THUNDER BAY — As the province accelerates the timeline for grocery stores to sell ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages and more extensive beer options, striking LCBO members in Thunder Bay believe the Ontario Premier is trying to appease the public rather than workers.
Cosimo Crupi has been a permanent employee at the LCBO in Thunder Bay for over 30 years. He was walking the picket line with other LCBO supporters at the Arthur Street location on Monday.
"We don't want to be out here, we want to be in the workplace providing retail," Crupi said.
"I think with Ford's announcement today is that it just goes to show that the retail end of it of the LCBO is gradually fading away. He's relying on the so-called convenience stores.
"Ford turns around and does an interactive map of where you can pick up LCBO products outside of the actual LCBO retail experience that we are properly trained to do. So by fast-tracking it, it just goes to show that licensees, bars and other establishments are feeling the crunch."
Crupi also noted that there could be job losses for young workers at convenience stores if they aren't over the age of majority.
"You have to be 18 to sell alcohol. These folks, these teenagers, need work. They rely on jobs like convenience stores and grocery stores.
"But if there's going to be alcohol served in these stores, they have to be 18. So there's going to be job losses."
Mary David is a full-time employee at the LCBO.
"It certainly shows that they're caving," David said.
"They're realizing that they can't run the LCBOs, the 32 locations with just the management alone. They're realizing that that's just not on the table for them."
Initially, the 32 LCBO locations were set to re-open and be run by members of management.
The province announced on Monday that effective July 18, licensed grocery stores will be allowed to sell ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages and large-sized packs of beer.
Instead, their focus will shift and put available and outside workers at distribution centres to fulfill orders for the service industry, like hotels, bars and restaurants, as alcohol becomes more widely available at other licensed locations that aren't LCBO locations.
Katie Nicholls is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with Newswatch
