LCBO employees vote 91% to strike against rollbacks

Employees who helped make a record $1.04 billion in profit last year are now being forced to fight against privatization

Toronto - Employees of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario have voted 91% to strike if necessary to fight major contract rollback demands that the agency is making despite earning massive profits.

In January, the LCBO reported that it made $1.04 billion last year - the first "billion-dollar dividend" ever recorded by the world's most profitable publicly-controlled liquor agency.

The $1.04 billion tally is $65 million more than the previous record a year earlier and $455 million more than the agency made in profits a decade ago.

The totals do not include Ontario sales taxes collected at the province's 598 LCBO stores and at the 196 "agency stores" in rural areas. When sales tax is included, liquor sales generated a total of $1.35 billion for the provincial treasury.

The Ontario Liquor Boards Employees' Union (OLBEU/NUPGE) represents 5,500 LCBO employees across the province. The following statement has been issued by union president John Coones following membership voting earlier this month.

Six OLBEU teams held membership meetings throughout the province during the week of March 13th to March 18th, updating members on negotiations and seeking a strike mandate.

The key issues at the bargaining table revolve around job security. The members are concerned about the potential privatization of the LCBO through the rapid growth of privately owned and operated franchise stores and the government's consideration of placing the LCBO into an Income Trust. At the bargaining table, the LCBO is attempting to remove what little job security the members have in their collective agreement around the issue of privatization and Franchise stores.

It was clear, during the meetings, that members were more than a little upset with the position taken by the LCBO at the bargaining table. The members feel they have worked very hard, while working short staffed, to help the LCBO achieve 10 straight years of record profits and, in appreciation for their efforts, the employer is attempting to take away their job security.

At the end of each meeting members cast ballots to decide whether to support strike action if necessary. The result was a resounding 91% in support.

The Union will continue to make every effort to come to a fair settlement at the bargaining table however, if the employer does not take the member's job security concerns seriously, strike action will be taken.

The Union and the Employer returned to the bargaining table on Monday March 21. The current collective agreement expires March 31st. NUPGE