The head of a group representing British Columbia鈥檚 restaurant and bar industry says the ending of job action by the province鈥檚 largest public-sector union will avert further 鈥渕ental stress鈥� for workers and owners already reeling from uncertainty.
Ian Tostenson of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association said the union鈥檚 announcement in light of 鈥渟ignificant progress鈥� towards a deal with the government was good news for establishments running out of alcohol, especially small businesses that may have been forced to cut employees鈥� hours or shut down.
The BC General Employees鈥� Union said in a statement Tuesday that it was standing down from two weeks of job action that included pickets at liquor distribution centres that prompted the government to impose a purchase limits on alcoholic products at BC Liquor Stores.
The BCGEU, which represents about 33,000 employees, also imposed an overtime ban last week after saying the province鈥檚 Public Service Agency had not invited it back to the bargaining table since talks broke down last spring.
However, talks resumed last Thursday, and the union鈥檚 bargaining committee said Tuesday it was ending the overtime ban as a sign of good faith and preparations were underway to lift the picket lines at the liquor distribution centres.
Tostenson said restocking would be 鈥渁 bit rough鈥� but he was grateful further distress was being averted for businesses facing a labour shortage as they emerge from the pandemic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probably going to take, realistically, three to four weeks to get the system up and running again, but I know the (Liquor Distribution Branch) has been working on restart plans so it鈥檒l be a priority in terms of restocking the industry as fast as possible,鈥� he said.
Premier John Horgan said he was relieved to hear of a tentative deal for the sake of the hospitality industry and 鈥渇or all British Columbians.鈥�
鈥淭his will be the beginning of a template for further negotiations with other critical employees that service British Columbians 鈥� nurses, teachers, support staff, all of the other public-sector workers that are so important to us,鈥� he said, mentioning sectors whose unions are also looking for wage increases in future or ongoing talks with the government.
Finance Minister Selina Robinson said at a news conference to unveil the province鈥檚 public accounts that she was pleased at the apparent progress the BCGEU and the government were making at the bargaining table.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to getting a deal done as soon as possible,鈥� she said.
Tostenson said the announcement of a possible resolution was timely because public pressure for a quick settlement of the dispute, which also affected cannabis stores, may have turned sentiment against both the union and the government
鈥淚 think the BCGEU made its point and sort of knew that if we continue on we鈥檙e going to cause damage,鈥� he said. 鈥淔ortunately, it didn鈥檛 go on any longer than it did. I think then we would have been in real trouble.鈥�
The union had been asking for a 15 per cent wage hike over three years.
Liquor retailers have said supply of some products was running dry, while some private cannabis retailers that also get stock through the Liquor Distribution Branch have been shutting down even though their staff are not part of the job action.
The privately owned stores have said the dispute meant they had no choice but to lay off workers or temporarily close.
The Retail Cannabis Council of BC thanked the BCGEU on Twitter.
鈥淥ur members are desperate for the relief and will hopefully see deliveries begin again swiftly,鈥� it said.
Jaclynn Pehota, the group鈥檚 executive director, said last week that 70 per cent of legal pot stores in the province would have to shut if the job action continued past Tuesday and that 30 per cent of them were unlikely to reopen even after a resolution.
鈥擟amille Bains, The Canadian Press
