In May 2013, during our last round of contract negotiations, OPSEU filed a human rights complaint against the LCBO. After we reached a settlement with the LCBO it was the intention that both parties would agree to schedule mediation/adjudication meetings with a neutral third party in an attempt to resolve the issues raised in our human rights complaint.
A few meetings took place but, regrettably, management at the LCBO repeatedly canceled these sessions and neglected to reschedule meeting dates. Meantime, OPSEU continued to follow the complaint through the formal process within the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.
On Aug. 21, by conference call, legal counsel representing OPSEU participated in a case management meeting with their counterparts for the LCBO and with the vice chair of the human rights tribunal. The purpose of the call was to make the necessary preparations for the hearing of the application.
The tribunal has instructed both parties to file and submit their material and it will schedule a two day, in person, preliminary hearing for Feb. 12-13, 2015
In the interim the tribunal will schedule two blocks of hearing dates for the weeks of July 6, 2015 and July 20, 2015.
In our application before the tribunal OPSEU charges that the LCBO has deliberately created a core workforce of predominantly women, who commonly work 25 to 40 hours per week throughout the year but that the Crown retailer classifies them as “casuals.” OPSEU’s position is that the LCBO has created this imbalance so that it can pay thousands of workers less and restrict benefits and promotions.
Be assured that this issue enjoys a high priority with OPSEU and LBED and we will pursue the matter until we arrive at a conclusion.