The strike by thousands of LCBO workers will continue and the tentative deal with their employer is on hold, the union said Friday, because the LCBO is refusing to sign a return-to-work agreement.
As part of the tentative deal reached with the LCBO, the union put forward a return-to-work protocol that would see workers return to the job on Monday, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said at a news conference Friday afternoon.
However, the LCBO is “now refusing” to sign the protocol, union representative Katie Arnup said.
“A return-to-work protocol is necessary for workers to go back to work in the event of a strike,” she said. “Without that document signed, we do not have a deal. The strike continues.”
Union leaders were supposed to hold a live news conference but instead spoke for just under two minutes and took no questions from reporters.
Tentative deal was announced earlier Friday
Both sides had announced hours earlier that a tentative agreement had been reached.
The LCBO’s issued a statement Friday morning saying the strike would end at 12:01 a.m. on Monday if the agreement was ratified.
Retail stores would reopen for in-store shopping on Tuesday, the statement said.
“We look forward to welcoming our unionized employees back to work in service of Ontarians,” it said.
On Friday morning, OPSEU said the tentative agreement would protect jobs and public revenue generated by LCBO sales.
“The union is confident this agreement addresses the needs of workers and is a win for all Ontarians,” the union said in a statement.
More than 9,000 workers walked off the job on July 5, the first strike in the LCBO’s history, shuttering 680 retail outlets across the province.
WATCH | Why LCBO workers are on strike:
More than 9,000 Ontario liquor store employees are on strike after bargaining talks broke down between their union and the LCBO. As CBC’s Mike Crawley explains, the union is demanding Doug Ford’s government reverse its decision to sell some drinks at convenience and grocery stores.
Province’s plan to expand alcohol sales at issue
Workers had said that Premier Doug Ford’s plans to make pre-mixed cocktails readily available across other stores were at the heart of the negotiations.
The plan will allow all 8,000-plus convenience stores and grocery stores in the province to sell beer, wine, and ready-to-drink cocktails.
The union says the expansion could lead to thousands of job losses for LCBO workers within a few years.
It’s also looking for the province to guarantee wage increases, and is seeking “more stable and permanent jobs.”