Wage Discrimination: All ‘casual’ CSR’s urged to sign on to discrimination claim

March 21, 2014

President Warren (Smokey) Thomas letter to LBED members

To participate in human rights claim:

Download and fill in your form and

sign, scan, and email it to: Steve Nield at [email protected] OR
fax to 416 448-7464 OR
mail it in to Head Office, 100 Lesmill Rd. Toronto, ON M3B 3P8 OR
Complete at ratification vote locations OR
Return to your staff representative or Regional Office.

Be sure you don't miss out

Customer service representatives who are classified as 'casual' by the LCBO have a strong case of wage discrimination based on gender. More than 1,300 of them have given consent for OPSEU to represent them at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Although any Tribunal decision will apply to all 'casual' CSR's, retroactive pay that may be ordered could apply to only those workers who have signed That is a decision for the Tribunal, which has the power to go back a year from the May 2013 filing of the complaint.

"We're receiving more signed consent forms every day," said OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. "It is extremely important that all 'casual' CSR's sign a form. For one thing, that's a powerful message to the employer that workers will not go along with the LCBO's discrimination. It's also notice to the Tribunal that workers believe the employer has violated their rights to equal treatment at work, and they want the Tribunal to order the LCBO to uphold these legal rights."

Many of the so-called 'casual' CSR's do the same job as full-time CSR's, but earn up to $6.51 an hour less. OPSEU asked the Tribunal to order the LCBO to pay the difference and provide benefits according to full-time entitlement.

The employer has until mid-July to respond to the union's claim. Under the new collective agreement, the union and employer have 90 days from the date of ratification to meet to try to negotiate a solution.