Ontario liquor workers union to seek strike mandate

LCBO stalling at the bargaining table,
says OLBEU president John Coones

Toronto - The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is stalling at the bargaining table and hopes for negotiating a mutually satisfactory agreement are fading fast, says John Coones, president of the Ontario Liquor Boards Employees' Union (OLBEU/NUPGE).

The union reported earlier that the hugely-profitable agency is demanding unprecedented rollbacks from employees.

Coones says the OLBEU will hold membership meetings across the province between March 13 and March 18 to update members on what has been happening and to ask for a formal strike mandate to be used if necessary to reach a new contract.

The following statement was posted by Coones Thursday on the OLBEU web site:

Statement by
John Coones
OLBEU President - 3 March 2005

For 17 days the union has met with the employer in an attempt to bargaining a new collective agreement for the membership. For 17 days the employer has exercised stalling tactics. There seems to be a lot of posturing going on but very little bargaining. If there was ever any hope of reaching a mutually satisfactory agreement, that hope is fading fast.

I find it interesting that, when the union began setting up negotiation update meetings , the employer suddenly decided that they should be the ones who should update our members through a letter from Andy Brandt and Bob Peter.

The letter states that negotiations began in January, "well ahead of when the current agreement expires." The fact is that in previous contract years negotiations began in November, not January. We also previously scheduled a full week at a time whereas in this round the employer has chosen to meet only three days a week.

It also says that they "expect the employer and the union will bargain in good faith, and work out a fair and equitable agreement." There have been a lot of meetings, and a lot of discussion, but very little "bargaining." Given the employer's proposals and the position that they have taken at the bargaining table, their idea of "fair and equitable" is to strip the employee's of their rights and benefits.

The union has scheduled membership meetings across the province between March 13 and March 18 where we will be updating the members on the issues at the table.

We will also be seeking a strike mandate from the membership.

Notices of these meetings are currently being mailed to members. In most cases there will be two meetings in each area so as to allow for both day shift and afternoon shifts to attend and have an opportunity to cast their vote on the issue of a strike action.

Members should make every effort to attend one of these meetings. Your future could depend upon it.

In solidarity,

John Coones

President and Chief Negotiator - NUPGE