On Friday, five Toronto OPSEU locals, joined by a number of executive board members and other OPSEU members, hosted two successful information pickets in Toronto. The first was held in the morning at Eglinton and Laird, organized by Local 5108 president Nick Papadimitriou, Local 5110 president Debbie McGuinness, and Local 5111 president Kim Nasello. The second took place in the afternoon at Weston Road and 401, organized by Local 5107 president Colleen Macleod and Local 288 president Judy Irving.
Members of Toronto locals, as well as OPSEU staff, pose for a picture before the picket begins.
Members stood out in the hot sun for seven hours, speaking with dozens of LCBO customers about OPSEU’s campaign against the privatization and liberalization of alcohol sales in Ontario. The reception was immensely positive, with over a hundred postcards signed by the end of the day, and virtually all of the people stopped having signed one. “The message was clear,” said Papadimitriou: “the LCBO belongs to us all, and its profits help fund our crucial public services. We own it!”
“I applaud and support the efforts of my members at the LCBO,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
“At OPSEU, we’re committed to protecting the public services that belong to us all. It’s encouraging to see that, in talking to people, our members are finding support landing on the right side of this problem of privatization. Now it’s just a matter of Premier Wynne actually listening.”
The next picket in the campaign is scheduled for this Friday in Sudbury, hosted by Local 681 president Jamie Kensley.
Here are some more pictures from Friday's pickets:
Toronto local presidents pose with guest MPP Peter Tabuns.
OPSEU members and Executive Board members pose after the day's second successful picket.