TORONTO, July 15, 2024 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the LCBO announced that it was reversing its decision to try and open select stores 3 days per week, saying that all stores will now remain closed for the duration of the strike. Today, Doug Ford announced the accelerated expansion of alcohol sales at grocery stores.

Doug Ford has made it clear: he forced this strike to push his alcohol-everywhere agenda; to dismantle the LCBO and hand billions in public revenues over to the big box billionaires – and he's got the help of Weston family members like Claudia Hepburn who sit on the LCBO board of directors.

"Instead of bargaining in good faith with the union and revisiting public policy that's flat-out bad for Ontario, Doug Ford is only focused on pushing his harmful agenda – he can't be trusted," said Colleen MacLeod, Chair of the Bargaining Team. "Ford's picking a fight with workers and the people of Ontario who are in this fight with us. They know that giving away billions in public revenues will affect all of us – and that our win is their win too. It's why we're fighting for a fair collective agreement at the table and for better policies in the streets."

The bargaining team is prepared to return to the bargaining table as soon as it is clear that Ford and the LCBO are prepared to bargain in good faith a future that will protect good jobs and protect public revenues as well as create more stable and permanent jobs.

"We understand that this strike impacts our customers and our communities," added MacLeod. "Our members want stores to be open and to be back at work as soon as possible. We miss our regulars and want to get back to work. It is on Ford to end this strike, after all – he forced it to justify his rushed alcohol everywhere scheme."

"The Premier needs to stop interfering with our members' right to bargain and stop escalating his destruction of public alcohol sales. Our members saw that their employer was directed never to bargain with them at the table," said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. "They were handed an insulting offer that made it clear their employer did not have a mandate to address workers' core demands: protecting jobs and public revenues."

LCBO workers are standing strong in their fight for their livelihoods and the future of Ontario. Doug Ford's policies will mean job losses in every community of this province and hundreds of millions of dollars in public revenues drained from our public services.

"Doug Ford's policies affect our livelihoods and the public good – so we had to fight back," added MacLeod. "And we are getting tired of others trying to tell us what our strike is over. This is about way more than ready-to-drink cocktails."

Ford's rush to put booze everywhere will cost upwards of $1 billion. And he escalated that timeline right in the middle of LCBO bargaining.

"Ford is clearly trying to deliver on a promise he made to prospective corporate donors from the convenience and grocery industries during the elections. Doug Ford should stop playing politics with the lives of our members and taxpayers' money," added Hornick.

As much as Ford wants to say it's like any other business, the LCBO is not just another retailer. It is a treasured public asset with a mandate to improve the lives of Ontarians. LCBO workers are asking Doug Ford to be reasonable, to stop interfering in bargaining, and to support necessary regulatory changes that put workers, communities and Ontario small businesses first.

Ford's plan will put alcohol in upwards of 8,500 new private retailers. Every dollar in profit that they make is a dollar that should have been invested into our communities.  

SOURCE Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO)