Striking LCBO workers tried to keep their spirits up despite Friday’s high temperatures, oppressive humidity and scorching sun, waving flags and picket signs and honking horns on Yonge Street south of Wellesley for most of the day but retreating to the shade in the afternoon heat.
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This LCBO location, which is closest to Queen’s Park and has the OPSEU union office just around the corner, has been the scene of numerous protests and speeches since the strike began, but after the first week, both sides appear to have reached an impasse.
Premier Doug Ford has made it clear he is willing to reach an agreement on wages, full-time or part-time work and other union demands, but he also says he will not back down from his plan to sell ready-to-drink cocktails and bottled water in grocery and convenience stores.
“Let me be very clear: It’s over, it’s over, the ship has sailed and is already halfway across Lake Ontario,” the prime minister said on Wednesday.
Union leader JP Hornick expressed it just as clearly: He sees this move as a threat to unionized jobs at the LCBO.
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However, the decision about what and where to sell does not lie with the union representing retail workers. That is a political decision that lies with the respective government.
The LCBO made a decent offer to the union. The union just didn’t present it to the workers. The contract offer includes wage increases of 2.5% in the first two years and 2% in the third year, as well as converting 400 part-time jobs to full-time positions. There are also provisions to expand benefits for part-time workers and improve severance packages.
This is the kind of offer the union should be making to its members, but that has not officially happened yet. After Premier Ford repeatedly called on the union to present the offer to its members, OPSEU held a town hall forum on Wednesday.
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Hornick and the union leadership have been asked numerous questions about the offer, but so far there has been no movement on the matter.
Most Ontario residents are not feeling the pinch right now. Many people stocked up in advance, as evidenced by the Christmas sales figures in the days leading up to the strike. There are also now literally thousands of places to buy alcohol outside of the LCBO, and the government has even released a handy online map to help you do just that.
The beer shop is seeing increasing sales, as are craft breweries, wineries and distilleries, and agency shops in small centres are experiencing a slight run on their stocks.
At this point in time, the strike only harms the picket workers and the catering industry.
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The LCBO has never faced a strike in its history, and the plan it has put in place to keep bars and restaurants open and supplied leaves much to be desired. The original plan was to open select outlets to commercial customers, but that plan was abandoned for fear of confrontations with striking workers.
The LCBO’s online sales system wasn’t initially designed to allow bars and restaurants to order at their wholesale prices. The bigger problem was that the website couldn’t keep up with demand and orders often crashed before payment.
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One bar manager said they were only offered a handful of products to choose from, including Mickey bottles of vodka, which are hardly useful for a busy bar. Others complained that orders were cancelled entirely and common items were out of stock.
Transporting the products to bars and restaurants was a nightmare.
Since this strike is likely to drag on, your local bar could be the first victim.
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