TORONTO, July 15,
2024 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the LCBO announced that
it was reversing its decision to try and open select stores 3 days
per week, saying that all stores will now remain closed for the
duration of the strike. Today, Doug
Ford announced the accelerated expansion of alcohol sales at
grocery stores.
Doug Ford has made it clear: he
forced this strike to push his alcohol-everywhere agenda; to
dismantle the LCBO and hand billions in public revenues over to the
big box billionaires – and he's got the help of Weston family members like Claudia Hepburn who sit on the LCBO board of
directors.
"Instead of bargaining in good faith with the union and
revisiting public policy that's flat-out bad for Ontario, Doug
Ford is only focused on pushing his harmful agenda – he
can't be trusted," said Colleen
MacLeod, Chair of the Bargaining Team. "Ford's picking a
fight with workers and the people of Ontario who are in this fight with us. They
know that giving away billions in public revenues will affect all
of us – and that our win is their win too. It's why we're fighting
for a fair collective agreement at the table and for better
policies in the streets."
The bargaining team is prepared to return to the bargaining
table as soon as it is clear that Ford and the LCBO are prepared to
bargain in good faith a future that will protect good jobs and
protect public revenues as well as create more stable and permanent
jobs.
"We understand that this strike impacts our customers and our
communities," added MacLeod. "Our members want stores to be open
and to be back at work as soon as possible. We miss our regulars
and want to get back to work. It is on Ford to end this strike,
after all – he forced it to justify his rushed alcohol everywhere
scheme."
"The Premier needs to stop interfering with our members' right
to bargain and stop escalating his destruction of public alcohol
sales. Our members saw that their employer was directed never to
bargain with them at the table," said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP
Hornick. "They were handed an insulting offer that made it clear
their employer did not have a mandate to address workers' core
demands: protecting jobs and public revenues."
LCBO workers are standing strong in their fight for their
livelihoods and the future of Ontario. Doug
Ford's policies will mean job losses in every community of
this province and hundreds of millions of dollars in public
revenues drained from our public services.
"Doug Ford's policies affect our
livelihoods and the public good – so we had to fight back," added
MacLeod. "And we are getting tired of others trying to tell us what
our strike is over. This is about way more than ready-to-drink
cocktails."
Ford's rush to put booze everywhere will cost upwards of
$1 billion. And he escalated that
timeline right in the middle of LCBO bargaining.
"Ford is clearly trying to deliver on a promise he made to
prospective corporate donors from the convenience and grocery
industries during the elections. Doug
Ford should stop playing politics with the lives of our
members and taxpayers' money," added Hornick.
As much as Ford wants to say it's like any other business, the
LCBO is not just another retailer. It is a treasured public asset
with a mandate to improve the lives of Ontarians. LCBO workers are
asking Doug Ford to be reasonable,
to stop interfering in bargaining, and to support necessary
regulatory changes that put workers, communities and Ontario small businesses first.
Ford's plan will put alcohol in upwards of 8,500 new private
retailers. Every dollar in profit that they make is a dollar that
should have been invested into our communities.
SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)