“When working people do well, business does well….”
Why this round of LCBO bargaining can be positive for everyone
As bargaining between the LCBO and OPSEU unfolds, our customers will soon be asking questions about it. So will friends, neighbours, and relatives. So what do we say to them?
“The LCBO is in a position to create good jobs, and in this economic climate it has a responsibility to create good jobs,” she said after two days of negotiations this week. “It’s what our families need, it’s what our communities need, and it’s what our province needs.
“That’s our message in a nutshell.”
Part of the union’s challenge is to educate customers and the general public about work at the LCBO, Klumper said.
“Most people don’t realize that 60 per cent of LCBO employees are casuals who make less than $20,800 a year on average,” she said. “But our customers do understand that you can’t bring kids up properly on that income, you can’t live a decent life on that income.
“When they know the challenges our members are facing, they’ll support us,” she said. “Our customers like us.”
Nothing supports local economies better than good jobs, and people know it, Klumper said. In a poll of 1,000 Canadians published by Vector Research in January, 95 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that “When working people do well, business does well.”
“Most people understand that the way to build communities is from the bottom up,” she said. “When workers have good jobs, they spend money, and when they spend money they create more work and more jobs.
“We’re putting forward a practical, positive solution to the pain our communities are experiencing,” she said. “Our message is in tune with what the public wants.”
Meet your mobilizers!
OPSEU mobilizers are your co-workers at the LCBO. They’re the direct link between you and your bargaining team. The following people are assigned as mobilizers in the OPSEU locals indicated.
Guy Jeremschuck: Local 162
Dave Holmes: Local 163
Mike Robertson: Local 164
Mike Sullivan: Local 165
Bonnie Jolley: Local 284
Paula Sossi: Local 285
Deb Altoft: Local 286
Shawn Swayze: Local 287
Matt Savelli: Local 287
Frank Gullace: Local 288
Maria Bauer: Locals 375, 376
Doug Parks: Locals 377, 378
Eileen Allen: Local 379
Terri Taylor: Locals 497, 498
Devon Ford: Locals 499, 4100
Kevin Ramsay: Locals 5107, 5110
Roberto Ianni: Locals 5108, 5111
Craig Hadley: Locals 5109, 5110, 5111
Mellisa Jackson: All Locals in OPSEU Region 6
Anne Makela: All Locals in Region 7
Your bargaining team
The OPSEU bargaining team for the Liquor Board Employees Division consists of seven members:
Vanda Klumper, Chair, OPSEU Local 165 [email protected]
Denise Davis, Vice-Chair, Local 378 [email protected]
Dora Robinson, Local 376 [email protected]
Tracy Vyfschaft, Local 377 [email protected]
Lori Davis, Local 499 [email protected]
Colleen MacLeod, Local 5107 [email protected]
Laurie Miller, Local 682 [email protected]
The bargaining team is assisted by OPSEU Senior Negotiator Rob Field, Senior Researcher Joyce Hansen, and other assigned staff.
EAP Hotline: 1-800-263-1401
The LCBO Employee Assistance Program is a confidential, hassle-free counseling service for eligible LCBO employees and their immediate families. For assistance, call 1-800-263-1401.
Your 2009 Bargaining Bulletin is authorized for distribution by:
Vanda Klumper, Chair,
Liquor Board Employees Division
Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President, OPSEU
Ontario Public Service Employees Union