Collective Bargaining: Bulletins

July 28, 2005

Your team recommends this deal for your future
New four-year agreement will help keep the LCBO public

Your strong support for your bargaining team’s efforts at the table has paid off. On July 27 at 3:00 a.m. we reached a tentative agreement that will protect our jobs against privatization and help ensure the government keeps the LCBO public. The deal also lays the basis for further gains in future rounds of bargaining.

The strong strike mandate from the members helped the team fight off the employer’s long list of concession demands, and to make solid gains in job security, wages and other key areas. Your energy, effort and hard work paid off.

Six months of talks, ending in a 40 hour-session of round-the-clock bargaining, averted the first-ever strike at the LCBO by just 21 hours.

“Our bargaining team is pleased to have a deal we can recommend wholeheartedly to our members,” said John Coones, chair of the bargaining team.

“By giving us the strike vote we needed, and by mobilizing in workplaces across the province, you showed the employer you were serious about getting the no privatization pledge in writing.

“The employer got the message loud and clear that you were ready to strike, if necessary, and that’s when we began to see major movement at the table.

“Last week your efforts forced the government to make a verbal commitment to keep the LCBO public,” Coones said. “This deal seals that promise in writing, through improved job security language for full-time and casual employees.”

The contract, effective April 1, 2005, and expiring March 31, 2009 protects LCBO employees from franchising and contracting out, and makes it easier for casual employees to gain seasonal status (logistics) or permanent positions through PVR. It also includes wage increases of three per cent in each of the four years.

In addition, we have fought off the employer’s attempt to create yet another lower tier of wages for new casual workers, and for casuals who move to seasonal or permanent status.

The tentative deal

Job Security issues

Our most pressing need in this round was to defend our members against the effects of privatization. Members recognized that putting strong protections in our contract is the best way to deter the employer from going further down the road of privatization. We believe we accomplished this.

Retail

Letter on Agency Stores: Strengthened
We have a new, stronger letter on agency stores that protects all employees, not only against closure of any LCBO store due to the operation of an agency store, but also against any reduction of operating hours. It protects against any layoffs of permanent full-time staff resulting from operation of an agency store. There are no geographical restrictions on this protection.

The employer tried to force us to give up our protections. Instead, we strengthened them.

Fixed-term employees
The deal allows the employer to hire fixed-term employees for an additional week before and after the Christmas and summer periods, but they must still use casual and, in logistics, seasonal staff first.

Logistics

Casual to seasonal: Easier access
Under the new deal, it will be easier for casuals in logistics to gain - and keep - seasonal status. Casuals will now qualify for seasonal status after working 700 hours in any 26-week period. To maintain seasonal status, the employee must work 700 hours in any 26-week period over two years.

Automatic progression
Automatic progression from Warehouse Worker 3 to Warehouse Worker 4 will apply in the Durham warehouse and the top step of the wage grid will now apply in the London and Toronto warehouses where the RAD system is in effect.

Contracting out

Tough language on contracting out
The deal includes strong new language preventing the employer from contracting out any of our work where it would result in layoffs of permanent full time (PFT) staff. This applies across all LCBO workplaces and departments.

Good news for casual employees

The deal includes many positives for casual staff:

• Barriers have been removed to working shifts in a sister store.
• Workers will be paid for half of any scheduled shift that the employer cancels without proper notice.
• Wherever possible, the employer is required to combine shifts to create longer shifts of 8 hours or less in stores.
• It will be easier for casuals in logistics to attain seasonal status, and harder to lose it.

No more tiers
The employer wanted to create a new lower wage tier for new casual, seasonal and permanent full-time staff. We managed to force this concession off the table.

Minimum shift length – status quo
The minimum shift for casuals in retail stays at 2 hours. We fought hard to for improvements on this issue; it was the last item left on the table. However, improved agency store protections will help preserve hours for C and D store casuals. The team is committed to winning a longer minimum shift in future contract negotiations.

Scheduling issues

The employer was forced to withdraw its demand for major scheduling changes in logistics and retail.

Wash-up time
The employer also wanted to eliminate the practice of wash-up time in the logistics facilities. This attempted change is off the table, too. Current practices will continue.

Benefits

The benefit package includes changes to benefits with maximum limits far above the average claim per member. The package includes:

• A drug card
• New dental coverage for crowns and bridges, on a 50-50 co-insurance basis, plus ODA increases for life of the agreement.
• Improved hospital and paramedical coverage, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, psychologist and hearing aid coverage.
• Other dental changes include a cap on overall dental claims per dependent of $3,000 per year (current average is $1100) and checkups every nine months.

Wages

Improved wage increase
The offer would increase all rates by:

• 3 per cent retroactive to April 1, 2005.
• 3 per cent effective April 1, 2006.
• 3 per cent effective April 1, 2007.
• 3 per cent effective April 1, 2008

This constitutes a gain of a full percentage point over the employer’s last offer, spread over the four years of the agreement. This compares very well with recent public sector wage settlements.

Other items

Your solidarity forced the employer to back down on other major concessions. As a result we maintained:

• The right to union representation at pre-disciplinary meetings.
• Full severance for members who take a reduced pension.

Ratification Vote - August 8-10

You will be called upon to ratify this deal in a vote to be held August 8-10.

Vote details - including the vote time and location for your workplace - will be available on Aug. 3 on www.opseu.org. 

You can also check with your mobilizer, your regional office or the hotline listed below for your vote location.

Best deal available

We believe this contract was the best available from this employer and we wholeheartedly recommend it to you for ratification. For more details visit www.opseu.org  or call the mobilization room (see below).

Your bargaining team:

John Coones
Jo Anne Fisher
Joe Hollyman
Mike Sullivan
Jean Chaykowski (staff)

Ontario Public Service Employees Union
Liquor Board Employees Division

For more information, call 1-866-811-7274
Authorized for distribution by John Coones, Chair, Liquor Board Employees Division

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