LCBO deal: Promise made to keep all stores open even if revenues flatline

The LCBO has committed to keeping 680 of its unit locations unfastened until 2027 and will motorboat a task unit to analyse nan impacts of nan Ford government’s access-to-alcohol policies connected nan revenues of nan Crown corporation, Global News has learned.

In nan last days of nan two-week-long strike, nan LCBO agreed to 3 cardinal items aimed astatine alleviating nan union’s concerns complete nan thousands of caller unit locations — specified arsenic convenience stores and market stores — group to travel online aft Sept. 5.

The onslaught officially ended aft thousands of Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) workers ratified a caller statement connected Sunday allowing LCBO stores to reopen to nan nationalist connected July 23.

While nan specifications of nan woody person not been publicized, Global News obtained a memorandum of colony that was signed by some sides connected Friday and includes 3 letters of statement detailing pinch marketplace modernization, shop closures and full-time jobs.

While nan Ford authorities refused to discuss its position connected allowing convenience stores to waste ready-to-drink beverages, nan LCBO agreed to create a caller task unit pinch nan national to reappraisal nan government’s modernization argumentation and look into opening caller stores aliases pop-up locations.

According to a missive of agreement, nan LCBO and OPSEU will create a associated task unit “to research innovative business models that whitethorn amended LCBO competitiveness” which could see opening stores successful caller markets aliases moreover pop-up liquor stores tally by LCBO workers.

The task force, which will see 3 national members and 3 LCBO representatives, will meet 4 times a twelvemonth to “assess what effects [modernization] whitethorn person connected nan LCBO’s operations and employees.”

The statement notes, however, that nan task unit will only beryllium capable to make “non-binding recommendations that autumn wrong nan scope of LCBO operations.”

Colleen MacLeod, 1 of OPSEU’s representatives astatine nan bargaining table, views nan task unit arsenic a important triumph for nan union, giving its members entree to accusation it would not person different had.

“This gives america nan chance to get information to find retired nan effect to our stores and they’ll person to supply that accusation to america pinch this taskforce,” MacLeod told Global News.

“That’s what this was about,” MacLeod added. “To get them to perpetrate to having these discussions.”

The statement states that nan task unit will clasp its first gathering successful 3 months.

The caller statement besides looked to dial down nan union’s concerns complete imaginable LCBO shop closures, aft nan Ford authorities indicated that up to 8,500 convenience and market stores could soon beryllium offering customers entree to unit alcohol.

While nan statement states that LCBO guidance would still clasp “unfettered” power complete shop closures, nan Crown agency agreed to debar shuttering unit locations that person been impacted by provincial policy.

“The LCBO commits that location will beryllium nary closures of nan existent 680 stores arsenic a consequence of marketplace modernization until March 31, 2027,” nan statement states.

MacLeod told Global News nan national tin show nan effect of outer income of intoxicant by looking astatine nan income patterns and would usage that information to push backmost connected imaginable shop closures.

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MacLeod said that locations pinch structural issues and information hazards could still adjacent and nan national agreed that guidance has nan correct to make nan decision.

On Monday, Premier Doug Ford suggested that he was not willing successful reducing nan footprint of nan LCBO and alternatively nan authorities has plans to unfastened caller stores.

Ford said nan state was looking astatine opening a caller LCBO location successful St. Thomas to work nan incoming workforce for the caller Volkswagen artillery manufacturing gigafactory and suggested that consumers would apt prime nan provincial liquor shop complete a convenience shop for ready-to-drink beverages.

Ford, however, besides reiterated his belief that nan “market will dictate” nan occurrence of nan LCBO.

“You springiness value service, a value product, astatine a competitory price, conjecture what [consumers] are doing? They’re coming to your store,” Ford said during an unrelated news convention successful Kitchener. He added that nan LCBO meets each nan criteria for success.

As he touted nan deal, Premier Ford said LCBO labor would person a net increase, much occupation information and a greater stock of its workforce would beryllium converted to full-time employment.

According to nan agreement, astatine slightest 30 per cent of nan LCBO’s workforce will beryllium permanent, full-time labor while astatine slightest 12.5 per cent of jobs will beryllium performed by imperishable part-time employees.

Between October 2024 and May 2025, nan LCBO will person 1,000 casual workers into imperishable full-time workers, nan statement said, up from nan first 400 nan Crown corp had proposed.

The national called it a “massive win” and said imperishable part-time jobs astatine nan LCBO “nearly went extinct.”

“The employer has continuously casualized nan workforce, truthful that group wouldn’t get guaranteed hours, benefits aliases immoderate dream of imperishable work. Permanent part-time astir went extinct,” MacLeod said. “I americium beyond proud that we fought backmost and won these imperishable jobs.”

Ford, who stressed nan occupation information constituent of nan deal, said nan 2 sides worked together to “save 9,000 jobs.”