LCBO workers set to protest in many Ontario cities

LCBO employees plan to speak out against the provincial government and its plan to sell wine, beer, cider and ready-made cocktails at gas stations and other retailers.

Today, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) announced that LCBO workers are holding a Day of Action on March 12. The actions will take place at MPP offices in 11 cities across Ontario, including Mississauga, Hamilton, Pickering and Toronto.

There is currently no indication that the protests will impact LCBO store hours on that day.

In a news release, the union said the workers will deliver petitions, signed by nearly 7,000 LCBO employees, in the lead-up to their new round of bargaining.

The petitions demand that the PC government halt its plan to allow big-box grocers and gas stations to sell alcohol, something Premier Doug Ford said would come into effect in 2026.

The demonstrations, which will take place from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m., will be held at the following locations:

Brockville – 9 Broad Street, Unit 305, Brockville, Ontario, K6V 6Z4
Hamilton – 115 Hwy. 8, Unit 102, Hamilton, Ontario, L8G 1C1
London – 217 York Street, London, Ontario, N6A 5P9
Mississauga – 330 Queen Street South, Mississauga, Ontario, L5M 1M2
North Bay – 210 Main Street East, North Bay, Ontario, P1B 1B2
Ottawa – 250B Greenbank Road, Unit 222/3, Nepean, Ontario, K2H 8X4
Pickering – 1550 Kingston Road, Suite 213, Pickering, Ontario, L1V 1C3
Port Hope – 117 Peter Street, Port Hope, Ontario, L1A 1C5
Thunder Bay – 774 James Street North, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C 5N3
Toronto (Premier Doug Ford’s office) – 823 Albion Road, Etobicoke, Ontario, M9V 1A3
Windsor – 5452 Tecumseh Road E., Unit 1, Windsor, Ontario, N8T 1C7

Giant banners with thousands of signatures will be displayed at each location, the union says.

The union says the LCBO generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue that goes directly into public services such as health care and education and that workers are “fighting to keep those revenues invested in public services instead of handed over to big box grocery store CEOs.”

The OPSEU says the bargaining team for LCBO members will be in mediation/arbitration March 9-10 to negotiate lost compensation after the defeat of Bill 124, a 2019 piece of legislation that capped wages for public sector workers.

The bill was repealed earlier this year.

A new round of bargaining begins on March 13.