Come one! Come all!

Message from the Chair

A tribute to our local executive members

In all the activity that surrounds the leadership of your liquor board employee division it’s all too easy to forget that the real day-to-day strength of our union rests with our local executive members and the job they do on your behalf.

I’m speaking of those LBED members who are elected to positions of local leadership, who sit on committees, and who volunteer their time to ensure that the needs of our members are met. These are the local executive members who interact daily with our membership and who witness first-hand the challenges and triumphs we experience in our workplaces inside the LCBO.

The job these dedicated folks perform is often thankless and always time-consuming – and it is performed without any additional compensation. It often means time away from family and friends and other extra-curricular activities they’re involved with inside their communities.

Speaking on behalf of your divisional executive I can say that our work would be that much more difficult were it not for the support, advice and encouragement we regularly receive from those who participate in the activities of LBED at the local level. Your contribution to our union is invaluable and our strength would be greatly diminished if not for your dedication and commitment.

In Solidarity

Denise Davis

Chair, LBED

LBED at the Labour Day Parade

Dark clouds and the threat of rain didn’t dampen the spirits of more than 50 liquor board division activists and their families who participated in this year’s annual Labour Day parade on Sept. 7 in downtown Toronto.

OPSEU was positioned at the head of the parade this year and hundreds assembled by 9 am to start the march to Exhibition Place near the shores of Lake Ontario. It was especially gratifying to see so many children eager to carry flags and participate in the union movement.

During the parade OPSEU Region 5 (Toronto) did a fantastic job handing out various snacks such as fruit, granola bars, juice, and pop during two-hour parade. Everyone was singing and dancing along the route and when the clouds finally burst and the rain finally poured down, participants were prepared with umbrellas and rain gear.

LBED activists made their presence known by distributing more than 200 “Keep It Public” buttons and flyers to parade watchers along Queen Street W.

Warm thanks to all of those who braved the rain and who by their presence demonstrated that the voice of labour is still loud and more relevant than ever. We hope to see everyone again next year..

Cooking up local success!

There’s something special about summer BBQ’s: the aroma of charcoal, the sun, and the soul-warming-warming chatter of friends. BBQ’s bring us together and there’s no better way to bring two LBED locals together then by hosting a joint event.

On Aug. 15, LBED locals 5110 and 5111 fired up the grills and co-hosted a Center Island Family Fun Day.   Members, spouses, partners and their kids mingled, participated in games and enjoyed a feast fresh off the BBQ.  Even a brief rain shower failed to dampen the spirits of those who turned out.  Although all the adults had a fantastic time, the biggest smiles belonged to the kids who delighted in the fun, food, games and amusement rides.

Besides the 160 members and their families in attendance, the group was joined by OPSEU Region 5 executive member Derek Miller and LBED Chair, Denise Davis.

“It was so encouraging to see members outside of the work place; it shows unionism can be more than just dealing with employers during business hours,”  said Sister Denise.

In what is sure to become a tradition, Valerie Daughton,  president of Local 5110, and Kelly Smith president of Local 5111, said they hoped that the success of the summer picnic will spread to other LBED locals next year.  hope the success of this event will expand to include more LBED locals next year.  Both Kelly and Val will tell you, events like these not only serve as a social outlet for members, but also serve to help build unity among locals, which benefits everyone inside OPSEU.

Kelly and Valerie would like to extend a very warm thank you to all the volunteers who made this event possible.  

Craig Hadley,
Member, LBED communications committee

Pension enrollment for casual members

Did you know that as an LBED member you can enroll in a pension plan that adds stability and security to your retirement years? Best of all, you don’t have to be classified full-timer to enroll.

To enroll in the program you must be an OPSEU member. You can contact OP Trust at 1-800-906-7738 as well as visit www.optrust.com for more details. You can also contact the LCBO Human Resource department in your area and ask for a pension package to be sent to you.

Once enrolled in the pension plan you are afforded the opportunity to purchase back several of your pension-able years before you joined the plan. These years can be purchased back in one lump sum, or as a monthly payment divided over several years.

Pension and Benefits Committee

November pay equity update 

The first Joint Pay Equity Newsletter was sent out September 8, 2010 to all bargaining unit employees explaining that the LCBO and OPSEU are jointly obligated to develop, post and maintain a Pay Equity Plan for bargaining unit employees.

The positions that we need to evaluate are spread throughout Ontario . The LCBO employs approximately 6,000 permanent and casual/seasonal bargaining unit employees working in more than 600 retail outlets, five logistics facilities, and head office. The LCBO also hires up to 3,000 fixed term employees during the Christmas and summer periods.

Since October members from both sides of the Joint Job Evaluation Committee have been holding Pay Equity meetings around the province in order to interview randomly selected employees. These employees have been asked to fill in a job information questionnaire about the work that they perform.

The first of approximately 30 sessions began on October 4th in the Northern area then continued on to the Eastern area, Western area and then finishing off in the Central part of Ontario the last few weeks of November.  

As the Pay Equity process continues the Joint Job Evaluation Committee will provide periodic status updates and information through newsletters circulated in hard copy to employees in the workplace, on the OPSEU website (www.opseu.org) and the LCBO Intranet.

Collective agreement review

The final editing of our interim collective agreement has been completed and it is now in the process of being printed. It will be mailed directly to all local presidents and stewards at their workplace.

The content of the CA now correctly reflects the agreement of the parties that was negotiated and ratified in 2009.

Workplace Accommodation Process Policy Update

The Accommodation Policy is an ongoing process that is currently being drafted and reviewed by both the employer and OPSEU.  This will be a province-wide, comprehensive and important document that will incorporate all the policies and procedures involved in workplace accommodation and modified work. 

There are many important aspects that will need to be addressed in the policy and several associated parties including OPSEU’s equity unit, the Ministry of Labour, health and safety committees, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Our goal is to ensure that all member rights and issues are addressed and protected.

We must also ensure that the accommodation policy adheres to our collective agreement and works in conjunction with pre-existing policies and legislation. As we continue to work on this document we will keep you updated and encourage you to follow your workplace health and safety policies already in effect.

Download this issue

Newsletter Index