restaurants brace for 'widespread shortages' as bcgeu strike expands to liquor distribution warehouses
4 minute read
bcgeu workers on a picket line at the b.c. liquor distribution branch office at 3383 gilmore way during their dispute with the government, in burnaby on sept 23.
nick procaylo
/
10109237a
restaurants are bracing for “widespread shortages” as early as this weekend after striking government employees expanded picket lines to b.c. liquor distribution branch warehouses and offices.
the b.c. general employees union expanded its job action monday, which puts more than 10,000 public service workers on strike, and on tuesday, the groups that represent the hospitality industry were rallying their members to consider their options.
orders for larger restaurant groups are now behind picket lines at liquor branch warehouses, said ian tostenson, ceo of the b.c. restaurant and food services association.
liquor branch retail stores remain open, but tostenson added that the smaller restaurants that can only buy from those stores are being told that they’ll be limited to buying three bottles per stock item per day, while inventories last, which will be most of what restaurants stock.
“i would say within four days we’ll start to see fairly widespread shortages throughout the industry,” tostenson said. “the uncertainty is unfair. (our members) are not happy at all, because we’re just forced into a system where we have no other choice, we have to buy through government liquor stores.”
advertisement
tostenson added that restaurants do have options to buy directly from b.c. wineries, craft breweries and distilleries that do direct sales, but those will be limited and complicated replacements, so otherwise restaurants are “at the whims of bcgeu’s actions.”
bcgeu workers on a picket line at the b.c. liquor distribution branch office at 3383 gilmore way during their dispute with the b.c. government in burnaby on sept 23, 2025.
nick procaylo
/
png
they won’t be alone. while some private liquor stores say they’re better prepared to weather this strike, retailers will be cut off from new orders crucial for the upcoming holiday seasons and craft brewers that use the liquor branch for a lot of their distribution will start losing sales within weeks.
on monday, bcgeu president paul finch said the union had tried to minimize the impact of its strike on the public over its first three weeks but “we’re no longer able to do that,” and put all b.c.’s liquor and cannabis distribution behind picket lines to put more pressure on the government.
the impending impact, however, has businesses putting pressure on government to modernize liquor distribution in ways that would take hospitality establishments out of the line of fire in labour disputes.
bo chen of the alliance of beverage licensees said that on day 2 of the liquor branch warehouse strike, his group is still rallying members to co-operate on navigating a way ahead.
advertisement
“it’s a good opportunity for licensees to reassess their supply chain and current relationship with their suppliers,” chen said. “it’s also a great opportunity to look at inventory cycles, how do we make sure that fulfilment and other avenues are still available to everyone?”
chen said breaking the bcldb monopoly on hospitality sector sales and allowing restaurants to buy from private liquor stores would help.
“if you’re a restaurant, you should be able to go to a private liquor store and secure what you need for your business,” chen said. “especially if it’s just in the local community.”
at the legacy liquor store in olympic village, manager darryl lamb says the fact that liquor branch retail stores have the ability to restock beer through direct sales shows how much the monopoly government once had has been broken up.
“they haven’t figured out they’re not the be-all-and-end-all,” said lamb. “so if this is the impetus to actually get a system, a free system like alberta has, with low prices and higher profitability than we get in b.c. for the government, then maybe that’s something that needs to be discussed.”
darryl lamb, brand manager at legacy liquor store, in vancouver on tuesday, september 23, 2025.
jason payne
/
png
lamb said that now is a time that stores “plump out our inventory” for the holiday season, and legacy has been planning for a potential strike since june. he added that private retailers already handle the majority of liquor sales, b.c. wine sales and the vast majority of craft spirit sales.
advertisement
“i don’t think it will affect our businesses as much as i think the bcgeu hopes,” lamb said.
however, at marquis wine cellars on davie street, owner john clerides said the risks are bigger for other private retailers.
“we’ll be ok for a little while, maybe a month, six weeks at the max,” clerides said. “but we’re moving into the holiday season and we’ve got special orders of unique wine, champagnes that are only available through us. so we’re going to take a hit there.”
ben coli, owner of dageraad brewing in burnaby, said his business does about half of its wholesale sales through the liquor branch, so they will “lose access to the best and cheapest distribution” for that product. he added that a lot of mid-sized craft brewers will be in the same boat.
however, it will be about four weeks before they start feeling that bite, because that is typically how long it takes the liquor branch to make payments, so he’s hoping for a quick resolution to the dispute.
share story
