FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2005
LCBO staff overwhelmingly reject offer
TORONTO - Unionized LCBO employees have voted 84 per cent to reject a contract offer from their employer and to give their bargaining team a strike mandate in a province-wide vote July 18-21.
In a 70 per cent turnout, the 5,400 OPSEU members rejected an offer that would have put job security at risk and created a multi-tier wage rate system.
"Our members are determined to get the best possible contract," said John Coones, chair of the union bargaining team. "Despite the finance minister's promise not to sell the LCBO, the offer on the table would still cut key job security protections. They should have no problem agreeing to better job protection for our
members if there are no plans to sell or further privatize the LCBO."
The rejection vote allows the bargaining team to call a strike Thursday July 28 if the employer does not produce an acceptable offer in three days of bargaining July 25-27. The contract for LCBO staff expired March 31, 2005.
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For further information:
OPSEU Communications: Don Ford, 1-800-268-7376 ext. 7442
David Cox, 1-800-268-7376 ext. 8314
www.opseu.org
