Renew your membership, Burnaby cannabis retailers, Understanding Unionization---------------------------------------------------------
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Cannabis Industry Update:
August 14, 2024
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Dear ABLE BC cannabis members and industry colleagues,
Here's the latest news for the private cannabis industry:
- Renew Your ABLE BC Cannabis Membership
- ABLE BC Advocacy on Behalf of Burnaby Cannabis Retailers
- Cannabis Sales at Events: Your Input Needed
- ABLE BC's 2024 Wage Survey Report
- GS1 Canada Barcode Readiness Survey
- Understanding the Unionization Process
- StrongerBC Future Skills Grant
- go2HR on Tap: Understanding the Pay Transparency Act
- Member Spotlight: A Little Bud
- Out and About with ABLE BC
- Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars
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Renew Your ABLE BC Cannabis Membership
ABLE BC memberships expire on August 31, 2024. Members can renew by logging into the Member Portal and following the renewal instructions posted on the dashboard. If you have questions about your renewal, don't know how to log into the Member Portal, or would like to discuss a payment plan, please contact Bo Chen, Head of Cannabis Memberships, at bo@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560 ex. 2.
ABLE BC may be a small, non-profit organization, but that doesn’t stop our relentless advocacy for business owners in the private cannabis retail industry. We are your united voice, and we make a strong impact on government. ABLE BC is your seat at the table, ensuring your concerns are heard and addressed by government.
Since September 2023, we:
- Hosted an industry reception for members, with special guest Honourable Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
- Hosted a 20th anniversary celebration with special guests Minister Farnworth and Minister Bailey.
- Spoke on a panel at a Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) staff conference about cannabis industry challenges and suggested ways they can help ease pressure on your businesses.
- Pushed advocacy efforts on industry market controls for private retailers with Minister Farnworth and other government officials.
- Opened private cannabis retail opportunities in Surrey, North Saanich, and are working with Burnaby city council on their policy framework.
- Submitted feedback on federal cannabis regulations to Health Canada, supporting streamlined packaging, easing promotion requirements, and increasing THC limits in edibles.
- Appointed Feven Berhane (KushKlub) as Chair of ABLE BC’s Cannabis Committee.
- Advocated to allow cannabis consumption on public patios, where smoking and vaping tobacco is already permitted.
- Engaged the BC Cannabis Secretariat and Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) to advance your top policy priorities such as reducing the 15% markup on Direct Delivery, establishing a minimum distance criteria, permitting retail white-label products, and more.
- Hosted a webinar with the LCRB on the Minors as Agents Program (MAP).
- Won permission for cannabis retailers to accept free product samples from licensed producers and cannabis marketing licensees.
- Hosted a webinar with the BC Community Safety Unit (CSU) on provincial efforts to address illicit cannabis operations.
- Met regularly with cannabis retailers across BC to better understand the unique challenges of different municipalities.
- Created new due diligence resources, now available for free in the Member Portal.
We are only able to do this work because of the support of our members. Put simply, ABLE BC does not exist without your membership dues.
Your support is critical to our industry’s success. Prompt payment of your membership dues will enable us to continue our track record of successful advocacy for BC’s private cannabis industry through the year ahead.
Have an advocacy issue you’d like ABLE BC to champion? Email bo@ablebc.ca.
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BC’s Hub for Workplace Mental Health
The Canadian Mental Health Association has created a resource hub for employers and employees dealing with mental health challenges at work.
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Liquor Industry Update Newsletter
Sign up for our Liquor Industry Update Newsletter to learn more about our advocacy for liquor businesses. Click here to read past liquor newsletters.
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ABLE BC
Member Portal
The Member Portal is your hub for all resources and benefits available to ABLE BC members. Contact david@ablebc.ca if you need help logging in.
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ABLE BC Advocacy on Behalf of Burnaby Cannabis Retailers
The City of Burnaby is reviewing their liquor and cannabis policy to establish a new framework that will open the municipality to private cannabis retailers.
We are pleased to see Burnaby’s efforts to create business opportunities for private cannabis retailers. Last week, we wrote to Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley to express our strong support of proposed policy revisions, and to stress industry priorities to City Council:
- Ensure private cannabis retailers are given opportunity to operate within Burnaby.
- Ensure the minimum 1 km distance criteria is applied to government-operated cannabis stores as well as private.
- Clarify the criteria for previous experience to include number of years' experience retailing regulated substances (i.e. liquor or cannabis), related experience in other municipalities, and experience operating in compliance with the terms and conditions of a licence.
Burnaby has taken an important step in creating opportunities for responsible, licensed cannabis retailers. We will continue to push for more opportunities in other communities across BC.
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Cannabis Sales at Events: Your Input Needed
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) has requested input from ABLE BC and our members on cannabis sales at events.
As you may already know, we have been advocating on your behalf for a Special Event Permit (SEP) specific to the cannabis industry, and we are pleased to see progress from our government partners. Since we began this work, the province has allowed the promotion of cannabis-friendly spaces and the consumption of cannabis on public patios where smoking and vaping tobacco is already permitted.
Now, the LCRB is exploring a policy framework for cannabis sales at events. ABLE BC has prepared a proposal we will submit to the LCRB this month. To ensure our proposal is informed by industry perspective, we are engaging with members and other cannabis retail stakeholders.
Contact Bo Chen, Head of Cannabis Membership, at bo@ablebc.ca to let us know your thoughts on cannabis sales at events, how access to a cannabis SEP would impact your business, and any specific requirements you feel should be included.
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ABLE BC's 2024 Wage Survey Report
We surveyed our members throughout July to better understand the impact of the June 1, 2024 minimum wage increase, current standards for starting wages, and what our members include in employee benefits packages.
We collected responses from nearly 10% of all ABLE BC members, including cannabis retailers, liquor retailers, and liquor primary operators.
Unsurprisingly, rising labour costs are putting significant strain on cannabis and liquor businesses and negatively impacting profitability. Owners and managers struggle to afford competitive wages and benefits, despite wanting to offer their employees more.
Complete survey results are available to members for free in the ABLE BC Member Portal.
Non-members can purchase complete results for $25 in the ABLE BC online store.
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GS1 Canada Barcode Readiness Survey
Last month, ABLE BC’s Executive Director, Jeff Guignard, Head of Cannabis Memberships, Bo Chen, and Cannabis Committee Chair, Feven Berhane, toured the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) Richmond warehouse with LDB Cannabis staff. We were given exclusive access to the facility and privileged knowledge of operations and improvement plans. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!
As part of this tour, LDB Cannabis staff informed us of the GS1 Canada Barcode Readiness Survey. This survey seeks insights from Canadian cannabis retailers regarding their current experiences with scanning technology at POS. The goal is to ensure cannabis retailers are equipped with the necessary scanning technology at the point of sale (POS) to properly scan the new GS1 DataMatrix barcode.
To participate in the survey, you will need to download the following two test barcodes.
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Understanding your challenges and experiences will help the Canadian cannabis community to collaborate with support from GS1 Canada to develop programs that can alleviate the cannabis retailers’ pain points.
You can participate in the survey here or when you login to your BC Cannabis Wholesale account at www.bccannabiswholesale.com.
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Bo Chen, Jeff Ring (LDB Cannabis), Feven Berhane (KushKlub), Jeff Guignard, Gayle Corah (LDB Cannabis), Tyson Turner (LDB Cannabis)
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Understanding the Unionization Process
Subscribers to ABLE BC’s Liquor Industry Update newsletter have already seen the first article in a new series from Ryan Anderson, employment law expert and Partner at Mathews Dinsdale. Ryan is an ABLE Expert and trusted advisor to the ABLE BC team for labour, employment law, and unionization questions. His new series will touch on all aspects of unionization, starting with the first step: signing union cards.
Signing Union Cards – Can You Educate Your Employees?
When a Union wants to represent a group of employees, for example at a liquor store, the Union organizers must persuade at least 55% of employees to sign physical or electronic union cards.
The cards must include the following statement: In applying for a membership I understand that the union intends to apply to be certified as my exclusive bargaining agent and to represent me in collective bargaining.
If 55% or more employees sign a union card, the entire group of employees will become unionized, without any subsequent vote.
In my experience, employees are often confused by or misunderstand the statement on union cards about applying for membership – they do not always realize that signing a card (or not signing a card) could be their only opportunity to have a say in the matter. They aren’t usually aware there will be no subsequent vote on the question of unionization.
Therefore, it is very important that an employer’s response strategy accurately informs employees about the unionization process and directs them to resources with additional information about union cards and unionization more generally.
Employers are often unaware when union organization is happening. If an employer learns that employees have been asked to sign union cards, they must take this important opportunity to ensure employees understand the significance of signing a card.
It is always lawful to provide accurate information to employees about the union organizing process, but this communication should be carefully coordinated with legal counsel and/or expert labour relations advice.
