BY UNA LUE
ANCHOR BLAKE HANSON
You're watching multisource world video news analysis from Newsy.
Eighteen Canadian workers won a $7 million lottery - at the same time some of them got laid off. Denver’s KUSA-TV has the story.
“If you had written a story about a bunch of guys who worked together, were laid off on the same day, and the very next day they won the lottery -- no one would believe it. But that's what happened to a group of technology employees in Ottawa, Canada.”
From layoff to pay off, 10 of the winners are among the 200 employees losing their jobs. Their company -- SMART technologies -- decided to move to Mexico. One of lucky guys tells CBC/Radio-Canada, the win couldn't have come at a better time.
Colin Willard: “‘Wouldn't it be nice to win the lottery before we leave SMART?’ And -- bing! -- next day we win it!”
Reporter: “Willard and 17 coworkers regularly buy lottery tickets, and this time their numbers came in.”
With a four-dollar investment, they’ll each take home $400,000 -- about 15 years worth of their gross pay.
One of the workers tells KTLA -- 400 grand is a perfect amount to win.
"We all know that $400,000 doesn't make you rich. That comfort zone for the rest of your life is the nice story...”
C’est la vie. And what about the employees who got pink slips but no lottery money? A couple of them tell CTV what it’s like.
Employee : “Jealous! I’m jealous. But that’s how it goes, right? So...”
Employee : “Something like this would happen, you know, just right after. Like, the irony is just delicious, you know?”
The 18 winners say they will honor their responsibility to go back to work until the factory closes down on Sep 9th.
Transcript by Newsy.
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