VANCOUVER—Workers at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam have reached a tentative collective agreement with their employer through mediation six weeks into a strike and more than 15 months after negotiations began.

The workers, who voted to join B.C.’s public-sector employees’ union two years ago, have been attempting to negotiate a contract with the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation since January 2017. If the membership ratifies the deal, it will be the first collective agreement between the parties.

Stephanie Smith, president of the British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union, called the deal a “solid first agreement.”

“I know the bargaining committee is very pleased” with the tentative deal, Smith said in an interview on Monday.

“We believe it is a groundbreaking agreement and it could set a standard across the province,” for casino workers.

Jimmy Ho, general manager at Hard Rock Casino, said the company is “very pleased” with the tentative agreement.

“We hope it is ratified by our team members,” Ho said in a statement. He declined to comment further until the union members vote on the agreement.

The sides engaged in mediation last week after 400 workers had spent six weeks on strike without pay. A casino spokesperson told StarMetro the business was still operating during the strike with management staff.

The labour dispute reached a tense point earlier this month, when the union called on the provincial lottery regulatory body to intervene and convince Hard Rock to return to the bargaining table.

Smith said the regulatory body, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, sent a letter to the union acknowledging its petitions but refused to intervene.

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