If your employees have begun the unionization process, reach out to Ryan Anderson to learn how he can help guide your response strategy. Contact Ryan at 604-638-2042 or randerson@mathewsdinsdale.com.
If you are interested in learning more about unions, subscribe to the Liquor Industry Update newsletter here to catch future articles in this series.
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StrongerBC Future Skills Grant
As part of the StrongerBC Future Ready Action Plan, government introduced the future skills grant program to support British Columbians, aged 19 or older, in accessing up to $3,500 in short-term skills training, aligned with skills and labour market demands as identified in BC’s Labour Market Outlook.
Starting Fall 2024, institutions are offering programs to equip learners with job-related skills to increase their productivity and advance in their careers. Choose from a list of over 300 programs and start training in September 2024. Registration for the fall 2024 semester is now open!
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go2HR on Tap:
Understanding the Pay Transparency Act
go2HR is a regular contributor to the ABLE BC Cannabis Industry Update newsletter, providing tips and guidance on current HR trends, new legislation, employee recruitment and retention, and more. To read the latest instalment, sign in to the member portal or sign up for the newsletter.
Everyone deserves to be paid fairly, regardless of gender. In May 2023, BC took the first step towards pay equity by implementing the Pay Transparency Act. Is your business compliant?
Here are some key requirements that you need to know:
- Pay secrecy: Under BC's Pay Transparency Act, as of November 1, 2023, all provincially regulated employers must include the expected pay or pay range in public job postings.
- Pay history: Employers cannot ask job applicants what other employers have paid them.
- Employer reprisal: Employers cannot punish employees who ask about their pay or reveal their pay to other employees or job applicants.
- Pay transparency reporting: Employers with 50 or more employees must post pay transparency reports by November 1 each year through a phased approach (2024-2026). There are no reporting requirements for employers with less than 50 employees.
What can you do now? Take time to review your existing policies and procedures, your employee handbooks, and recruitment practices. Ensure you include pay information in your job postings. If you currently use a standard set of interview questions, remove any questions related to asking job applicants about their pay history.
Learn more by reading go2HR's Pay Transparency Act FAQ.
Do you have any questions about the Pay Transparency Act or need HR help? Connect with the go2HR team for a free 1:1 consultation here.
go2HR, the HR and health and safety association for the BC Tourism and Hospitality Industry, has a wealth of free resources to support cannabis retailers. We invite you to connect with us to learn more about how you can support your employees at hr@go2HR.ca.
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Member Spotlight:
A Little Bud
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Proudly serving since 2017.
A Little Bud has been evolving with the British Columbia cannabis market since their beginnings in 2017. Today, A Little Bud is White Rock’s first and only licensed cannabis store, with three additional locations across BC.
Keep the good times rollin'
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Out and About with ABLE BC
As you know, ABLE BC memberships expire at the end of this month. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed! Your continued support ensures we can continue fighting for the needs of our members and the private liquor industry.
We understand that many of our members are struggling with profitability right now. We know the pressures your businesses are facing. If the cost of membership is a barrier, we encourage you to reach out to discuss a payment plan. Our team is committed to serving our members and making membership accessible and affordable.
As the leading association fighting for BC’s private cannabis retailers, membership support is vital to our advocacy efforts. Put simply, ABLE BC does not exist without your membership dues.
You can view and pay your renewal invoice by logging in to the Member Portal. If you haven't logged in recently and aren't sure how, don't hesitate to reach out to our Manager of Membership Services, David Lough, at david@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560 ex 3 for help!
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Steve Dowsley (Burb), Randy Docaster (Boss Cannabis), and Bo Chen
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Bo Chen visiting Coast Range Cannabis in Courtenay
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Jeff Guignard and Feven Berhane at the LDB Richmond Distribution Centre
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Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars
Check out these upcoming events:
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Help Our Cannabis Advocacy! Join ABLE BC!
Do you own a cannabis retail store? Sign up now for an ABLE BC Cannabis Membership to support the work we do on your behalf.
As ABLE BC works to support BC’s cannabis retailers, we meet regularly with various officials at the LDB, LCRB, and with elected officials in the federal, provincial, and municipal government. With your support, we are making meaningful headway amending regulations and policies that support industry growth.
ABLE BC Cannabis Members have access to several benefit programs that offer exclusive discounts and are designed to help your business thrive. In addition to our benefit programs, we offer expert advice, regular webinars, and many networking opportunities.
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Copyright © 2024
BC's Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC)
200 - 948 Howe Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1N9 Canada
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