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Ontarians may find their weekend plans disrupted for the next little while as nearly 10,000 LCBO workers have gone on strike as of Friday at 12:01 a.m.
While worker strikes are nothing new for Ontarians, this is the first time in the 97-year history of the LCBO that a mass strike has occurred. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union, or OPSEU, which represents the LCBO workers, announced the strike after talks with the Ford government over the expansion of alcohol sales to private businesses broke down.
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Here is everything Ontarians should know about what caused the strike, what the union wants, and how it will affect consumers.
What caused the LCBO strike?
Ever since March of this year, negotiations between the union and the provincial government regarding job security and measures to ensure the competitiveness of the LCBO in the face of new competition have been ongoing but finally broke down on Thursday.
Last month, 97 per cent of workers voted yes to strike action because they felt the LCBO, and their jobs, were at risk in the face of increased competition from the Ford government’s plan to expand alcohol sales to grocery and convenience stores. To remedy this, the OPSEU bargaining team put forth a proposal that included opening more public retail locations, expanding opening hours, increasing LCBO warehousing, logistics and e-commerce capacity in-house, and creating more permanent positions.
“Tonight, Ford’s dry summer begins.”
Colleen MacLeod, chair of OPSEU’s liquor board employees division bargaining team
What do the LCBO strikers want?
One of the most noteworthy demands the strikers are making is that the current plan by the Ford government to permit the sale of alcohol in grocery and convenience stores be reversed. Colleen MacLeod, chair of OPSEU’s liquor board employees division bargaining team, stated in a public address announcing the commencement of the strike that the union demands job security and to not have public funding siphoned away by big businesses.
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“We see the writing on the wall. Under Ford’s plan we could lose thousands, thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in public revenues. We said that to the employer and you know what they said back? ‘We can’t guarantee your future,’” said MacLeod. She then added: “Tonight, Ford’s dry summer begins.” MacLeod further pinned the strike on Ford’s alleged desire to enrich his “wealthy friends” by handing over public revenue to big box chains like Circle K and 7-Eleven.
In addition, the strikers also demand wage increases, more protective language in their collective agreement that would protect existing jobs, and more full-time jobs. According to OPSEU president J.P. Hornick, 70 per cent of LCBO workers are casual workers without guaranteed hours, access to benefits, or opportunities to advance to permanent part-time or full-time positions.
Has the Ontario government responded?
Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy’s office responded with
a statement on X that stated the government was disappointed in the breakdown of negotiations. “We urge OPSEU to return to the negotiating table and work towards a deal that prioritizes Ontario consumers and producers,” the statement said. The LCBO has stated that during discussions, the union was
focused solely on the sale of beer, wine, and other ready-to-drink beverages. The LCBO has urged the union to return to the table and resume talks with the provincial government; however, it seems the strike will continue as planned.
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How long will the LCBO strike last?
While all LCBO locations will be fully closed for the next 14 days, OPSEU has stated that if the strike continues past July 19, the LCBO will reopen 32 of their more than 680 retail stores across Ontario with limited hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It should be noted that Hornick stated: “We have a very healthy strike fund … and we can weather a strike as long as necessary.”
Where is alcohol still on sale?
Ontarians can still purchase alcoholic beverages at grocery stores that are already selling the products, as well as bars or pubs and The Beer Store locations. The LCBO says its website and mobile app “will continue to accept orders for free home delivery anywhere in Ontario for the duration of a strike,” adding it will “institute reasonable caps” on sales.
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