Friday, March 04, 2016
AMAPCEO and OPSEU (the Ontario Public Service Employees Union) have successfully negotiated excellent exit and transfer conditions for Ontario Racing Commissions (ORC) employees who are moving to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
These negotiations come after the government announced in 2015 that the ORC and the AGCO would merge as part of a new strategy for the horse racing industry. AGCO employees are represented by OPSEU Local 565.
“I’m pleased that AMAPCEO, OPSEU and the AGCO were all able to work collaboratively to achieve a smooth transition for the members. This is a testament to the value of belonging to a union, and the positive relationship between AMAPCEO and OPSEU,” said Dave Bulmer, AMAPCEO president.
On April 1st, 2016 the ORC will be dissolved and the AGCO will become the regulator of horse racing in Ontario. The AGCO is a crown corporation responsible for the regulation of the alcohol, charitable and casino gambling industries, as well as lottery ticket retailers.
“I’d like to welcome the new members and commend our team for the collaborative effort in making the transformation smooth,” said OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “OPSEU and AGCO employees will ensure that these industries are operated with integrity, financial responsibility and in the public interest.”
The ORC was the first AMAPCEO unit organized outside of the OPS. AMAPCEO is honoured to have represented ORC members for the past 7 years. The members will be missed, but thanks to strong relationships and good negotiations, AMAPCEO is confident they will be well-represented by their new union.
Many thanks to the ORC representatives on the negotiating committee: Allyson Williams, Gunnar Lindberg and Jeff Minler.