Dear Editor,
I am a casual employee at the LCBO. No, I do not make $22-30/hr. I make MINIMUM WAGE. I have NO benefits. What you have seen reported in the media is only applicable to the very few full-time employees of the Board. The LCBO operates on a model of hiring as few full-time employees as possible. Stores operate with 70% casual employees who are entitled to no benefits, severance, or guaranteed hours.
DID YOU KNOW? – The LCBO generates $2.5 billion annually, funding healthcare, education, infrastructure, public transit and more.
DID YOU KNOW? – It’s costing us Ontario Taxpayers $225M to end the agreement with The Beer Store, in order to expand sales to private companies like convenience stores and grocery stores.
THINK ABOUT IT – Handing over the alcohol market to grocery and convenience store chains like Loblaws and Circle K, diverts public revenue into corporate profits, while also cutting jobs and driving down wages and working conditions for LCBO employees.
It also means decent jobs in the LCBO for folks like my colleagues – and maybe your 19 year old looking for a summer job – won’t be there. And seriously!? Are the Circle K, Loblaws and box store CEOs going to hand over the money they make selling alcohol? Of course not! As a result, we will have less money for those other public services.
Doug Ford wants to make life better for his wealthy buddies. It’s why he plans to fast-track privatized alcohol sales and hand more of the public revenues generated by the LCBO over to the CEOs and big box grocery and convenience chains like Loblaws and Circle K. Doug Ford can’t be trusted.
“Buck a Beer” Doug is looking to call a snap election this fall, riding high (so he thinks) on his “wins”. Are Ontarians dumb? No. Are they dumb enough to fall for the “convenience” of buying alcohol in convenience stores, etc? None of my customers think so.
Frontline LCBO workers are proud that the revenues we help to generate give back to our communities. We won’t back down in our fight for a strong future for the LCBO and the public services funded by LCBO revenues.
We have a better plan and we’re ready to strike for it: Grow the LCBO to meet demand and increase convenience. Open more stores, including LCBO Express locations, increase the hours of operation, and increase warehousing, logistics and e-commerce capacity in-house! Expand public revenues by growing the LCBO. Let’s grow with Ontario!
Having more permanent part-time and permanent full-time job opportunities means greater product knowledge and even better customer service. Workers deserve job security and fair severance provisions too! Community allies can join the fight for the future of the LCBO by taking action at KeepItPublic.ca.
So when you hear we are walking the picket lines this month, while the LCBO closes ALL its stores for two weeks, don’t get angry at the staff. Get angry at YOUR provincial government. LCBO employees want to keep the revenue they work hard to earn in our communities. For roads. For schools. For hospitals. NOT for private store CEO’s.
Lynn Kennedy
