Two casinos operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation have shut down following a strike overnight by the Canadian Auto Workers union.

OLG Casino Brantford in Brantford, Ontario, and Sudbury Downs Slots in Sudbury were closed after a collective agreement between the company and the union expired at midnight, the casino operator said in a statement distributed by Canada Newswire.

OLG is ready to continue negotiations and is „hopeful that an agreement can soon be reached,“ the casino operator said. Gaming operations at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto remain open today as managers replaced striking security workers.

The auto workers union represents 725 casino workers at the Brantford casino, 80 in Sudbury and 110 at Woodbine Racetrack.

Talks broke off shortly after midnight when it was „painfully obvious“ no settlement was in sight, Brian Stevens, a union representative, said in an interview. „Both sides are extremely far apart“ on wages, working conditions and benefits, he said.

The OLG, which is owned by the province of Ontario, has more than 20,000 employees and has generated revenue of more than CAD 23 billion (USD 23.15 billion) since 1975, according to its Web site.