AFSCME Urges Gov. Corbett To Negotiate With PA Employees On Lottery Proposal

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dave Fillman, Executive Director AFSCME Council 13, challenged Gov. Corbett to end his reckless push to outsource the management of the Pennsylvania lottery and negotiate with our public employees to improve what remains one of the best lotteries in the nation.

The administration and U.K.-based Camelot have negotiated an extension of the company's bid to take over the lottery until Friday, despite Attorney General Kathleen Kane's ruling that the contract is illegal.

"At this point, the governor is just wasting valuable time. We agree with the governor and with lawmakers who want to grow the lottery and generate more revenue for our seniors. We agree that with the legal addition of more games, we can do more to fund life-saving programs such as PACE-NET," Fillman said.

"Our members are ready to start working right now to ensure that we have the right legislative and regulatory framework to improve what is already a tremendous public asset."

The Attorney General ruled that the Camelot contract illegally infringed on the Legislature's authority to set policy. In addition, the OAG's review found that current state law does not allow the development of monitor-based games and, finally, the contract included a provision for Camelot to make claims against the state that was too broad.

Under public ownership and public management, the lottery could generate an estimated $799 million more in revenue in the next six years than it would under Camelot management, according to AFSCME's counter-proposal.

"It's time to put ideology aside and get to work tackling real challenges our state confronts. We have an obligation and an opportunity to do the right thing for our seniors right now. All we need is a phone call from Gov. Corbett to kick start this effort," Fillman added.

To review AFSCME's proposal, please visit www.afscme13.org.

SOURCE AFSCME Council 13