Gather ye liquor while ye may, Ontario, because on Friday – the start of a long weekend in Canada — workers at the provinces 630 liquor stores may well be on strike.

While a strike doesn’t necessarily mean the Liquor Control Board of Ontario’s retail outlets will be completely shuttered, it could make for long, slow-moving queues as the Victoria Day weekend gets under way.

The LCBO, the provincial-owned liquor retailing chain in Canada’s most populous province, is already recommending shoppers take some early measures to ensure their liquor cabinets don’t run dry.

“We’re advising people to plan ahead, and stock up,” LCBO spokeswoman Heather MacGregor said.

The LCBO says it has a plan in place to keep stores operating, even if its 7,000 unionized workers walk off the job when the union’s strike deadline expires just after midnight Thursday. An LCBO spokeswoman declined to provide details on what that plan would involve, saying only that service would likely be limited.

Management and the union were at the bargaining table much of last week and through the weekend, and the LCBO says it’s willing to continue talks all week until a deal is met, Ms. MacGregor said. The union is pushing for higher wages, and the provincial government – deeply in debt and trying to dig out – is looking to rein in spending.

Should Ontarians fail to stock up ahead of the possible strike, Canada Real Time offers the following suggestions for alternative sources of potent potables:

The Beer Store: There are about 450 of these around the province. The stores are owned by Labatt Brewing Co., Molson Coors Canada and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. and carry brands from 90 brewers

The Wine Rack: There are 160 of these wine-selling outlets across the province, often conveniently housed within grocery stores.

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Last week, 13,000 patient care workers at five University of California (UC) Medical Centers voted by a 97 percent margin in favor of a strike against terms of a new austerity contract. On May 10, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) filed a 10-day strike notice to the UC Office of the President.

The contract proposal that the AFSCME members rejected included increased contributions towards pensions, and decreased eligibility of retiree health benefits. The vote followed a spate of hundreds of layoffs, transfers and elimination of unfilled positions by UC management.

On the same day that the strike notice was filed, UC announced that it will seek a restraining order against the strike, which is planned for May 21-22.

Recent press reports of understaffing and substandard patient care have been rampant, including a much-publicized “F” safety report card for UCLA (Los Angeles) Ronald Reagan Medical Center given by a nonprofit Leapfrog Group. According to workers, measures taken by UC management to boost its profits have come at the expense of overall patient care and safety. Under the guise of efficiency, short staffing and overbooking of surgery rooms have become common practice. So-called “VIP” priority procedures have been established to create a two-tier level of health services.

Nonetheless, hospital management is seeking to blame workers for threatening patient safety. The union’s 10-day strike warning offers ample time for the university to prepare the use of strikebreakers. If management is able to obtain a court injunction against the strike, it is highly likely that the union will obey it without question.

The overwhelming vote for strike action represents a growing opposition to the social assault on all workers being carried out by the financial elite.

Reporters from the World Socialist Web Site spoke with hospital workers at the UCLA (Los Angeles) Ronald Reagan Medical Center and the UCSD (San Diego) Hillcrest Medical Center about the strike.

Many explained that they were forced to work overtime at straight-time pay under threat of losing their jobs. The university adopted the term “straight overtime” to describe this exploitative measure. Workers questioned its legality, claiming that they had “never heard of such a thing before.”

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The lockout at U.S. Steel Lake Erie Works (Canada) which began on Sunday, April 28^th, continues and is now entering its third week. It is important to note that this is the second lockout of this union after the expiration of their only two contracts with U.S. Steel since the company purchased the former Stelco assets.

USWA Local 8782 and its approximately 1,000 members have been keeping their membership informed of the issues through the use of their union newsletter as well as social media. Their newsletter has been helpful in understanding the union’s position.

Mark Talbot, Vice President USW Local 8782, gave an overview of the contract offered by U.S. Steel.  According to Talbot the company’s proposed formula for cost of living adjustments would not kick in until inflation exceeds three percent per year.  Based on cost of living projections, there would be no payments over the next three years. Talbot says the existing C.O.L.A. formula, which the union wishes to keep, provided payments in the last three years that averaged 1 percent per year vs. an actual inflation rate of 2 percent, keeping employees at just above 50 percent of actual inflation. Vacations would be cut by two weeks in the U.S. Steel contract and vacation bonuses would be eliminated.  Other points of contention concern prescription benefits and life insurance.

Union President Bill Ferguson, in the May 10 newsletter, called on U.S. Steel to “sit down and do a real agreement,” charging that U.S. Steel “will spend more time and money trying to convince the world of their good intentions than actually practice it.” He applauded local unions and merchants for their strong support of locked out workers at Lake Erie Works.

