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Alcoholic beverages and cannabis products will not be distributed to British Columbia businesses after 950 alcoholic beverage wholesale and distribution workers walked off the job on the first day of a British Columbia General Clerks Union strike.
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BC hotel companies are concerned about what will happen if the dispute goes on for more than a week.
The BCGEU, which represents 33,000 provincial government workers, said it is taking “job-specific actions” through picketing BC Liquor Distribution Branch wholesale and distribution centers in Delta, Richmond, Kamloops and Victoria.
“We are being very specific in our labor action,” BCGEU President Stephanie Smith said Monday, a few hours before the strike began at 3:30 p.m. “We want to be thoughtful, we want to impact the employer, the government, but we want to try to mitigate the impact to the general public as well as our members.”
Retail liquor and cannabis stores are not part of the labor action, the union said. The cannabis division of the Burnaby customer service center is included, although there will be no picket line there.
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The union has encouraged other public service workers to join the picket lines during their off hours as a show of solidarity, but they will report to work as usual during the labor action.
Ian Tostenson, president of the BC Restaurant and Food Service Association, said if the labor action drags on, bar and restaurant operators could feel the crunch later this week.
“I think the biggest concern we have is the uncertainty that this creates … an industry that had so much uncertainty in the last two and a half years” during the pandemic, he said. “We just don’t need to be thinking ‘Can we get some product?’ We don’t really have the capacity to do that, because we have a huge labor shortage.”
A prolonged strike at liquor distribution sites would especially affect the flow of imported beer, wine and spirits, as bars and restaurants can buy directly from BC’s wineries and craft breweries.
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Tostenson hopes the two sides can get back to the negotiating table before things get worse.
“I think the public will be very frustrated if it hurts their favorite restaurants.”
The BCGEU negotiating team rejected the most recent offer from the Public Service Agency that would give employees an average salary increase of 10.99 percent over three years. The last formal meeting with the employer was on July 4.
Smith did not elaborate on what the union is pushing.
“It’s not just about percentage pay increases,” he said. “What our members are saying is that they need to see those salaries protected against rising rates of inflation like what we are experiencing in this current environment. They’re not really asking for anything outrageous.”
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Smith noted that MLA salaries are tied to inflation, just like the minimum wage.
“So that’s what our members are looking for because if they get a percentage pay raise but inflation rates far exceed that, they’ve essentially gotten a pay cut,” he said.
Employment Minister Ravi Kahlon assured people Monday that they can count on essential services as the BC Labor Relations Board sets essential service levels to protect the health, safety and well-being of those in need of services. governmental.
Smith said any escalation of the work action will ensure essential service levels are maintained in key areas, such as BC Corrections and the BC Wildfire Service.
Kahlon said in a statement that the government is aware that public sector workers are concerned about the effects of inflation, which disproportionately affects those at the lower end of the pay scale.
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He said the government is “providing the most generous salary increase in at least the last 30 years and seeks to help address the economic uncertainty we are all experiencing and the rising costs of inflation. It provides an extra boost to lower-wage workers who are hardest hit during periods of high inflation, and is designed to get workers money in their pockets sooner rather than later, with a $2,500 down payment to help with costs at this time and some additional expenses. cost-of-living protections in the past year.
He said the government is committed to the collective bargaining process and to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement.
Smith did not say what additional labor action could be taken if an agreement cannot be reached.
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“Our goal is not to picket or intensify labor action. Our goal is to achieve a collective agreement. It’s getting a deal our members deserve.”
When asked how public sector workers feel about the labor action, Smith said there are a range of emotions with some “excited to take leadership action and feeling very strong about wanting to push to get a deal that they know is coming.” they deserve,” while others feel a sense of anxiety at the prospect of not being paid a full salary for an undetermined period of time.
The 950 liquor distribution employees will receive strike pay from the union at 70 percent of their gross wages.
Union members have been out of contract since April 1. The two sides began negotiations on February 8, but reached an impasse on April 6. In June, 95 percent of union members voted in favor of the labor action.
