An overwhelming majority of liquor store workers in Ontario have voted to give their union a strike mandate as tensions between the Ford government escalate.
The union representing thousands workers at LCBO stores across the province said Saturday night that 97 per cent of those who took part in its ballot voted in favour of potential strike action.
“Don’t force a dry summer on Ontarians,” the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Liquor Board Employee Division wrote in a post after the vote. “Support a strong future for the LCBO and offer a fair deal now.”
A spokesperson Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said it was frustrating the union was potentially heading to a strike.
“It’s disappointing that OPSEU could be heading toward an unnecessary strike that threatens people’s ability to enjoy their summers,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The potential strike action comes as tensions between LCBO workers and the government flare over a deal to speed up the sale of beer, wine and pre-mixed drinks at grocery and convenience stores in Ontario.
At the end of May, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced drinks would be available beginning Aug. 1, paying $225 million to The Beer Store to speed up a long-standing pledge, and offering discounts for grocery and convenience stores that buy directly from the LCBO.
Ford’s plan will see 8,500 new alcohol retailers spring up around the province.
OPSEU has said it fears those new retailers will take LCBO customers and lead directly to store closures and job cuts. Union president Coleen MacLeod previously told Global News she felt workers were in “the fight of our lives” because of the alcohol liberalization plan.
MacLeod said it was “clear” the policy would lead to LCBO store closures in the province.
“You can’t add 8,500 more locations to sell alcohol in this province and expect that the LCBO will still be around,” she said. “There will be store closures, that’s clear.”
The finance minister’s office said the threat of a strike by the LCBO as the province’s main alcohol provider illustrates why it needs to modernize and liberalize how alcohol is sold in Ontario.
“While we hope OPSEU puts consumers first by working constructively at the negotiating table toward a deal, we have never been more committed than we are now to delivering on our promise to deliver more choice and convenience with beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages in convenience, grocery and big box stores,” they said.
The union’s vote — which saw an 86 per cent turnout — is the first step on the path to potential strike action, with a “no-board” report also needed to put LCBO workers in a legal strike position.
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