All BC Wildfire Service workers join public sector strike

Employees of the BC Wildfire Service and provincial Ministry of Forests walked off the job Wednesday as a strike by public sector workers continues into its eighth week. 

The latest escalation brings the total number of workers taking job action to over 25,000 across 550 worksites.

The BC General Employees’ Union announced Friday that its bargaining committee had agreed to non-binding talks with the province, mediated by Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers.

There are currently 94 wildfires burning in B.C., including one considered out of control in the Prince George Fire Centre area.

The union and the province are engaged in non-binding mediation talks, which began on the weekend. The talks are led by veteran mediator Vince Ready.

Private liquor stores continue to struggle

With eight weeks of job action, many businesses are feeling the impact, especially restaurants and private liquor stores feel the weight.

1130 NewsRadio talked to the owner of the Broadway Beer, Wine & Spirits shop that has just reopened after a two-month renovation in order to add more products to keep up with other stores in the Kitsilano neighbourhood.

“During our closure, there were rumors of a strike, so we did try to place an order, and then two days prior to us picking up that order, the picket lines went up,” said Chris Reid, frustratingly.

“We finished the renovations and grand reopening of the shop, but it’s half full because we can’t get any products.”

Reid says with Christmas just over two months away, he is unsure if his or any other stores will be able to get some specialty international products people look for that time of year.

“We are pretty much out of all international lines. All of the good value spirits. There isn’t a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the shelf, and there won’t be for who knows how long. So we have the impact of definitely not being able to order the products that our community is asking for.”

He says he has had to pivot and add more local products, which, on the flip side, will help showcase B.C.-made liquor.

“We are going to bring in a lot of B.C. products, B.C. Wine, B.C. Beer, B.C. spirits, and we’ve always been a big supporter of them. I guess the tragic part is that we just can’t get the full spectrum of products that we would like to get, and that will affect sales and that will affect our ability to compete, especially after being closed for two and a half months.”

1130 NewsRadio has reached out to B.C.’s Ministry of Forests for further information.

With files from Ben Bouguerra.