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OPSEU/NUPGE members priorities for bargaining are improved wages and benefits, better job security and more gains in health and safety standards.
Toronto (21 Feb. 2013) - After months of preparation, negotiations toward a renewed collective bargaining agreement between the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) has begun.
"There's a special energy the team experiences on the first day of contract talks and I will say with strong confidence our bargaining team is prepared and eager to take on the LCBO bargaining team so that we can deliver the best possible contract," said Denise Davis, chair of the seven-member negotiation group.
This will be the second round of negotiations with the employer since members joined OPSEU in 2005. The current contract expires March 31, 2013.
"For our side it's all about building good jobs," said Davis. "Low income work with weak benefits and little job security, and bad scheduling for our casual members are of no interest to us. We will be bargaining hard to build on the gains we made in our last contract in 2009."
In the demanding-setting process last year OPSEU/NUPGE members made it clear what issues they want their bargaining team to address: improved wages and benefits, better job security and more gains in health and safety standards.
Davis said the bargaining team will take a strong stand against wage discrepancy where fixed term, seasonal and casual workers are paid significantly less. "The LCBO needs to understand the principle of equal pay for equal work."
"These are all important issues," said Davis, "and the team is ready to take these issues to the table. But we need the full and strong support of every last member. When the employer looks across the bargaining table we want it to see not only the seven-member negotiating team but a 7,000-member negotiating team."
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE