Job action could mean empty shelves at B.C. liquor and cannabis stores by the weekend
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an "incident."
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.