Local 888 members at the Massachusetts Lottery overwhelming ratified a new contract in August and held a "signing ceremony" with Treasurer Steven Grossman, Lottery Executive Director Beth Bresnahan and Local 888 President Mark DelloRusso on September 3.

[caption id="attachment_5088" align="alignright" width="300"]Local 888 Lottery steward team gathers with Treasurer Steven Grossman, Lottery Executive Director Beth Bresnahan and Local 888 President Mark DelloRusso to sign the new three year agreement on September 3.[/caption]

Gordon Luciano led the Lottery steward team through the negotiations with assistance from Local 888 attorney Maureen Medeiros.

Treasurer Grossman could barely contain his excitement about concluding a timely agreement with a minimum of acrimony or disagreements.

"I've embraced unions and collective bargaining my whole life [in the private sector] and I've never been prouder than I am now of the two strong teams that came together to get to 'yes' with this contract," said Grossman. "It's a win – win that comes with the mutual respect we've established here at the Lottery."

DelloRusso praised all the stewards for getting the contract done in a timely fashion and particularly thanked those who travelled long distances from the regional offices for the long negotiations with management.

Reflecting back on the bargaining process, Luciano said, "We wanted to focus on some of the ambiguities in the contract and strengthen some of our language.  Our bargaining team felt it was especially important to have additional protections for our job security."

"As result we won new language that is clearer on employee protections such as bumping rights and leave time," Luciano concluded.

The contract has wage increases of 1.5 % every six months for 3 years.

The ratification vote the highest in recent memory with members voting 234 to 5 to accept the contract.

[caption id="attachment_5089" align="alignleft" width="300"]The Local 888 negotiation team.[/caption]

DelloRusso thanked Gordy Luciano and the rest of the Local 888 team: Greg Barry, Jim Harrington, Mike Kelly, Joe Poppalardo, Joseph Ravino, Rob Stephen, Kevin Wilder, and Chris Willis.