Restaurants and bars across British Columbia are being told to stock up on liquor as the BCGEU strike threatens liquor supply through provincial warehouses.
In an industry update sent Friday, the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA) warned members it is “very likely” that strike action will target BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) warehouses and stores.
“If this happens, restaurants and bars will not be able to access product through normal channels,” the memo reads.
“Third-party labour disputes are disruptive and costly.”
“We’ll be in trouble within days”
Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the BCRFA, told Daily Hive the impact could be felt almost immediately.
“I would say within a couple of days, two or three days, and then we’re going to be in trouble supply-wise,” he said. “Even if they strike tomorrow, it creates so much uncertainty. It’s just terrible for us.”
By law, restaurants in B.C. must purchase liquor through government channels, leaving them vulnerable in the event of warehouse shutdowns.
Restaurants in B.C. must purchase liquor through government-run BC Liquor Distribution Branch stores, leaving them vulnerable to strike action. (Koshiro K/Shutterstock)
In B.C., restaurants and bars are required to purchase alcohol for resale through the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB), which is the government’s wholesale monopoly under the Liquor Distribution Act.
“We don’t think small businesses should be caught in the middle of a labour dispute,” Tostenson said.
“There are 7,500 licensed restaurants in the province, with about 100,000 employees who will be disadvantaged by this.”
Kitchen labour crisis
Beyond liquor supply, the industry is also dealing with a looming shortage of cooks and chefs.
The BCRFA estimates the province is short 20,000 skilled workers across 15,000 restaurants.
“It means shorter hours, closures on certain days, and lost business,” Tostenson said. “These are skilled jobs, and there are no Canadians lining up to fill them.”
The association is calling for the federal government to expand and streamline the temporary foreign worker program.
“We prefer to hire Canadians, but they’re just not there,” he added.
The BCRFA has scheduled a total industry meeting for Sept. 10 to present a united plan to Ottawa before Sept. 15.
The forum will include restaurants, pubs, hotels, liquor establishments, supply partners, and producers.
Customers could feel it
For diners, the ripple effects may be noticeable.
“You could go into your restaurant, and if this gets really carried away, they would be out of your favourite beer, wine, or spirits,” Tostenson said.
“People enjoy going out and having a few drinks with their meals. It could mean they don’t go out.”
That means everything from a Friday-night cocktail to a glass of Okanagan wine with dinner could be harder to find. Popular imports, whiskeys, gins, and tequilas, would likely be among the first to disappear from menus, since restaurants cannot stockpile unlimited quantities and must rely on steady distribution through government warehouses.
Tostenson warned this could ripple far beyond restaurants.
“If restaurants are weakened, everybody goes weak,” he said, pointing to impacts on wineries, breweries, food distributors, and producers that depend on a healthy hospitality sector.
The industry is also waiting on a response from WorkSafe BC over proposed gratuity payroll rules, which Tostenson said would pile on red tape and costs.
“We’ve asked WorkSafe to shelve this for three years,” he said. “Restaurants need breathing room, not more regulation.”
The BCRFA said it hopes to hear back from WorkSafe BC this week.
But for now, the biggest concern is how long restaurants and bars can withstand supply disruptions if strike action escalates.
As Daily Hive previously reported, the BCGEU has already staged walkouts in Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, and Prince George, and union president Paul Finch has said members are ready to stay out “as long as it takes” until a fair wage deal is reached.
Daily Hive has reached out to the BCGEU and WorkSafeBC for further comment.
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