More missing money at CNIB lottery kiosks

Another former lottery booth operator working for the CNIB says the charity held her responsible for missing funds, though she says she wasn't at fault.

The CNIB an organization that helps visually impaired Canadiansis suing four booth operators in the Maritimes. They're in Truro, Halifax, Bathurst and Summerside.

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The charity has a contract to sell Atlantic Lottery Corporation products at 17 locations across the Atlantic region, many at Walmart stores. It hires independent contractors to run the booths.

Charlotte MacFarlane ran a booth in Halifax for over three years, starting in March2011.

In early 2014, CNIB managers first told her she was missing $3,000. That amount later went up to $5,600.

"I was going on my third year and I was very proud I was doing such good work for them and it really hurt when they said I was short money,"she said.

MacFarlane said, up until then, she'd had regular audits and no problems. She said she never received a clear explanation about the missing funds.

"They just said money was missing. They didn't know where it went. I don't even know where it went."

Withholding wages to reclaim missing money

MacFarlane saidthe CNIB asked her to continue working.

"But they wanted me to pay the money back either in one lump sum, or they were going to withhold my pay," she said.

She refused that suggestion and quitin April2014.

The CNIB withheld her pay. She says shes owed about $4,000and has been trying to get that money back through the provincial department of labour.

She says she was initially offered $1,000. On Thursday, she says the department was in contactwith a new offer from the charity to settle her claim for $3,000.

MacFarlane says she enjoyed her job and was proud to be working for the CNIB.

"I may have been selling lottery tickets, you know, promoting gambling, but at least the profits were going to an organization that was going to do some benefits for some people that really needed it."

Under their contracts, the CNIB lottery booth operators agree to "accept full responsibility and liability for any and all products and/or cash shortages" and to "repay to the CNIB in full any costs associated with or damages incurred relating to such product and/or cash shortage."

Atlantic Lottery Corporation says it is monitoring the matter between CNIB and its independent contractors. In an email, it says, "Atlantic Lottery was not involved in the decision and is not a party to and is not involved in the litigation process."