LCBO poised to strike over quality of jobs

Poised to strike at the end of the week, LCBO employees are framing their concerns about “part-time, disposable jobs” as a prime example of the precarious employment eroding the welfare of workers across the province.

The main sticking point in contract talks with the Crown corporation, the quality of jobs for the LCBO’s nearly 7,000 unionized workers was the focus of discussion at the opening of the strike headquarters in Toronto on Monday.

As Craig Hadley of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) told media gathered on Freeland St., near LCBO headquarters, theirs is the plight of the Ontario labour market writ small.

“The LCBO, like so many employers, acts as though our families, our communities can survive on part-time, temporary, disposable jobs,” Hadley, a longtime LCBO worker, said. “There’s no future for Ontario if we continue this.”

According to Hadley, it now takes an average of 15 years to get on full-time at the LCBO, despite the fact the LCBO pulls in profits of more than $5 million per day. Meanwhile, he said erratic work schedules and varying numbers of hours per week make it difficult for part-timers to secure a second job to make ends meet.

“I can’t really speak for the rest of the civil service, but there’s not too much that’s civil about this service,” he said.

Nearly 60 per cent of LCBO employees are part-time casual workers, who earn from $14.94 to $20.27 per hour, according to LCBO spokeswoman Sally Ritchie.

But in the current economic context, and compared to the average wages of part-time retail workers, Ritchie said “these are good jobs with a good employer.”

“It’s a retail environment and we have to staff according to what customer demands are,” she said.

Although LCBO profits are healthy, she said the Crown corporation has a responsibility to help the province pay down its sizeable deficit.

“They are our owners. We have to do our best to maximize the amount that we can provide to the government by way of dividend,” she said.

However, that’s cold comfort for LCBO worker Adriana Bertoni, who remains part-time after 10 years on the job.

“We have a rich employer,” said Bertoni, who is expecting a baby girl later this month. “They can afford more for us.”

Minister of Finance Charles Sousa was not available for comment on Monday, but spokeswoman Susie Heath told the Star, “Jobs are created by a growing, thriving economy.”

“We’re taken a lot of steps forward, making the right investments to continue to fuel Ontario’s economy,” she said in an email.

A strike by LCBO workers would be a first in the 87-year history of the provincial agency. The Crown corporation warned drinkers late last week to fill their cupboards in advance of the strike or lockout deadline on Friday — the beginning of the Victoria Day long weekend.

Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: Rachel Mendleson