Liquor Industry Update: September 5, 2024

Your membership may be overdue, register for a liquor industry meeting, and changes to the TFW program  ----------------------------------------------- Liquor Industry Update: September 5, 2024 Dear ABLE BC members and industry colleagues, Here's the latest news for the private liquor industry: ABLE BC Memberships Now Overdue You’re Invited! Fall Liquor Industry Meetings Changes to Canada’s TFW Program BCHA Fast Track Your Future AIDV Webinar: Regulatory Roadmap for Importing Grapes What you'll find in every newsletter: Ask an Expert: Understanding the Unionization Process Cannabis Corner: ABLE BC's Advocacy on Behalf of Burnaby Cannabis Retailers go2HR on Tap: How to Navigate Seasonal Layoffs Out and About with ABLE BC Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars PAST NEWSLETTERS ABLE BC Memberships Now Overdue ABLE BC memberships expired on August 31, 2024. If you haven’t renewed your membership, you are at risk of losing access to free resources and exclusive services and pricing from our benefit providers. Login to the Member Portal now to renew! ABLE BC is your seat at the table. We are your united voice, and we make a strong impact on government, ensuring your concerns are heard and addressed. 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. 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 David Lough, Manager of Membership Services, at david@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560 ex. 3. RENEW NOW You're Invited! Fall Liquor Industry Meetings The ABLE BC team is on the road again! Join us for a Liquor Industry Meeting in your community throughout September and October. Liquor Industry Meetings are free to attend and open to owners, managers, and staff from any business in the private liquor industry. We are delighted to extend an invitation to all bars, pubs, hotels, liquor stores, manufacturers, and agents nearby. No need to be an ABLE BC member to attend! These meetings are for you if you want to learn more about: Engaging with political parties during the election Preventing grocery and convenience stores from retailing liquor products The future of BC’s pubs and hospitality businesses Addressing unfair retail practices by BC Liquor Stores Bottle service for Liquor Primary businesses Illegal inter-provincial retailing from Alberta liquor retailers Benefits and services exclusive to ABLE BC members Combatting rising inflation and labour shortages Curtailing costs of increased crime and vandalism And more! Come learn about ABLE BC memberships, key issues we’re focusing on, and how you can get more involved in shaping BC’s private liquor industry. We look forward to meeting you face-to-face to hear about the issues that matter most to you and your businesses! REGISTER HERE  Want to host a liquor industry meeting in your community? Contact david@ablebc.ca to let us know! RESOURCES 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. LEARN MORE Cannabis Industry Update Newsletter Sign up for our Cannabis Industry Update Newsletter to learn more about our advocacy for cannabis retailers. Click here to read past cannabis newsletters. SIGN UP 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. LOG IN Changes to Canada's TFW Program The federal government recently announced changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program that will significantly cut the number of TFWs available for BC’s hospitality and liquor retail businesses. The following changes will come into effect by September 26, 2024: In metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, the government will no longer process Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in the Low-Wage stream; Employers will be restricted to a maximum of 10% of their total workforce coming from the TFW Program; and The maximum duration of employment for workers hired through the Low-Wage stream will be reduced to one year. We are deeply concerned that these changes will only exacerbate existing labour shortages for hospitality and retail businesses. We are disappointed that liquor and hospitality industry associations, including ABLE BC, Restaurants Canada, the BC Hotel Association (BCHA), the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA), and others, were not consulted by government before making this decision. While we support government’s intention to ensure the TFW Program is only used when local workers are unavailable, these changes are not a practical solution to our industry’s labour challenges. Read Restaurants Canada’s FAQ on TFW changes here to learn more about how these changes might affect your business. ABLE BC members can access recruitment support from the BC Hotel Association’s Workforce Strategist, Alison Langford. Alison offers a free consultation and a one-time $250 fee for additional work to ABLE BC members. Contact Alison at alison@bcha.com to learn more about how she can help you. LEARN MORE BCHA Fast Track Your Future The BC Hotel Association Fast Track Your Future is back for another season! This education series offers valuable insights and practical advice to empower your growth in the hospitality industry. The new season is packed with fresh topics, new experts, industry favourites, and innovative strategies to help our industry continue to thrive and grow. Starting September 18th, these programs will help prepare you and your team for a multitude of topics and issues faced in the hospitality industry. From HR, finance, housekeeping, and social media - these new series and returning favourites cover it all.    