The USWA Local 8782 president also pointed out on a number of occasions that even though the Canadian workers receive higher hourly wages than their USA counterparts they are less expensive due to the limited medical insurance costs U.S. Steel has to endure in Canada which has socialized medicine.

In his YouTube presentation, Update #3, on Facebook, Ferguson said he is making appointments with local politicians to discuss the union’s situation and will meet with Mayor Dennis Trevale from Norfolk County and Provincial Parliament member Toby Barrett. On May 25, steel workers from Toronto and Hamilton will gather at the picket gates and union hall for a rally in support of Local 8782.

Dylan Shannon, President of Niagara Steelworkers Council, joined workers on the picket line at Lake Erie Works and commented in YouTube on the union’s Facebook page.  “I think it is great what you guys and girls have done over here–given them a big giant ‘No.’ I’m not a big fan of these companies coming into Canada and getting away  with what they have done.  Just like the brothers and sisters down in Ft. Erie–how they locked them out, claimed bankruptcy.  They got all the perks claiming bankruptcy in Canada and then none of the workers got anything from the government of Canada because they weren’t recognized; but the company was recognized. Our government needs to step up and stop this from happening.  It’s more than just a shame.  We can say ‘shame’ all we want, but it’s damn criminal what they are doing.”

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Managers for the City of Prince Albert have been told to consult with their unions before asking council to approve a plan to track workers using GPS.

Prince Albert officials had sent a policy proposal to council Monday, which would have authorised the city to use GPS-equipped devices to monitor the workplace.

The policy would have allowed officials to use the technology, in secret, if managers believed they had “strong evidence of serious misconduct” by employees.

Otherwise, the workers would be told that their movements may be monitored and that could lead to changes in how work is done.

On Monday, however, city council members voted to send the proposal back to managers for more development.

Specifically, officials have been told to inform unions of the plan and get their feedback.

City officials were also chastised for telling council there had already been discussions about the policy with unions.

“In order for me to make a fair decision for everyone concerned … the human resource person kind of needs to inform us properly,” Charlene Miller, one council member said. “Tell us fact, not fiction.”

The proposal will return to city council, once discussions with unions have taken place.

Miller added she will follow up with Prince Albert’s top administrator about the information that was provided to council regarding union consultations.

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ATHENS, Greece — The Greek government said Monday it will use emergency powers to prevent protesting teachers from disrupting university entrance exams this month. Civil servants’ unions retaliated by calling a 24-hour strike for Tuesday.

It is the third time this year that the conservative-led coalition government has used the emergency civil mobilization order – a measure normally reserved for natural disasters and other times of national crisis – to end a labor dispute in the crisis-hit country.

More than 2,000 teachers – some dressed in army fatigues to mock the order – and left-wing unionists held two separate, peaceful protests in central Athens late Monday.

Tuesday’s nationwide strike is expected to close schools and disrupt public services. Civil servants’ union officials told the AP on Monday that the union was also planning a work stoppage Thursday and a series of public protests.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said the government decided to use the civil mobilization order against the teachers under its “moral obligation” to safeguard the May 17-31 exams for school leavers and university candidates.

“We are dealing with a threat to the national interest,” Kedikoglou told private Antenna television Monday. “We cannot accept a situation that allows 100,000 children and their families to be held to ransom.”

Teachers’ unions had planned to start rolling strikes on May 17 to protest longer working hours and involuntary staff transfers.

The Greek Federation of Secondary Education State School Teachers, OLME, called the decision “extreme and undemocratic” and said it would challenge the order in court. The union, which is organizing a protest in Athens and other cities later on Monday, said it would review its strike plans on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras signed the order, which took effect Monday, after taking similar action earlier this year to end strikes by workers at ferries services and Athens’ subway train system.

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With the real threat of a strike by LCBO workers before the Victoria Day long weekend, the provincial agency is strongly suggesting drinkers stock up before next Friday’s strike or lockout deadline.

Neither side appears optimistic a deal will be reached by May 17 as Ontario residents gear up for one of the most popular holidays of the year, the Victoria Day long weekend.

“In advance of the first long weekend of the summer, customers are encouraged to shop early for the best product selections,” Bob Clevely, LCBO’s senior vice-president, retail operations, said in a statement released Friday.

“Customers entertaining this weekend can avoid any possible service disruptions by shopping our stores early and stocking up,” he said.

The LCBO says regardless of the status of labour negotiations, all LCBO stores — except for some locally-owned agency stores — will be closed on Victoria Day, which will be celebrated on May 20{+ }this year.

Some agency stores will observe their normal business hours Victoria Day. These operators contract with LCBO to sell alcohol, along with other products, in communities that are too small to support regular LCBO stores.

Negotiations with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union are still ongoing.

