OLG says injunction about safety Jennnifer McIntosh
jennifer.mcintosh@metroland.com
An Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation spokesperson said that an injunction limiting the number of picketers at various Rideau Carleton Raceway Slots entrances was aimed at keeping people safe. Rui Brum, said picketers have been crowding the entrances to the building and preventing customers from accessing the site. “They would hold people up for as long as an hour,” he said. “That’s not acceptable and not in keeping with safe picketing practices.” Under the interim injunction – which the Ontario Superior Court will hear – limits the number of picketers in each of the four entrances. At the main entrance, there can be 16, at the other two larger entrances there can be 12 picketers and at the smallest entrance, there can be eight, Brum said. Since the move, customers are delayed under a minute, he said. “We are always concerned with the safety of everyone, including the game floor employees, picketers and customers,” Brum said. “We ask for caution from both parties.” Brum said the problem with extended wait times for customers has cropped up in the last six weeks.
The OLG presented another offer to the 120 employees that have been locked out since Dec. 15 on April 14, but the offer was roundly rejected. Workers have been without a contract since Jan. 1, 2014. Brum said the demands of the Public Service Alliance of Canada – the union that represents the workers – aren’t in keeping with their mandate from the government. “They’re asking for a combined 19.25 per cent increase over five years,” Brum said. “We are under a directive to offset expenses with other efficiencies.” He added most employees make more than $17 per hour and receive tips. But Brian Lancaster, a valet attendant who spoke at the May 5 meeting of the agriculture and rural affairs committee, said that non-union employees were given a 2 per cent raise that was retroactive, while unionized employees were quoted 1.75 per cent, not retroactive. “We are still pretty far apart,” he said. Brum said because the slots fall under the purview of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, they had no choice but the lock the workers out, once the union had reached a strike mandate. “We can’t have staff walk off the gaming floor,” he said. “The OLG has to always maintain care and control of the gaming floor,” Brum said.
FILE
Planning for a new main branch of Ottawa’s library system will include public engagement.
Library board approves public engagement plan
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Jennifer McIntosh
jennifer.mcintosh@metroland.com
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14 Ottawa South News - Thursday, May 19, 2016
The Ottawa Public Library Board approved a plan for public engagement on May 10 over the development of a new main branch in the city’s core. The city has retained PACE – the same consultant the Ottawa Hospital used for its expansion plans of the Civic campus. The first round of consultations is set to take to take place on May 16 at city hall. Library CEO Danielle McDonald said the process was “sufficiently agile” to take staff through the citybuilding initiative. “We are continuing to build public trust in the process,” she said. The May consultations will speak to site criteria. “We will ask the public what’s important to them,”
McDonald said, adding public opinion will be weighted with best practices and expert opinions. Participants will be given two weeks to fill out a questionnaire following the consultation. The city has an ongoing call for sites, which is open until May 20. CONSULTATIONS
Two consultations will be held in June – one at city hall and one at the Library and Archives Canada, because staff are still doing a dual track process – preparing for a standalone facility and a joint one with Library and Archives Canada. Library board chairman Tim Tierney said he’s hoping the beginning of the public input period will help allay some of the concerns residents had about a fixed site
process. “I am a visual person, so now we can look ahead to the next marker,” Tierney said. When asked about the possibility of an international design competition, McDonald said it’s too early to say. “We want it to have all the programs and services we need and be beautiful and accessible,” she said. “That’s the objective. But how we get there, we will have to determine that.” A short list of potential sites will come back to the board on July 12. The board will have what McDonald called the decision package – the partnership, financing and project delivery method, including the site – in December and then they’ll make their recommendation to city council.