By Jack Clark

BCGEU Strike

BCGEU strikes start in select locations around Province

Aug 17, 2022 | 4:23 PM

PRINCE GEORGE- As the B.C. General Employees Union seeks a new collective agreement, picket lines have already started in select locations across the province.

Delta, Richmond, Kamloops and Victoria have seen Job action thus far.

“The last pay raise was 2 per cent, and since April of 2021, inflation rates haven’t been 2 per cent, so their wages have been eroded,” said the President of the BCGEU, Stephanie Smith. “We finally in this province have minimum wage tied to inflation rates, as they should be, because it allows people to keep up. That all my members are asking for.”

The BCGEU has chosen B.C. liquor distribution branches as their picket locations, which some say is causing problems for the entire liquor and cannabis industry.

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“Those four warehouses supply alcohol to the entire B.C. liquor and cannabis industries,” says Jeff Guignard of Able B.C. “What they’ve done here is the BCGEU has pulled the entire $15 billion liquor and cannabis industry into their fight.”

A problem Able BC says, if not fixed soon, could cause serious repercussions.

“Two or three months from now, businesses will be closed, and thousands of people will lose their jobs,” said Guignard. ” This needs to stop now before it causes serious damage to the thousands of small businesses.”

However, private liquor stores aren’t entirely out of options.

“Small outfits like Northern Lights will often direct deliver, which means that the private liquor stores can get restocked directly from the businesses themselves,” said the Owner of Northern Estates Winery, Doug Bell.

The BCGEU represents just around 33 thousand people and has been in contract negotiations since April 6 and went on strike in select locations starting Monday.