Register as an individual or as part of a hotel team! Each live Zoom session is one hour, providing ample opportunity for participants to engage with the content and ask questions to our facilitators. REGISTER NOW AIDV Webinar: Regulatory Roadmap for Importing Grapes AIDV Canada, with the support of AIDV U.S. Section, is pleased to present a Fall 2024 webinar offering the account of first movers in British Columbia and Washington State, with a focus on the regulatory and business process of importing grapes. Their experiences to date can offer a roadmap for winery and vineyard operators and their advisors on both sides of the Canada-US border. Such a roadmap is not specific to Washington State and British Columbia, but rather can be adapted for future cross-border (bi-directional) sale of grapes or juice between North American wine regions. Title: Regulatory Roadmap for Importing Grapes by British Columbia Wineries: First Mover Experiences Date: Tuesday, September 17 at 9:30 am Cost: Free for AIDV members, C$25 + tax for non-members REGISTER HERE Ask an Expert: Understanding the Unionization Process In this edition of Ask an Expert, Ryan Anderson, Partner at Mathews Dinsdale and employment law expert, continues his series on understanding the unionization process. Ryan is an ABLE Expert and trusted advisor to the ABLE BC team for labour and employment law questions. He is your resource for understanding the unionization process and how employers should prepare to respond effectively. How Does a Union Achieve the Right to Represent Employees? Certification is the process by which the BC Labour Relations Board certifies that a group of employees has become unionized and will be represented by the applicant union. There are two paths to union certification. The first, and longer, path requires a union to persuade at least 45%, but less than 55%, of a group of employees to sign union cards. If at least 45% but less than 55% of employees sign a union card, the Board conducts a secret ballot vote. At the vote, all eligible employees (whether they signed a union card or not) will have an opportunity to vote for or against the union. If a majority vote in favour of the union, the union will be certified and all employees will become unionized. If not, the application will be dismissed. The second path is a shortcut. If a union persuades 55% or more of employees to sign union cards, the certification application is automatically granted by the Board, without any subsequent vote. Not surprisingly, most unions won’t apply for certification until they have met the 55% threshold – secret ballot votes have become rare. How to Respond to an Application for Certification Fast – that’s how! If you see a notice of application from the Board, you must respond immediately, but don’t do so without good advice. You are required to provide information about your workforce within 24 hours. A Board hearing will be set within five days of the date of application. You will need to make important strategic decisions in that very short time frame, and you may have an opportunity to challenge the application. All this needs to be assessed before you respond to the application, and how you respond could have a critical impact on the outcome of the application. There will be no time to waste, but you should never respond without expert labour relations advice. That’s where the team at Mathews Dinsdale comes in. Reach out to Ryan Anderson at 604-638-2042 or randerson@mathewsdinsdale.com if you have any questions about unionization. CONTACT RYAN Cannabis Corner: ABLE BC's 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. READ OUR LETTER HERE Bo visited some cannabis members recently: 1st Cannabis in North Vancouver, Cotton Mouth in Vancouver, and Green Star Cannabis in North Vancouver Want to get involved in our cannabis advocacy? Contact Bo Chen at bo@ablebc.ca to learn more about membership. And make sure to sign up for the Cannabis Industry Update newsletter to stay informed on all our cannabis efforts. JOIN ABLE BC CANNABIS TODAY go2HR on Tap: How to Navigate Seasonal Layoffs go2HR is a regular contributor to the ABLE BC Liquor 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. As the summer season draws to a close, many pub, bar, and retail owners in BC face the inevitable challenge of managing seasonal layoffs. While necessary for sustaining your business through the quieter months, these layoffs can be tough for both you and your employees. At go2HR, our HR Consultants suggest approaching seasonal layoffs with empathy and foresight, ensuring a smoother transition for your team and helping set them up for future success. Key Considerations: Before the meeting: Prepare thoroughly by gathering all necessary information and considering the employee’s potential reaction. During the meeting: Be ready to handle a range of emotions and offer clear, compassionate communication. Post-layoff support: Offer guidance on job opportunities and provide strong references. Consider using your network to help laid-off staff find new positions. Handling seasonal layoffs thoughtfully not only benefits your employees but also strengthens your business reputation. For a detailed guide on managing this process effectively, read our full article on the go2HR website. Need Help? Our HR team is available for free consultations to support you through this challenging time. Connect with us today. go2HR, the HR and health and safety association for the BC Tourism and Hospitality Industry, has a wealth of resources to support you. We invite you to connect with us to learn more about how you can support your employees with health and safety at safety@go2HR.ca. Out and About with ABLE BC Our team has hit the road this week, hosting liquor industry meetings around the Lower Mainland. So far, we’ve met with licensees in Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Richmond. There are still ten more liquor industry meetings coming up throughout the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, and even a couple in the Okanagan and on the island! Now is the time to meet with us in person to learn more about ABLE BC and the work we do on your behalf. Keep reading to see the full list of meetings coming up in September and October. ABLE BC's Senior Communications Manager, Ann Brydle, volunteering at the BCHF golf tournament last month Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars Check out these upcoming events: Surrey Liquor Industry Meeting, September 6 Pitt Meadows Liquor Industry Meeting, September 9 Victoria Liquor Industry Meeting, September 10 IVSA Tasting Salon, Victoria, September 10 Abbotsford Liquor Industry Meeting, September 12 Penticton Liquor Industry Meeting, September 16 Kelowna Liquor Industry Meeting, September 17 IVSA Tasting Salon, Kelowna, September 17 Good Night Out Recognition Event, Vancouver, September 17 AIDV Webinar: Importing Grapes by BC Wineries, September 17 Chilliwack Liquor Industry Meeting, September 23 Victoria International Wine Festival Trade Tasting, October 4 North Vancouver Liquor Industry Meeting, October 7 Vancouver Liquor Industry Meeting, October 8 IVSA Tasting Salon, Vancouver, October 8 Whistler Liquor Industry Meeting, October 9 Yes Shef, Vancouver, November 6 BC Tourism Industry Conference, Vancouver, March 5-7, 2025 EVENTS Copyright © 2024 BC's Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) 200 - 948 Howe Street, Vancouver, V6Z 1N9 Canada unsubscribe or update your email preferences here