LCBO confirms strike over, stores to reopen Tuesday after deal was put on hold
By The Canadian Press on July 20, 2024.
TORONTO – Ontario’s main liquor retailer says plans to end a two-week strike by about 10,000 staff are back on after both the employer and the union representing its workers signed off on a return-to-work protocol Saturday morning. The Liquor Control Board of Ontario says the workers represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union will be back on the job on Monday, with stores set to reopen on Tuesday. The announcement comes after the LCBO announced it had reached a tentative agreement with OPSEU on Friday morning, but the strike continued after the union said the employer refused to sign a return-to-work protocol. Both parties accused each other of acting in bad faith, with the LCBO saying the union had introduced new monetary demands. But the LCBO issued a statement on Saturday confirming the strike that began on July 5 would be ending as previously announced. It says the return-to-work protocol signed by both parties does not include any new monetary items. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2024. 8-7
