A tentative contract agreement has been reached averting a strike by LCBO workers that was set to begin at midnight Sunday night.

The agreement was signed shortly after the strike deadline passed, and was announced in a release from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union.

Union president Warren “Smokey” Thomas said details of the accord would not be released before union members have a chance to examine it over the next few days.

Says Thomas in the OPSEU release:

“I want to thank these workers for taking a stand against the negative impacts of precarious work, which is a sad fact of life for far too many workers today,” said Thomas. “Across Ontario, far too many people are stuck in low-wage, part-time, contract positions. We saw over the course of these negotiations that challenging that precarity was an issue that resonated for many in the public.

“In particular, I want to thank all the members of the public who, over the past few months, shared words and messages of support with these workers, whether in their workplaces, at information pickets, or online.”
The union’s bargaining team chair, Denise Davis, said that the bargaining team is unanimously recommending the deal to their members, with details to be provided to members in the next few days, ahead of a ratification date which has not yet been set.

“From mobilizing for a strong strike vote to organizing more than 100 information pickets in communities across Ontario, the support of the members is what got us to this point,” said Davis. “The deal we are looking at today is only possible because of the tireless work of union members across the province who built public support for our plan for a better LCBO.”

A ratification vote has not yet been scheduled, but Thomas said the union’s bargaining team is unanimously recommending members accept the deal. From there, it would go to the LCBO board and the provincial government for ratification.

The agreement was negotiated with the help of a mediator who imposed a media blackout on the talks.

The 8,000 unionized LCBO workers have been without a contract since March 31, and voted 93 per cent in favour of a strike in April.

The LCBO had extended store hours for its outlets the past couple of days to allow customers more time to stock up in case there was a job action.

Filed under: LCBO strike, Local News