The president of the local union representing 6,500 Beer Store workers across the province is speaking out following Tuesday's announcement that 11 more stores will close, including two in Windsor.
The Beer Store locations at 790 Goyeau Street, and 1780 College Avenue will close on July 6.
John Nock is president of United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 12R24, and says he's not surprised, but is upset.
"It's directly to do with the early implementation agreement from the Conservative Ford government and the breweries, an agreement that was made after the expiration of the master framework agreement between the Liberal government and the breweries from 2015 to 2025," Nock said.
A master framework agreement signed in 2015 under the previous Liberal government limited the expansion of beer and wine sales in the province and was set to expire in 2025.
In May 2024, the provincial government reached a $225 million agreement with The Beer Store that paved the way for early expansion of beer and wine into convenience and big box stores.
The government at the time said the the deal would protect jobs across the province and keep The Beer Store locations open for recycling and bottle return.
Nock says the union anticipates another 50 to 70 Beer Store closures across the province before the end of the year.
"Apart of this early implementation agreement, convenience stores and grocery stores can charge whatever they want, there's no ceiling on what they can charge for the price of beer," Nock said. "As beer stores slowly disappear, I bet you these convenience stores are going to be charging huge increases in the cost of beer, because who is going to drive an hour and a half, two hours, to another beer store where they price would be more reasonable."
Between the two Windsor locations, six full-time workers, 14 part-time workers and two managers are impacted, according to Nock.
He says while workers are feeling anxious and nervous about the future, they will be given an option to move to another store within the region.
"You don't know, you've worked here for years, maybe your father has worked here, maybe your grandfather has worked here, maybe your great-grandfather has worked here, and all of a sudden the company is just slowly getting smaller with the stroke of a pen from the Conservative government," said Nock.
Nock says Windsor has approximately 100 unionized Beer Store workers.
On Wednesday, Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino wondered who owned the soon to be vacated buildings downtown and in the west end.
According to Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie, the affected Beer Store buildings in Windsor are privately owned.
-With files from CTV News