LCBO stores across the province are set to close for two weeks starting Friday as workers are set to strike after the union said talks with the Crown corporation have broken down.
Here is what you need to know about the looming labour action:
What happens when workers walk off the job?
More than 9,000 LCBO employees represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) will be in a legal strike position as of 12:01 a.m. on Friday.
Hours before the deadline, OPSEU said talks broke down and it was not hopeful a deal will be reached to avert the strike.
The LCBO has said that in the event of labour action, all LCBO retail locations will close for a period of 14 days “to transition to an updated operations model.”
When will LCBO stores reopen?
On July 19, if a deal has not been reached by the two sides, just 30 LCBO stores will open provincewide for in-store shopping but will only operate on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays with “limited hours in effect.”
Can I order alcohol online?
Mobile orders through the LCBO’s website and app will continue, allowing for free home delivery anywhere in Ontario for the duration of the strike.
“Recognizing the impact of a strike on distribution and operations, the LCBO will need to institute reasonable caps on products in store and online,” the LCBO said in a statement released last week.
Are other retailers still allowed to sell alcohol during the strike?
The Crown corporation has noted that alcohol will remain available at 2,300 private retail points of sale across the province, including LCBO Convenience Outlets, licensed grocery stores, The Beer Store, and winery, brewery, cidery, and distillery outlets.
The LCBO has said that customers may wish to “stock up” on spirits and Vintages wine products, which are not sold at other alcohol retailers in the province.
In addition, the Crown corporation said its warehouses would remain operational during the strike, claiming that it has a robust contingency plan to fulfill wholesale orders.
“We’ve put measures in place across our inventory build, our warehouse operations, and our fulfillment approach that reflect the importance of beverage alcohol availability to our wholesale, especially during the busy summer months. Our priority is to ensure continued service and support for our valued customers,” the LCBO said.
Why is the union considering labour action?
The union has said the primary point of contention at the bargaining table is the Ford government’s expansion of alcohol sales.
“We see this as an existential crisis for the LCBO,” OPSEU President JP Hornick said Thursday. “Do we want to have a public provider of alcohol as we’ve had for the past 100 years? Or are we just moving into a Wild West private model?”
After talks broke down, the LCBO released details of its latest offer to the union, which it said responds to some of the demands, including job security and wage increases.
The Crown corporation called on the union to counter the offer and work with its negotiating them to get an agreement.
“The LCBO has provided OPSEU’s leadership and bargaining team with a path to settlement,” the Crown corporation said.