Pickering – Members of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 377, along with supporters from other locals and members of the OPSEU Executive Board, found their concerns over the privatization of the LCBO echoed by the public at their picket yesterday afternoon in Pickering.
“I’m so pleased,” said Local 377 president Tracy Vyfschaft. “Some LCBO customers told me they came today explicitly to voice their support and sign our postcards to Kathleen Wynne, demanding she stop the privatization of the LCBO. Whether she wants to admit it or not, the Premier is getting a clear message that Ontarians don’t support her privatization agenda.”
Along with the postcards, members were also handing out flyers that outlined the many reasons why privatizing alcohol sales in the province hurts all Ontarians.
An OPSEU member who works at the LCBO speaks to a customer about the campaign against privatization.
“The government pretends that expanding sales of alcohol to grocery stores isn’t privatization,” said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. “But I know privatization when I see it, and this spells the dismantling of a major contributor to public coffers – revenues that pay for vital public services. That means less funding for schools, hospitals, roads – you name it.
“This government’s agenda to sell off public assets like Hydro One and the LCBO is completely short-sighted. The government will profit now – but only minimally, while we’ll all suffer the far greater consequences for decades to come.
“We urgently need to remind the government that the LCBO is a public asset. It’s ours. We own it.”
OPSEU represents 7,000 LCBO workers in more than 400 communities across Ontario. The information picket was the second recent picket by OPSEU. There are more planned for across the province in the coming weeks, encouraging Ontarians to stand up for their public services and push back on privatization.
For more information: Tracy Vyfschaft, 905-809-5096
OPSEU Executive Board Members Sean Platt (left) and Sarah Labelle (third from left) joined Tracy Vyfschaft (third from right) and other OPSEU members at the information picket.
OPSEU members at the information picket were warmly received by LCBO customers.