The Access Youth Outreach Services' Once Upon A Time gala is going ahead Saturday at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver despite the Coquitlam gaming operation being behind a picket line.
Casino workers, members of the B.C. Government and Services Employees Union (BCGEU), have been on strike since May 11 seeking increased wages and "fair treatment" from the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation.
Access executive director Jerome Bouvier said the difficult decision to go ahead with the gala was made because it would be too much of a financial hit to the cash-strapped organization not to.
"I respect the situation that they're in and I hope they would respect the situation we are in as a small non-profit. We looked at other options prior to this, but unfortunately we are in a situation if we don't go ahead with this we will lose significantly," said Bouvier.
"To put off an event would impact us greatly to the point where we would have to cut back our hours and programs greatly and I don't want that to happen. I have a responsibility to our organization and I would hope (the BCGEU) would respect that as well."
Bouvier said Access also respects the non-profit's supporters who decide not to come because of the strike. He said he had sympathy for the casino workers because he's walked picket lines as a union member before. He's hoping there won't be any confrontations.
"I was on the sidewalk, but never got into people's faces and scream. It makes me uncomfortable to think that people would do that. I would hope there would be respect for people's choices either way," said Bouvier. "Being confrontational should not be something that should be in the equation, I should hope."
He said an email to him from the casino outlined a process that was in place in which the picketers aren't supposed to disrupt ticketed events two hours prior and one hour after. But a BCGEU spokeswoman told The Tri-City News earlier this week that no deal is in place that would allow anyone to cross its picket line.
"We understand this is an important organization and we're hoping they find a way to hold the event at a different time or somewhere else, because we do agree it is an important event, and they will benefit from maximum attendance at the event which they wouldn't get behind picket lines," said the spokeswoman.
Bouvier said he realizes the gala's attendance could suffer because some Access supporters will choose not to cross the picket line, but calling it off could jeopardize the safety and health of youth in the Tri-Cities.
