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Cancelled plans to privatize lottery good for 400 employees, says union

But a spokesperson for the union is concerned about OLG's plans for more private partnerships and what that could mean for the membership
Roberta Bondar Place1
FILE PHOTO: Roberta Bondar Place, home of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. head office

The cancellation of OLG’s plans to privatize its lottery operations is good news for 400 workers at the Sault headquarters, says the union representing them, but they are hoping for clarification on planned partnerships with the private sector.

On Friday, provincially-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) announced it was no longer looking to privatize its lottery division, which pulled in $3.8-billion in revenue in 2015.

Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) — who represent almost 400 employees at the headquarters — is lauding that announcement.

“That is a huge revenue for the province. There is no reason whatsoever with that type of revenue stream to not keep these jobs in Sault Ste. Marie and grow the opportunities there,” said Sharon DeSousa, regional executive vice-president PSAC Ontario.

Had OLG sold their lottery business, the province would have lost that revenue stream and the status of those jobs would have been in doubt, she said.

“This is 400 good-paying jobs, with benefits. The last thing we want to see is a community as beautiful as Sault Ste. Marie without good paying jobs,” said DeSousa.

She notes many jobs in the federal public sector have been relocated as of late and it would be a shame to see the province move in the same direction.

“In the last five years, we have seen Sault Ste. Marie lose a lot of good-paying jobs within the federal public sector,” said DeSousa.

Last September, workers at the Sault headquarters of OLG voted to join the Public Service Alliance of Canada, having faced six years of wage freezes.

The union is currently in the process of negotiating the first collective bargaining agreement with OLG.

In a news release issued by OLG on Friday, the agency said it is revising its approach to modernization — which will no longer include the privatization of the agency.

“We will seek to enhance our capabilities in technology and innovation through partnerships with the private sector. This approach will leverage our skilled Lottery operations, headquartered in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Stephen Rigby, OLG president and CEO in the release.

DeSousa said the cancellation of plans to privatize is good news for the workers represented by PSAC, but she has concerns about OLG's plans to create more private sector partnerships.

“What does that mean? It’s a very grey area,” said DeSousa.

She hopes those private partnerships will not be at the expense of local jobs or force members to transfer to other cities, having to choose between relocating to keep a good-paying job or staying in the city they love.

“We want to make sure (the Sault) is a thriving community and there are job opportunities for future generations,” said DeSousa.


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Kenneth Armstrong

About the Author: Kenneth Armstrong

Kenneth Armstrong is a news reporter and photojournalist who regularly covers municipal government, business and politics and photographs events, sports and features.
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