Ottawa spirits flowing as lcbo strike averted

 

 

 

 

Minutes before midnight on June 23, the LCBO worker strike was put on hold until union officials and the LCBO can reach an agreement or one party walks away from the table, according to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).

 

News that the union is taking a step back from its plans to strike comes as a relief to many Ontario residents.

 

In light of our current economic downturn, businesses have had to cope by changing how they operate. For a crown corporation like the LCBO, the reality of hourly cut backs and an increase in casual workers lurks close by.

 

Casual LCBO employees are guaranteed as little as two hours of work per week, which is below the provincial standard of three hours per week. But they are often overworked and receive no sick time, vacation or medical benefits.

 

The idea of hiring more casual workers has outraged many who have been waiting for full-time positions.

 

In spite of recording a modest 3.9 per cent growth in sales last year, LCBO management said it must use casual workers because business fluctuates widely through the year. Otherwise the cost of hiring more permanent employees than necessary would only be passed down to customers.

 

At the moment, 60 per cent of LCBO staff are casual workers. On average, casual workers earn about $20,000 per year, which is roughly $8 to $14 an hour less than their full-time counterparts.

 

According to the OPSEU salary disclosures of 2008, a full-time clerk/customer service representative can earn up to $43,000 to $51,000 annually. These figures make full-time positions with the LCBO highly appealing, but few and far between.

 

According to Jeff Scobie, vice-president of Local 498 for the Liquor Board Employees Division, “more full-time jobs are needed in Ontario to improve our communities as casual workers are living close to the poverty line.”