This paragraph discusses the ongoing strike by about 10,000 workers at Ontario’s largest liquor chain, represented by their union. The strike began on July 5th over a dispute that centers on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell ready-to-drink cocktails. The Ontario Liquor Control Board (LCBO) has indicated that government policy is not a matter for the negotiating table, but the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is concerned that expanded sales of ready-to-drink beverages will jeopardize their jobs. The Ford government has accelerated plans to offer ready-to-drink cocktails in supermarkets, and OPSEU will present a plan to the negotiating table on Wednesday to protect jobs and the government revenue generated by the sale of LCBO.This paragraph discusses the ongoing strike by about 10,000 workers at Ontario’s largest liquor chain, represented by their union. The strike began on July 5th over a dispute that centers on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell ready-to-drink cocktails. The Ontario Liquor Control Board (LCBO) has indicated that government policy is not a matter for the negotiating table, but the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is concerned that expanded sales of ready-to-drink beverages will jeopardize their jobs. The Ford government has accelerated plans to offer ready-to-drink cocktails in supermarkets, and OPSEU will present a plan to the negotiating table on Wednesday to protect jobs and the government revenue generated by the sale of LCBO.
TORONTO — The union representing about 10,000 striking workers at Ontario’s largest liquor chain says it will return to the bargaining table on Wednesday.
TORONTO — The union representing about 10,000 striking workers at Ontario’s largest liquor chain says it will return to the bargaining table on Wednesday.
The Ontario Liquor Control Board union went on strike on July 5 over a dispute that the union says largely centers on Premier Doug Ford’s plan to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell ready-to-drink cocktails.
The LCBO has said the latest contract offer includes improvements in wages, benefits and job security, but the Ontario Public Service Employees Union has announced the strike instead of responding to the offer.
The LCBO has indicated that government policy is not a matter for the negotiating table, but OPSEU is concerned that expanded sales of ready-to-drink beverages will jeopardize their jobs, as previous rounds of Ontario alcohol market expansion kept liquor sales exclusively at the LCBO.
As the labor dispute rages, the Ford government has released an interactive online map showing consumers where else they can buy alcohol during the strike, and has accelerated plans to offer ready-to-drink cocktails in supermarkets.
OPSEU now says in a statement that it will present a plan to the negotiating table on Wednesday to protect jobs and the government revenue generated by the sale of LCBO.
“When the team presents their plan, we will see if LCBO management is truly working toward the shared interests of workers and everyone in Ontario,” the union wrote in a statement.
Ford has firmly ruled out any rollback of its expansion of the ready-to-drink market, saying the ship is already “halfway across Lake Ontario.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2024.
The Canadian Press