“It is not going well,” OPSEU president Warren (Smokey) Thomas, told the Star.

Last month, 7,000 workers at the largest wine and spirits buyer in the world voted 95 per cent in favour of a strike. Outstanding issues include wages and benefits, job security and improvements to health and safety standards.

“They want us to take four years of zeroes,” he said of the wage offer from the LCBO.

But a senior source in the LCBO said they are being treated no differently than teachers or any other public servants, who have been asked to share the pain as the debt-ridden province attempts to rein in spending.

“For some reason they don’t think they are civil servants,” the source said, adding that’s driven by the fact the LCBO is a money-maker and they feel they should share in the wealth.

A major sticking point for the union is hours of work, with some employees called in to do a little as two-hour shifts a day, Thomas said.

Meanwhile, OPSEU filed a legal claim Friday with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal against the LCBO and the Ontario government for wage discrimination against female employees of the Crown-owned retail giant.

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Natural Resources Minister Tom Marshall hopes yesterday’s deal between the union and Kruger will act as a step in the right direction. Marshall says the deal will allow for the company to proceed with its viability plan. The Minister says while Members of Lodge 1567 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers struck a deal, there are still two remaining unions without agreements.

Forestry workers and workers at the Deer Lake power plant do not yet have a deal. Marshall says the government wants to get on with trying to revitalize the forestry industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Marshall says government made it clear that it would be there to help the industry.

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RAVENSWOOD, WV (AP) — Four workers at a Ravenswood aluminum plant have filed unfair labor practice charges against a union stemming from a strike last summer.

The National Right to Work Foundation said Friday the Constellium workers filed the charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

The four workers resigned their membership in the United Steelworkers Local 5668 before they continued to work during the strike. The foundation said the workers received letters from local union officials in March threatening fines and stripping them of seniority, in violation of federal law.

“USW union bosses are trying to punish workers who had the courage not to toe the union boss line and instead provide for their families,” said Mark Mix, president of National Right to Work. “Workers should not be forced to abandon their jobs and be denied their right to provide for themselves and their families at the whim of militant union bosses.”

A message left with Local 5668 President Jason Miller wasn’t immediately returned Friday.

Because West Virginia does not have right-to-work protections making union affiliation completely voluntary, the four workers are still forced to pay part of union dues to keep their jobs, the foundation said.

“This case underscores the need for a state Right to Work law making union affiliation and dues payments completely voluntary,” Mix said.

In December, Michigan became the 24th state to pass right-to-work protections for employees.

Union workers at the plant went on a nearly seven-week strike after the company proposed changes to health benefit plans. The strike ended Sept. 23 when union members ratified a five-year contract.

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Some believe the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s “Stephen Harper Hates Me” campaign slogan is over the top. But it may actually be too limited in scope. Harper’s bunch hasn’t just targeted those employed in the public service, but every Canadian whose pay and work conditions interferes with the corporate world’s drive for ever more profit.

In the latest example of their ‘whatever business wants’ attitude, the Conservatives are unwilling to lift a finger in support of 1000 workers recently locked out by U.S. Steel in Nanticoke, on the north shore of Lake Erie. This is the third time since the U.S.-based company bought Stelco in 2007 that it has locked out its Canadian workforce and the previous lockout in Nanticoke lasted eight months.

In December 2011 the Conservatives dropped a court case to force U.S. Steel to live up to the jobs and production promises it made to get approval to buy Stelco under the Investment Canada Act. Even though multiple court rulings, including from the Supreme Court, said the government had a legitimate case against U.S. Steel, the federal government dropped its case in exchange for new investments and a promise to keep operating the Canadian plant until 2015.

The lockout flies in the face of the company’s promise, yet when Hamilton NDP MP Wayne Marston brought the lockout up in the House of Commons last Monday — asking the industry minister, “When will the Conservatives stop selling out our manufacturing sector and enforce the investment Canada Act?” — Christian Paradis dismissed the question as opposition “demagogy.”

U.S. Steel’s bullying efforts follow on the heels of Caterpillar’s closure of an Electro-Motive facility in London, Ontario. At the start of last year the US based company demanded the plant’s workers accept 50 per cent pay cuts and when they refused Caterpillar locked them out for a month. Then the company moved the plant to Indiana and 460 workers in London lost their jobs.

Canadian Auto Workers economist Jim Stanford aptly summarized Caterpillar’s action, “They showed up uninvited in 2010, took over a long-standing productive profitable plant, demanded money (from workers and government alike), then left — leaving behind a shuttered plant and a shattered community.”

If the Conservatives wanted to protect workers from these corporate attacks they easily could. But their unwillingness to defend Canadian workers from large multinationals is only the tip of the iceberg in their anti-worker agenda.

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