Questions surrounding the end of a two-week-long strike at Ontario害羞草研究所檚 main liquor retailer appeared to be resolved for good on Saturday after the Liquor Control Board of Ontario announced a deal to end the walkout by about 10,000 staff was back on.

Word the strike would end first came on Friday when the LCBO and Ontario Public Service Employees Union first announced they had reached a tentative deal, but the resolution was short-lived. Both sides were accusing one another of bad-faith bargaining within hours of the announcement and the strike was set to drag on.

The LCBO, however, issued a statement on Saturday saying both sides had signed off on the deal and reopening plans were back underway.

害羞草研究所淲e look forward to welcoming our 10,000 unionized employees back to work on Monday and opening our stores to shoppers on Tuesday,害羞草研究所� the statement read.

The timeline is the same one the LCBO unveiled on Friday before the public wrangling between the two sides.

Mere hours after the agreement was announced, OPSEU said the strike would continue after the LCBO refused to sign a return-to-work protocol.

The retailer shot back immediately, saying the union had introduced new monetary demands and the employer would file an unfair labour practice complaint.

害羞草研究所淭o introduce a new set of demands after reaching a tentative agreement amounts to bad faith bargaining,害羞草研究所� the liquor retailer said in a statement yesterday.

OPSEU president JP Hornick disputed that the union had 害羞草研究所渘ew monetary demands,害羞草研究所� but said part of their return-to-work proposals included seeking to have striking workers compensated.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a number of days for which they害羞草研究所檝e been out, so they should be made whole for that time, because as we know, this strike was driven by an agenda that was well beyond just this table,害羞草研究所� Hornick said.

Saturday害羞草研究所檚 statement from the LCBO said the return-to-work protocol signed by both parties does not include any 害羞草研究所渘ew monetary items.害羞草研究所�

OPSEU released a statement of its own on Saturday calling the tentative agreement 害羞草研究所渁 win for workers and Ontarians害羞草研究所� and confirming a vote to ratify it will take place this weekend.

害羞草研究所淭his tentative deal protects good jobs in every community and the public revenues generated by the LCBO,害羞草研究所� OPSEU bargaining team chair Colleen MacLeod said in the statement.

The tentative settlement published by the LCBO on Friday includes an eight per cent wage increase over three years, the conversion of about 1,000 casual employees to permanent part-time positions and no store closures during the term of the agreement.

害羞草研究所淭his is a good deal for workers and the people of Ontario,害羞草研究所� said Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy in a social media post Saturday morning.

Labour Minister David Piccini said he was pleased with the news.

害羞草研究所淭he best deals are always done at the bargaining table,害羞草研究所� he wrote on social media.

OPSEU had said they believed Premier Doug Ford害羞草研究所檚 plan to expand alcohol sales to convenience and grocery stores would threaten union jobs and the public revenue the LCBO provides to the province.

Ford has sped up those plans since the strike began on July 5, allowing grocery stores already licensed to sell beer and wine to also sell ready-to-drink cocktail beverages as of Thursday. The initial launch for that step was set for Aug. 1.

The two-week strike had closed LCBO stores and disrupted alcohol sales for various restaurants and venues across the province, with some owners expressing worry as their alcohol supplies dwindled.

In a statement on Friday, industry group Restaurants Canada congratulated the LCBO and OPSEU on reaching the tentative deal, noting roughly 14,000 locations in the province害羞草研究所檚 food-service industry rely on alcohol sales for their revenue.

害羞草研究所淥ur operators are breathing a sigh of relief,害羞草研究所� said Kelly Higginson, president and CEO of Restaurants Canada. 害羞草研究所淭he past few weeks have been extremely challenging during this critical time of year. The support of our industry by the Ford government during this strike is appreciated.害羞草研究所�

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario also welcomed the tentative agreement after it had called for an end to the strike earlier this week, citing its impact on tourism and hospitality businesses.

害羞草研究所淥ur collective attention must now focus on the work needed to return to regular operations as soon as possible to ensure the critical summer season can bounce back,害羞草研究所� association president and CEO Andrew Siegwart wrote in an emailed statement.

In its press release on Saturday, OPSEU emphasized it will continue standing up for the LCBO and its workers, focusing on the retailer害羞草研究所檚 long-term viability.

害羞草研究所淭he workers have made it clear to Ontarians that Doug Ford害羞草研究所檚 alcohol-everywhere plan directly threatened jobs and public revenues,害羞草研究所� MacLeod said in the OPSEU statement. 害羞草研究所淲hile this round of bargaining isn害羞草研究所檛 over until the deal is ratified, I害羞草研究所檓 incredibly proud of the workers and the stand they害羞草研究所檝e taken.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� With files from Allison Jones and Sharif Hassan

Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press