OPSEU members at the LCBO held a sixth successful anti-privatization picket, this time in Sudbury. The September 23 picket was part of OPSEU’s campaign to stop the expansion of alcohol sales into grocery stores, which the union argues is gradual privatization. The event was extremely well received by the public, said OPSEU Local 681 president Jamie Kensley.
“It was a huge success. Hundreds of people signed postcards to Premier Kathleen Wynne, demanding that she stop privatizing liquor sales. People see that she is threatening both public safety and a massive source of public revenue.”
Local 681 president Jamie Kensley (second from right) stands with Region 6 Executive Board Members Mike Bisaillon (second from left) and Felicia Fahey (right), and other OPSEU members.
OPSEU members were joined by Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas, as well as by a number of Executive Board Members.
MPP France Gelinas (second from left) stands with local 681 president Jamie Kensley (left), and other OPSEU members at the picket.
Gelinas was “delighted” to attend the information picket. “[I] appreciate that OPSEU is drawing public attention to the Liberal government’s privatization agenda,” she said.
“It makes no sense at all to privatize public assets, including alcohol sales. The province gets over two billion dollars in revenue from the LCBO every year. That’s money that goes into our health care, education, and public services. Why would the Wynne government ever give that up?”
The campaign’s next information picket is slated for October 15, by Local 741 in Thunder Bay.