Bargaining team files for conciliation as talks resume
Calling on the employer to take negotiations seriously, the OPSEU bargaining team filed late Monday for conciliation.
"This decision means that we're asking for the help of a third party to move negotiations forward," said Denise Davis, chair of the bargaining team. "It's time this employer abandoned proposals that will only lead to a weakened LCBO, and recognized that our plan offers a way to improve it instead."
Conciliation is covered under the Labour Relations Act, and means that the Ministry of Labour is being asked to appoint a neutral third party, who will work with both sides to help them reach a deal.
"We're hopeful that with the assistance of a neutral third party, we can find a way to reach a deal that will build a better LCBO," added Davis. "If we can't, however, this employer needs to know that workers won't stand quietly by while management destroys something so important to our province."
While the team waits for a conciliation officer to be appointed, talks will continue until Wednesday this week, and then from Monday to Thursday next week.
Strike vote countdown – 2 weeks, 6 days
The strike vote will be held on April 24 and 25. Details on locations, as well as answers to commonly asked questions, will be provided in a future bargaining bulletin once vote locations are finalized.
Hundreds join call to keep LCBO public
An information picket at an LCBO in North Bay on Saturday saw strong support from the public and the local MPP for keeping the LCBO public.
Hundreds of people signed postcards asking Premier Wynne to stop her back-door privatization of the LCBO, reminding her that this was nowhere to be found in her last election platform.
Shoppers voiced their support for the important role the LCBO plays in paying for public services, from teachers and nurses to highways and seniors' care. Others spoke up about their concern over the presence of beer and wine in grocery stores where families shop, calling the decision to expand and privatize alcohol sales the wrong one for the province. Including this one in North Bay, OPSEU members who work at the LCBO have now held 22 information pickets. Look for information about future pickets online at www.SavetheLCBO.ca.
Why is it so important to fill out a Form B?
If you don't fill out a Form B, you won't receive strike pay. While the bargaining team is committed to bargaining for a deal, not a strike, the reality is that we face an employer that seems unwilling to be reasonable. We have to make sure we're ready, and we want to make sure that if we do end up on the picket line, no one is missing out on their strike pay because we don't have a form for them.
Where are these forms? Mobilizers are visiting stores with them, and a copy can be found on the bargaining website at www.opseu.org/LBEDbargaining. If you have questions about the form, please email us directly at [email protected] so we can get you an answer.
You should also make sure that OPSEU has your current contact information so that important updates can be provided to you. You can update your information on the member portal, or by calling your regional office or local president.
Join the rally!
OPSEU members take the call for "A Better LCBO" to LCBO HQ
This Friday, join OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas, First Vice-President/Treasurer Eduardo (Eddy) Almeida, and the LBED bargaining team at the LCBO Head Office in Toronto.
Rally attendees will be bringing their plan for not only saving the LCBO, but making it better and stronger, directly to managers and staff working at the headquarters. OPSEU's senior leaders will encourage management to join with us to strengthen the LCBO, rather than continuing their attempts to weaken it.
Delegates will be marching from the OPSEU Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at noon and will gather for a rally at 12:45 p.m. in front of the office at 55 Lakeshore Boulevard East.
Can't be at the rally in person?
Join the online Twitter rally from anywhere in the province to show your support for the bargaining team and the LCBO as an important public asset.
To join the Twitter rally, start tweeting on Friday, April 7 at 11 a.m., using the hashtag #SavetheLCBO. Create your own tweet that talks about the importance of a strong LCBO for Ontario, or use one of the following tweets to help spread the message of the rally:
- A better LCBO means stopping privatization
- A better LCBO means no one working alone
- A better LCBO means meaningful shifts for casual workers
- A better LCBO means job security for workers
- Last year LCBO sales provided $2.4 billion to pay for teachers, highways and seniors' care
And don't forget to tag the LCBO and OPSEU so your voice is heard – do this by adding @LCBO or @OPSEU to your tweets.
Meet your mobilizers!
In collective bargaining, power comes from the support of union members. Experience has shown that employers move at the bargaining table when members take action inside and outside the workplace. To help build that power, OPSEU has booked off 15 mobilizers, elected by LBED members at your Pre-Bargaining Conference in April 2016. These mobilizers, who are your co-workers at the LCBO, are on union leave, starting Monday, February 27. They will work to build support for your elected bargaining team and the bargaining priorities you selected during demand-setting.
Region 1
Guy Jeremschuk
[email protected]
David Holmes
[email protected]
Michael Peris (Mar. 24 – Apr. 4, filling in for David Holmes)
[email protected]
Region 2
Bonnie Jolley
[email protected]
Judy Irving
[email protected]
Region 3
Tracy Vyfschaft
[email protected]
Eileen Allen
[email protected]
Region 4
Dianne Perry
[email protected]
Mathieu Royer
[email protected]
Region 5
Craig Hadley
[email protected]
Nick Papadimitriou
[email protected]
Adriana Bertoni
[email protected]
Region 6
Amanda Pellerin
[email protected]
Judy Jones
[email protected]
Region 7
Rob Mithrush
[email protected]
Anne Makela
[email protected]
Meet your bargaining team
The OPSEU bargaining team for the Liquor Board Employees Division consists of five members:
Denise Davis, Chair, Local 378
Colleen MacLeod, Vice-Chair, Local 5107
Jennifer Van Zetten, Local 162
Robin Reath, Local 163
Mark Larocque, Local 499
The bargaining team is assisted by OPSEU Negotiator Jeff Weston, Researcher Steve Crossman, and other assigned staff.
Contact us by email at [email protected]
Stay informed!
You can receive this bargaining bulletin (and our regular newsletter, the Echo) directly by e-mail. Just call OPSEU at 1-800-268-7376 or (416) 443-8888, and give the operator your name and e-mail address.
You can also watch for updates on the OPSEU website at www.opseu.org/LBEDbargaining. And be sure to attend upcoming bargaining information meetings in your area.