BCGEU president warns strike action will ‘vastly increase’ within a week

There is growing frustration among business owners caught in a bitter labour impasse between the provincial government and its employees.

Striking public service workers brought their message to the B.C. legislature Thursday, chanting outside the NDP caucus meeting room ahead of the start of the fall session next week.

“They’re exercising their democratic rights, and that is not something that is new in this province,” said House Leader Mike Farnworth.

Five weeks into the strike, it’s hitting certain sectors especially hard.

“It has cut off our business completely,” said Davor Kovac, who runs a wine importing business called Dream Wines Corp.

With pickets outside government liquor stores and the liquor distribution branch warehouse, businesses relying on booze are being hurt.

In particular, wine importers whose product comes in and out of the warehouse are being hammered, Kovac said.

“We cannot generate even a cent of sales since last week, so what’s effectively happening is we are bleeding money without any ability to generate revenue,” he told CTV News.

The union’s latest demand is an eight per cent raise over two years. The government has offered a total of five per cent. The BCGEU escalated strike action Thursday, with 1,200 more picketers. It says more disruption is coming soon, in a big way.

“Within the next week, there will be a vastly increased impact on the general public,” said BCGEU president Paul Finch Thursday afternoon. “Unfortunately, that’s unavoidable. Government failed to come back with a reasonable deal.”

Public service workers plan to return to the lawns of the legislature Monday to amplify their message to the politicians returning to work there.