PSAC imposes lifetime ban on Toronto casino union leader ahead of election

PSAC’s national leadership sent an Aug. 11 notice to Theo Lagakos, the head of Local 533, which represents over 1,200 workers at a major Toronto casino, declaring a lifetime ban from the union because of alleged repeated, targeted conduct toward a complainant. The correspondence, signed by National President Sharon DeSousa, cites the union’s constitution but does not name the complainant or detail the accusations. As a result, Lagakos is no longer a member and cannot appear on the ballot for the union election scheduled for Friday, potentially allowing a candidate favored by the national executive to assume the local presidency.

Lagakos says the ban follows a trusteeship imposed on his local, which halted its operations and its proposal to affiliate with the Union of National Employees, a move that would have cost PSAC about $200,000 in dues. The trusteeship case is before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, with testimony from Lagakos’s side already given and PSAC slated to testify in September. He frames the conflict as a struggle for genuine democracy and openness within the union. Analysts note that internal power battles are common in large unions like PSAC, which represents roughly 240,000 members across diverse sectors.