Local LCBO employees, like their colleagues across the province, are on strike.
Here in Simcoe County, employees from both Orillia locations could be found picketing outside of the Coldwater Road location on Friday.
In Barrie, workers were also waving their signs outside the Caplan Avenue LCBO in the city's south end.
Barrie has six LCBO outlets, including 37 Caplan Ave., 534 Bayfield St., 55 Mary St., 110 Concert Way, 461 Big Bay Point Rd., and 587 Cundles Rd. E. The LCBO website lists them all as 'temporarily closed' as of Friday afternoon.
The workers are seeking wage increases and more full-time jobs, saying part-time roles have become 70 per cent of their workforce. But the heart of the issue is the future of the LCBO, workers say.
Peter Wood, who works as a shift leader at the Mississaga Street LCBO in Orillia, is also an Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) leader. He says thousands of LCBO workers across the province are seeking job security through this strike.
Wood says the government’s plan to allow spirits and coolers at grocery and convenience stores threatens thousands of jobs.
"They are going to give them the ready-made drinks which will take away from our business here and a lot of jobs will be lost," Wood said.
Allowing grocery and convenience stores to take away business from the LCBO is "the wrong thing for Canada and Ontario," Wood said.
He says the LCBO plays an "important role" in communities and "it's important for the government to support its workers."
"The LCBO gives about $2.5 billion to the public sector like the hospitals and schools," Wood added.
The LCBO says its locations will be closed for 14 days, although online ordering and free home delivery services are still available.
Should the strike last longer than 14 days, the LCBO says 32 of its locations will reopen for in-person shopping while operating three days a week on limited hours.
"We did this after July 4 so it wouldn't impact a lot of people's vacations," Wood said. "We are thinking about the public as well."
Wood says picketing LCBO employees are aware of those with addiction issues and how the closure may impact them.
"It is a concern that if they get cut off, they will go into withdrawals," he said. "That's a tough thing on us."
If workers don't push back against the government now, Wood fears it could jeopardize the future for thousands of families.
"If we don't do it now, in my opinion, we'll never do it," he said. "In the next contract, it will be in the stores, and they'll just start closing the retail business of the LCBO, and thousands of jobs will be lost."
Wood says the public can help with getting LCBO stores back open as soon as possible.
"We hope that the people are behind us," he said. "We don't want to harm them. We just want a fair contract, that's all we are asking for."
Wood encourages those with concerns to reach out to local MPPs.
— With files from The Canadian Press
