IMPORTANT NOTICE

For those MUTUEL EMPLOYEES whose schedule shows 7 consecutive days of no work:

Woodbine will be issuing a Record of Employment (ROE) to these employees. The ROE will show that there is a shortage of work and you will be able to apply for Employment Insurance (EI).

When work becomes available, once again, you will be scheduled to work, although you will have to report any earnings to EI once you start receiving benefits.

If you do not receive a ROE and you believe you are entitled to one: please contact Veena Rampersad, Director Pari-Mutuels Operations Department at Woodbine and she will look into it.

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Negotiations Update

We have completed four days of negotiations and will be continuing to negotiate towards a new contract on December 20, 21, 22, 2011.
We have also set more dates in January 2012 to continue our negotiations.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

FOR THOSE MUTUEL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE 55 YEARS AND OLDER WHO ARE CONTEMPLATING EARLY RETIREMENT:

In applying Article 14(d), a Seniority List employee who on average did not work at least 24 (twenty four) hours per week during April 1 to December 31, 2011 will remain on the Seniority List until the end of January.

Therefore, a Seniority List employee in this circumstance can elect to retire up to January 30th and Article 22(5) re: early retirement, will continue to apply.

Such request can be submitted in writing to Veena Rampersad, Director Pari-Mutuels Operations Department, clearly indicating the request for early retirement and the date which will be the last day worked.

Note: If there is a labour dispute, lock out or a strike one cannot take early retirement during the labour dispute.

Woodbine Entertainment Group Cuts Customer Service

Racetrack teletheatres (off-track betting facilities) across the GTA are going tellerless.

Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) is pushing ahead with plans to automate all GTA teletheatres, threatening jobs at a time when attendance is booming and teletheatres are raking in huge profits. They are cutting off the important human element in Ontario’s gaming industry.

Ontario’s lottery and gaming sector was built to diversify the provincial economy with promises of corporate responsibility and the creation of good jobs in our communities.

Each year, millions of our public dollars help boost revenues for WEG and now they’re needlessly cutting out customer service employees. This doesn’t add up.

Real-life mutuel tellers currently play a vital role in the racing business. We provide quality service directly to customers. We understand and teach customers the rules of the game. We lend support when it’s most needed as customers place hundreds of thousands of bets each year.

WEG plans to automate teletheatres in the GTA will put 384 mutuel tellers’ jobs at risk. This makes no sense – especially since WEG raked in over $11.5 million in profits last year.

We’re calling on the company as well as teletheatre operators to stop this aggressive and poorly thought-out plan for more automation, at the expense of customer service. Instead, we’re advocating a common ground approach to technological improvements (as is done in other industries) – one that protects jobs and maintains a high level of customer service for you, the public.

Other service locations in our communities that have instituted automated machines (including banks, supermarkets, airports and transit stations) still employ live staff to ensure quality customer service is delivered. Woodbine is forcing automation on its customers. No compromises.

Shouldn’t it be the customer’s choice?

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You can help!    Contact your Member of Provincial Parliament

Don't know who your MPP is?     Click here: Current MPPs

Ask them: Why is the Ontario government allowing the horse racing industry to eliminate good paying jobs with benefits all while they are receiving millions of dollars of the taxpayers’ money each year through the Ontario Lottery Corporation slot profits?

Ask them: Why are long term employees who have contributed to the success of the race track operations now being replaced by automation?

Ask them: Why contracting out to private owners helps the Ontario economy when these contracts are replacing good paying jobs?

Ask them: Who contributes more to the Ontario economy, a long-term employee living and working in Ontario or rich foreign owner?

Notice of Meeting

There will be two sessions

DATE:    Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

TIME:    Day session 1:30 pm
            Night session 7:30 pm

PLACE:  Comfort Hotel - located across the street from Woodbine racetrack at the south east corner of Hwy 27 and Rexdale Blvd

Meeting Agenda:

• Negotiation Proposals Update

• CAW Campaign Update

Your attendance is important.

Am I eligible for EI regular benefits?

Many mutuel tellers are now facing schedules with reduced available hours. The following question is being asked.

Am I eligible for EI regular benefits?

You may be entitled to receive EI regular benefits if you:

• have paid premiums into the EI Account;
• lost your employment through no fault of your own;
• have been without work and without pay for at least seven consecutive days in the last 52 weeks;
• have worked for the required number of insurable hours in the last 52 weeks or since the start of your last EI claim, whichever is shorter; 
• are ready, willing, and capable of working each day; and
• are actively looking for work (you must keep a written record of employers you contact, including when you contacted them).

 You may not be entitled to receive EI regular benefits if you: 

• voluntarily left your employment without just cause;
• were dismissed for misconduct; or
• are unemployed because you are directly participating in a labour dispute (strike, lockout, or other type of dispute).

For more information:
Service Canada - Employment Insurance Website
Find your local Service Canada Office

CAW National President Ken Lewenza Meets With WEG - Sept. 13, 2011

The meeting was attended by:

For WEG: CEO Nick Eaves, COO Sean Pinsonneault, and Vice-President of Human Resources, Debra Carey.

For the Union: Ken Lewenza, National President CAW, Deb Tveit, Assistant to the President, Kim Powers, our National Rep, and Bob Ciprick, President CAW Local 2007.

Ken understands our current concerns and issues very well and his message was articulated with great conviction to WEG's senior management.

The discussion was frank and open as to the position of both sides concerning the recent developments of WEG's business plan for now and for the near future.

As you could well appreciate these issues are complex and will require follow-up conversations/meetings and time to resolve.

We will keep you informed as best as possible and in the meantime we will continue to prepare for the upcoming contract negotiations.

Attention All Members:

With Woodbine's aggressive move to tellerless teletheatres and tellerless days at their racetrack locations all in the name of 'efficiencies'...

I am asking each and every teller/money room worker to send me a short email describing how these reductions in available hours are affecting you emotionally, mentally, physically, financially, and socially. (include the years you have been with WEG) 

In other words: How this is affecting you exactly. 

Be honest, be frank, be truthful, be heartfelt, but do not be vulgar, vicious, or malicious.

We are meeting with Nick Eaves and his compatriots on Sept 13, 2011 so please send these messages by then. 

My email is robertciprick@gmail.com

In solidarity
Bob Ciprick