Boozy bargaining
And a familiar face at the OEB
ABOVE THE FOLD
BOOZE NEWS — With thousands of LCBO workers hitting the picket lines for the first time in the agency’s near 100-year history, both sides are digging in their heels — and the strike’s tentacles could reach far beyond the current dispute.
At issue for the union is job security and the Ford government’s so-called privatization agenda. OPSEU says the LCBO puts $2.5 billion in the province’s piggybank to help pay for public services like OHIP and education — and DOUG FORD’s plan to liberalize alcohol sales puts that at risk.
“Sometimes you might get some shifts, sometimes you might not get some shifts. We’re at the mercy of the schedule” one worker told CTV News at a weekend rally. “I love my job. I don’t want the premier of this province to just give away taxpayers’ money to his friends at big box stores.”
On the flip side, Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY says they’re “more committed than ever.”
Bargaining chip: While the PCs fast-tracked plan to sell booze …