Chair’s message
Greetings,On behalf of the LBED Divisional Executive, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family the very best this holiday season.For many, this time of year is filled with joy and excitement, creating precious memories, and discovering holiday magic. At the LCBO it means an influx of customers and our members rising to the challenge to meet customer demand with limited resources in a face-paced retail environment.As workers, we do our best t to keep up, but this can result in injury. Please: pace yourself, work safe, work smart and always put your health and safety above all else.We expect to have the latest finalized collective agreement available online and in booklet form in early 2025.I would like to personally thank all our members for their hard work that resulted in historic gains in this contract. We secured wage increases and job security – adding 1,000 PPT jobs in retail and insourcing 1.25 million cases to logistics -and the placement of head office casual positions on the full-time grid in their respective home department.Together, in 2024, we build incredible power for LCBO workers. More than 7,000 members signed our petition to protect good jobs at the LCBO. In May, we stood together saying we wouldn’t be WristBANNED. Then, we had the highest participation strike vote with 86% of members casting a vote and 97% voting YES to strike.These participation numbers are unheard of and are a testament to our success using the “Organizing to Win” model. LCBO workers are leading the way.I encourage you all to take a few moments to reflect on our accomplishments this year. However, we need to recognize the battle to protect good jobs and keep the LCBO public is far from over.With a provincial election looming, we need to maintain the organizing structure we built to help influence the outcome. Let’s face it, it’s much easier to bargain with a government that understands the value of this profitable crown corporation instead of outsourcing our work and giving public revenues to greedy big box store CEOs.That’s why your divisional executive voted unanimously to extend our Action Builder subscription year-round giving access to all presidents / highest ranking in each local.In addition to regional labour chair and logistic leader consultations, we also implemented a communications plan that includes:- monthly online meetings with local presidents/highest ranking;
- quarterly meeting with leaders and organizers;
- and semi-annual meetings open to all members.
Meeting dates for 2025:
Divisional Membership Meetings (all members, 10am & 7:30pm)Apr 15, 2025Oct 1, 2025Organizing Committee Meetings (all leaders, 10am & 7:30pm)
Feb 13, 2025May 13, 2025Aug 26, 2025Nov 25, 2025Local Presidents Meetings (local presidents/highest ranking, 10am & 7:30pm)
Jan 7, 2025Feb 11, 2025Mar 3, 2025Apr 2, 2025May 6, 2025June 9, 2025July 14, 2025Aug 18, 2025Sep 9, 2025Oct 9, 2025Nov 3, 2025If you are not receiving emails from OPSEU/SEFPO, please contact the Communications Department at [email protected] to be added to the list.I would like to humbly give thanks to our dedicated divisional executive, local executive members, and to all our Liquor Board Employees Division (LBED) committee members for their hard work and determination representing our members. Your commitment and most importantly your patience and perseverance as we learn together and try new things as a division is always appreciated and respected.Peace, love, and happy holidays.Colleen MacLeod – LBED Chair (L5107)
Health and Safety
The Provincial Health and Safety Committee (PHSC) continues to have productive meetings with the employer with a focus on the mental health of employees and how violence – and the threat of violence – can affect the mental health and well-being of our members.The committee also continues to meet with the Resource Protection team to review and assess the work being done by their department. Law enforcement, working in collaboration with Resource Protection, has made significant and numerous arrests that have resulted in a reduction in crime.Over the last year, the Health and Safety Committee (PHSC) brought forward concerns regarding the respectful workplace signage and, as a result, the employer has now placed signage in other areas. The committee continues to monitor for best practices to ensure members’ safety.The PHSC is very pleased to inform our members of a new resource to help with completing monthly workplace inspections: “Safety Moments” videos. You can access these videos through ServiceNow by going to the JHSC/Workplace Inspections Report page and scrolling down to the bottom.Chair – Debbie McGuinness (L5110)Greg Wilson (L164)Jonathon Puklia (L163)Pension and Benefits
The Pension and Benefits committee continues to meet with the employer to ensure our members’ contract entitlements are upheld. This includes the Long Term Income Protection (LTIP), employer compliance with the Disability Management process, and the accommodations/return to work protocol.Working with the membership, we continue to work on the Terms of Reference that govern the committee, succession planning, and maintaining the Sick Credit Pool.The Pension and Benefits committee has met several times since the conclusion of bargaining with future meetings scheduled in 2025. The Committee will continue to work on information to be presented at the upcoming Local Presidents meetings, Zoom educationals, and member retirement planning programming.Chair – Shelly Robitaille (L162)Stephanie Hickman (L377)Greg Wilson (L164)Grievance Committee
