TORONTO – The Ontario Public Service Employees Union and
the LCBO have agreed to an extension on the strike deadline that had
been set for 12:01 a.m. June 24.
“We would not be extending the strike deadline if we did
not feel that we can reach a collective agreement through negotiation,”
said Vanda Klumper, chair of the union bargaining team. “There remain
problems to be ironed out, but if the LCBO is committed to reaching a
settlement it can be done.
“Obviously we are not going to subject our customers to
the inconvenience of a work stoppage just because the negotiations ran
out of time,” she said. “Both teams are working diligently and we hope
that our work will pay off before long.”
The extension means the OPSEU collective agreement
remains in force until further notice.
“In this round of bargaining we have said all along that
we will not settle for any deal unless it protects the livelihoods of
our permanent staff and makes measurable gains for the majority of our
members who are struggling to make ends meet as casual employees,” said
Klumper.
“We intend to achieve that goal, and with the ongoing
strong support of our members, we will.”
No time limit has been set for the extension.