Job action could mean empty shelves at B.C. liquor and cannabis stores by the weekend

PORT MOODY, B.C. -

In a matter of days, B.C. consumers could begin to see empty shelves at liquor and cannabis stores.

It’s the ripple effect of the B.C. General Employees’ Union’s job action, as they picket outside the province’s liquor distribution warehouses, stopping the flow of inventory since Monday afternoon.

Bohemian Cannabis Co., which has locations in New Westminster and Port Moody, was expecting its weekly shipment Wednesday, but due to the strike, it did not come.

“Receiving the order every week is like very critical for us,” said owner Alex Mazinani. “We have our employee expenses – rent, you know, everything related to the business. And those expenses now are not going to be stopped and basically our revenue is going to be stopped, so it's going to be very difficult time.”

Jeff Guignard with the Alliance of Beverage Licensees said cannabis retailers are especially hit hard since they can only get their products from the province.

“We've just been doing this for three or four years trying to get customers to move from the black market to our stores, and if customers are not able to access products legally, they will go back to the black market, undermining the last four years,” Guignard said.

As for liquor stores, consumers will first start to see dwindling stock of import wines and spirits, Guignard said.

“Your favourite important wines, whether they come from California or Italy, or different spirits, or those are refreshing vodka sodas – Hey Y’alls and NÜTRLs – once the inventory is gone, they’re going to be out of stock until the strike is over,” he explained.

At the start of the pandemic, panic buying was an issue. Ian Tostensen, president of the BC Restaurant & Foodservices Association, said people are beginning to hoard products.

“We're starting to see a little bit of panic buying from consumers and also from restaurants. The big issue here is the uncertainty that industry is left with right now,” he said.

He said consumers can still get B.C.-made products directly from craft breweries, wineries and distillers, so there is no need to panic buy.

The panic is for mom-and-pop restaurants, which may be forced to temporarily close.

“If the warehouses are not open, we're gonna see some restaurants that just frankly would probably have to close because they don't have any products,” he said. “I think the biggest problem right now is just smaller, independent restaurants. You know, they rely on frequent orders. They don't have a lot of room for inventory storage.”

The BCGEU said it will stop job action once the province returns to the bargaining table.

So far, there are no plans to resume talks.

The union represents 33,000 workers, including wildfire fighters, correctional officers, and BC Liquor and Cannabis store employees.