OPSEU sets up strike headquarters outside LCBO head office

The union representing thousands of liquor store employees in Ontario has opened up a strike headquarters directly across from the LCBO’s head office in Toronto ahead of possible labour disruption next week.
The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents approximately 8,000 LCBO workers, set up shop outside the LCBO headquarters at 43 Freeland Street on Thursday morning.
Workers will be in a legal strike position as of midnight on June 26 and in anticipation of a potential work stoppage, the LCBO has extended hours at a number of stores to allow customers to stock up ahead of the Canada Day long weekend.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, OPSEU President Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomas said workers do not want to go on strike.
“We want to bargain a collective agreement but we want one that actually addresses the workplace issues because over the last three rounds of bargaining, the employer is getting more and more aggressive, creating more and more part-time work, shedding full-time jobs and using agency workers who make minimum wage,” Thomas said.
He added that 84 per cent of the workforce is part-time and often can’t count on stable hours.
“It’s a horrible, horrible way to live not just for part-time workers in the LCBO but for part-time precarious workers everywhere. It is a huge problem and I think it can be fixed,” he said.
In the event of a strike, the LCBO says grocery stores will still have wine, cider and beer for sale. While grocers are not permitted to sell spirits, the LCBO says those products can be found at agency stores, which will also remain open during any labour disruption.
Thomas said he believes the agency stores would likely sell out of spirits “in short order” if a strike were to take place.
“We represent the warehouses. There would be nothing in, nothing out of the warehouses if there is a strike. We will picket the warehouses,” Thomas said.
“Whatever they’ve got out there now, they’ll in theory, run out of fairly quickly.”
Thomas would not discuss how far apart the two sides are at the bargaining table.
“I believe there is a deal to be had… the bargaining team is back at the hotel. They are going around the clock with the employer trying to get a deal and we’ve got our fingers crossed and our toes crossed that we get a deal,” he added.
“What our folks have put forward is reasonable.”