LCBO workers in legal strike position before Canada Day long weekend

The union that represents employees at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on June 26.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents the workers,received a "no board" report from Ontario's labour ministry on Friday after it requested one earlier this week.

The report means the workerscould go on strike or could be locked out before the Canada Day long weekend. It informs the union that no conciliation board will be appointed.

• LCBO workers inch closer towards strike action

"Nobody wants to go on strike," Warren (Smokey) Thomas, president ofOPSEU, said in an interview on Friday."But we will if we have to. We are getting prepared."

Thomas said elected union leaders who representliquor board employees are meeting in Toronto on Friday to fill out paperwork for a possible strike. He said the union is also launching an ad campaign next week to show support for theworkers.

Denise Davis, chair of the OPSEU bargaining team, said in a statement "what happens next" depends on the employer.

"We've come forward at the bargaining table with a plan for a better LCBO one that doesn't leave workers trapped in part-time positions for decades, protects jobs in communities across Ontario, and strengthens this public asset that provides essential revenue for the province.

"LCBO management knows they can afford to treat their workers better after all, we're talking about a company with $2 billion in profits last year."

According to theLCBO, there are seven bargaining datesscheduled in the next two weeks and theLCBOishoping a collective agreement can be reached.

The LCBO said in a statement on Friday it believesthe issues are not about money.It said its customer service representatives receive some of the highest wages in the retail sector in Canada.

"These are good jobs," it said.

"TheLCBOwants to reach a negotiated agreement that reflects the important work our employees do, while allowing theLCBOto be responsive toevolving customer interests, needs and shopping patterns."

It saidit also believes the union timed its "no board" request so that a labour disruption could come during one of the most significant sales periods of the year.

Customers urged to buy before strike deadline

Given that the union is inching closer to a legal strike position, the LCBO said it is drawing up contingency plans and urging its retail and wholesale customers to make their purchases before the strike deadline.

"We have started to make arrangements to ensure that our retail and wholesale networks will be able to operate in the event of a strike to ensure we can continue to provide service to our customers. In the coming days and weeks, we have extended some hours to ensure that customers have increased access to our stores."

At issue in the labour dispute, according to OPSEU, is shift scheduling, health and safety, and the number of part-time workers.

The LCBO's 7,500unionizedworkers have been without a contract sinceMarch 31and voted 93 per cent in favour of giving unionnegotiators a strike mandate in April.

About 80 per cent of the LCBO's unionizedworkforce is female.