US EditionAll B.C. government liquor, cannabis stores now behind workers’ pickets in escalation
Union job action affects 431 government sites and nearly 25,000 workers as BC seeks a fair deal amid fiscal constraints, union leader says.
- On Oct. 8, 2025, all remaining British Columbia-run liquor and cannabis stores joined picket lines, while private stores rely on provincial government distribution warehouses also behind pickets.
- The BC General Employees' Union escalated the action by adding Service BC workers, raising job-action participants to almost 25,000 within the 34,000-member bargaining unit.
- Union president Paul Finch said he regrets the pickets' effect on communities and that members are `left with no alternative`, adding `The government has a choice` to bargain or let disruption escalate while stressing investment in services people across the province depend on.
- Union members rallied outside the B.C. legislature on Monday as B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said the province seeks to balance a fair deal with fiscal constraints.
- The union says 431 provincial government work sites are now picketed as the weeks-long labour dispute expands, sustaining disruptions across BC General Employees' Union operations.
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7 Articles
All B.C. government liquor and cannabis stores now behind workers' pickets
All British Columbia-run liquor and cannabis stores in the province are now behind picket lines as public service workers step up job action. The escalation by the B.C. General Employees' Union also includes all Service BC workers, raising the total number of members participating in job action to almost 25,000.
All BC Government Liquor, Cannabis Stores Now Behind Workers’ Pickets in Escalation
Picket lines were set up Wednesday in front of all remaining British Columbia-run liquor and cannabis stores in the province as public service workers step up union job action. The escalation by the BC General Employees’ Union also includes all Service BC workers, raising the total number of members participating in job action to almost 25,000. Union president Paul Finch said in a statement that he regrets the impact of the pickets on local comm…
All B.C. government liquor, cannabis stores now behind workers' pickets in escalation
Job action by British Columbia public service workers is putting pressure on craft brewers, with the head of one industry group saying major players are facing a cash flow crunch, while smaller breweries are contending with a boon in demand. Ken Beattie, executive director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild, said the escalation of job […]
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