A strike by LCBO workers is not imminent despite this week's vote overwhelmingly in favour of job action.
Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union gave the bargaining team a strong strike mandate by a vote of 93%.
Len Elliott is OPSEU Vice President for the Sarnia, Windsor and London region that has 800 to 1,000 members.
He says there's no timeline for possible strike action as they return to negotiations.
"Regardless of having the strike mandate in our hand, really the process is that at some point either party can call for no board report, which happens with the Ministry of Labour. It takes a few days to get that in hand, and from then a clock would start ticking which is a 17 day window," says Elliott. "I can't speak for the employer but the union is not in that position and that has not happened, that doesn't mean it's not going to happen next week, next month, two months from now but the point is that has not happened."
The LCBO has said it anticipates reaching a fair settlement in bargaining that its employees would consider and accept before any strike action.
The 7,500 members last contract expired almost a month ago.
The union is strongly opposed to the government's move to sell beer, wine and cider in grocery stores.