New Britain, Ct, March 12, 2020 – Unions representing employees at the Connecticut Lottery Corporation in Rocky Hill are supporting newly proposed legislation that would terminate the quasi-public agency and transfer its operations to the Department of Consumer Protection.
On March 3, Mark Negralle of CEIU Local 511 and Rob Raczka of AFSCME Local 318 testified in favor of HB 5320, An Concerning Operation of the Connecticut Lottery by the Department of Consumer Protection before the legislature’s Public Safety & Security Committee.
“Transferring the CLC operations and its employees to the Department of Consumer Protection would allow the Lottery to operate with full transparency,” Negralle, a General Trades Workers and 24-year employee at the CLC, told Committee members. “I’m positive that the Department of Consumer Protection would be a cohesive part of the CT Lottery’s success.”
Click here for Negralle’s complete testimony. CEUI represents 12 workers at the Lottery, and more than 6,000 state and local workers and retirees.
“I believe the CLC’s status as a quasi-public agency has shielded our agency from full transparency and accountability,” Rob Raczka, a Sales Representative and 13-year Lottery employee, added. “Transitioning operations to the Department of Consumer Protection will increase oversight and improve working conditions while increasing our integrity and our players’ trust.”
Click here for Raczka’s complete testimony. Local 318 represents more than nearly 500 state administrative-clerical workers, 53 of whom work at the Lottery Corporation, and is affiliated with Council 4 AFSCME.
Negralle and Raczka also raised concerns about working conditions and employee morale. In late 2019, the four unions representing CLC employees – A&R Local 4200, AFSCME Council 4, CEUI and CSEA – surveyed their 100-plus members.
The survey, which 77 union members completed, indicated a serious level of occupational stress and concern over CLC management practices. It also revealed that unionized CLC employees take pride in their work. For example, 65% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they like their jobs.
Click here to access the survey of union members at the CLC.
“It’s clear that our members care about the work they do and are proud to produce consistently higher revenues for the general fund,” AFSCME Local 318 President Patricia Davis commented.
“It’s also clear Lottery employees don’t like what they’re seeing and are demanding changes that will improve working conditions,” added Davis, who works at the Department of Correction.
The unions representing CLC employees have urged Lottery CEO Gregory Smith to establish regular labor-management meetings to address occupational stress and related concerns raised in the survey.
