The 6 thousand workers at the L-C-B-O are preparing themselves for a possible strike.
Many local OPSEU offices have set up strike headquarters in anticipation of the Wednesday 12:01 AM deadline.
The Owen Sound office opened their headquarters yesterday afternoon.
There are 29 L-C-B-O stores in the Grey Bruce region with over 150 full-time, part-time, and casual employees.
Local OPSEU Employee Representative Rob Hopkins is optimistic that an agreement will be reached before the deadline.
He says the negotiations in Toronto are under a media blackout but the main issue is providing benefits for casual employees and that is who they are bargaining for.
Hopkins says there has been fewer full-time workers and more casual workers at the L-C-B-O over the last 10 years especially in smaller communities.
He says the union hopes to reverse that trend.
Hopkins says all L-C-B-O stores will be closed if a strike goes through.
However he doesn’t know if agencies — convenient stores that are licensed to carry L-C-B-O products — or establishments will be affected by a strike.
He says those places are part of the supply chain and may see some kind of interruption.