by Taylor Berry

This could be a dry, smelly summer: just as the CUPE strike halts garbage pickup for most of the city, we are threatened with another strike that, for many of us, is far more serious. Catastrophic, even: if the LCBO and its workers can’t reach an agreement by 12am Wednesday morning, the unionized employees will strike.

Now, before you panic, remember that there are alternative sources of booze in the city. The Beer Store will stay open, and you can still pick up wine at stores around the city like Aisle 43 (in various grocery store locations), Vineyard Estates or The Wine Rack . But if your poison of choice is a good vodka tonic, it’s time to stock up your freezer while you can.

It’s possible that even if there is a strike, some LCBO locations could stay open, as managerial staff is non-unionized. The LCBO has not said whether it plans to hire any outside workers in the event of a strike, but striking employees will be picketing outside of LCBO locations, so even if some stores remain open, be prepared to cross a picket line for your bottle.

Naturally, in the middle of the summer, and a recession, this strike will be met with a lot of frustration: a lot of folks will feel that anyone with secure employment shouldn’t be striking for better pay, and a lot of folks will just plain miss their booze. However, LCBO workers, who have never gone on strike before, do have a good point: because most workers are designated as casual, they have no health benefits even if they work full-time hours. Without benefits, paying for things like medications, glasses or dental care can be nearly impossible, as us recent graduates know.

So don’t be too hard on strikers; instead, make the best of a bad situation: Stock up as best as you can, pick up some wine drinking, and bust out some adorable prohibition fashions—I’m thinking long necklaces, feather hairbands, and flapper dresses. Fewer bottles at home is just an excuse to go to the bar earlier, and picket line chants are catchy.