With the conclusion of bargaining, our members are in the enforcement stage of the bargaining cycle. We encourage members to enforce all rights and entitlements within the Collective Agreement.In consultation with an OPSEU/SEFPO Grievance Officer, the committee reviews and advises members on grievances that have not been resolved at step three of the grievance process. The committee also consults with the Chair of the division if there is a requirement to file a policy grievance on behalf of our sector.In the new year, the grievance committee will be hosting a Zoom educational on January 19th from 7:30 – 9:30pm Eastern (more information to follow). The committee will also continue to update its Terms of Reference while continuing the work of scheduling members’ grievances. We encourage members to enforce our CA and contact their Local President if management violates any of our rights and entitlements.Chair – Jeremy Trainor (L378)Retail – Johnathon Puklia (L163)Non-retail- Trisha Harrison (L164)Anti-Privatization Committee
The Anti-Privatization Committee (APC) met in November to discuss our next steps. It has been a challenging year for LBED members with all of the changes over the last several months with the marketplace expansion and privatization of alcohol sales. Rest assured that we remain passionate and ready to face any future threat together.The APC will be meeting in January, February and March. We will continue to engage our members about the upcoming provincial election in the spring. We need to ensure that we are having conversations with everyone — including family and friends — and remind them that their voice matters! Let’s influence change together, to protect the LCBO from Ford’s ongoing privatization agenda.There is an APC Zoom social scheduled for early March (more information to come). We would be happy if you could attend.Keep your spirits up and please remember to have a safe and happy holiday season.Chair – Jamie Kensley (L681)Tammy Rogers (L377)Laurie Scuffell (L4100)Communication & Education Committee
Since the end of the strike, the Communication & Education committee has been hard at work collaborating with the Anti-Privatization Committee, the Health & Safety Committee, and the Pensions & Benefits Committee & Grievance Committee to organize Zoom workshops.The Health & Safety Committee held a very successful workshop on November 17 with a great turnout. The consensus is that members appreciate the education that is being provided in these workshops.The committee has dates planned for 2025 when more workshops will be hosted so members can participate and fully understand their rights in the workplace.The committee continues to create content and monitor the official OPSEU/SEFPO LBED Facebook page. We have seen an uptick in people who view the page and the committee appreciates the feedback that members continue to give.The committee has also been working on templates that Local Presidents can use when they are conducting new hire orientation meetings. The committee recently released one for the 2024 winter fixed term session and the response has been positive with members being able to have a framework for what to explain to the new hires.Finally, the committee is in the process of working on a President’s handbook as an aid to assist members. The handbook will include all of the major mechanisms as to how OPSEU/SEFPO functions as a union and all of the various ways that LBED members can become more involved with the sector and the union at large.On behalf of the Communication & Education committee members, we look forward to continuing to provide key information and education to the LBED membership.As 2024 comes to a close, we would like to wish everyone the happiest of holidays and a successful 2025!Chair – Craig Hadley (L5109)Michael Hamilton (L376)Jessica Marciniak (L497)Secretary Treasurer
The Secretary Treasurer is responsible for the administrative items and financial record keeping of our division. This includes recording minutes for Divisional Executive meetings and Provincial Management Labour Committee meetings. Minutes are sent to Local Presidents/highest ranking quarterly. Accompanying meeting minute reports are the sector financial reports, which include up to date financials and ongoing tracking and usage of the 1,100 day pool.Any LBED member who wishes to see these reports, please contact your Local President and they can send them to you.I also maintain the records for all members’ contract information, and especially, Local Presidents and Local Executive Committees (LECs). It is very important that these records are kept up to date so the Divisional Executive knows who to contact at the local level. If there have been any changes recently to your contact information or LEC, please reach out to me so we can update the records.I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.Rachel Brunet (L4100)In Solidarity,Your Liquor Board Employees Division (LBED) Divisional Executive