed Coquitlam RCMP are investigating a report of a victim being punched and a vehicle damaged at the casino on May 11 at 2:45 p.m. He said despite talking to several witnesses, police have not been able to identify the man.
“There are several theories about who this person is. But until we can firmly identify this person, we’re not going to commit to who this person is,” said McLaughlin.
He said police are aware of the allegation Calderoni’s car rolled onto the man’s foot, but “we have found no evidence that has happened.”
McLaughlin added the detachment “has been keeping a close eye” on the picket line, but as long as nobody’s breaking the law the RCMP will remain neutral.
Smith said the picketers are respecting rules established by the B.C. Labour Board, and there’s a union staff member on site as a resource.
“We don’t condone any violence on our picket line at all,” said Smith.
The picketers provide information and leaflets, she said, but do not stop vehicles.
She noted many regular casino goers have stopped by the picket line to offer support and bring treats.
Great Canadian Gaming Corp. declined to comment on the incident because of the police investigation, but said the casino “does not condone such behaviour,” said
Sonja Mandic, director of media relations in an email. “We were shocked and disappointed at the union’s conduct on Friday, May 11.”
