Strike looming at LCBO
Posted May 10, 2013 12:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The LCBO and its workers have just one week left to reach a deal, or face a strike just before the Victoria Day long weekend.
On Friday, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OSPEU) will be filing a legal claim accusing the employer and Queen’s Park of wage discrimination against female employees.
It alleges the LCBO deliberately classifies regular, year-round customer service work as ‘casual’ — so it can pay the majority of its employees, most of them women, less than permanent workers.
“The LCBO and the government that controls it have refused to end wage discrimination for LCBO employees,” OPSEU president Warren “Smokey” Thomas said in a statement.
“In fact, continued discrimination seems to be part of their business plan. In the past five years, only 15 per cent of new jobs were full-time.”
The union represents more than 7,000 employees whose contract expired March 31.
The part-time worker issue is a sticking point in the contract negotiations. Other issues are wages and benefits, job security and improvements to health and safety standards.
With files from CityNews.ca staff
