BC Cannabis Shortages Due to Union Strike – Cannabis | weed | marijuana

Cannabis retailers in British Columbia are facing product shortages amid an ongoing BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) strike.

Private retailers are not taking part in the strike. But the fact that they have to buy their cannabis inventory from the state monopoly wholesaler affects them negatively.

The strike, entering its second week, is beginning to empty store shelves.

Like Ontario, British Columbia relies on a state monopoly trader. If the strike continues, the results may not be what they want. The unintended consequences for the striking government employees could be the dismantling of their monopolistic wholesale bureaucracy.

Cannabis Shortages In BC – What Does The Union Want?

Photo by RICHARD LAM /PNG

The BCGEU announced the strike or “targeted industrial action” strike on August 15.

The union, which represents 33,000 members, hopes to negotiate a new collective agreement with the BC provincial government.

The BCGEU announced pickets at three distribution centers, a wholesale customer center and a cannabis customer care center in Burnaby.

“It was clear to our members from day one that their priority in this round of negotiations was protecting the cost of living for their wages,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President.

But while government employees are demanding more from their taxes, private retailers are grappling with the aftermath of the strike.

Cannabis Shortages in BC – Private Retailers Left Dry

With nearly 400 private businesses, BC’s cannabis shortage is not to blame for operators. These private retailers must source their products from the non-market wholesaler.

As one private owner told Global, she’s had “a healthy stock for about a week or two.”

“It’s too limited. It’s over-regulated, and that actually contributes to the healthy, thriving status of the illegal cannabis industry, which is still very much alive, particularly in interior British Columbia,” said Mariana Wolff, owner of Cannabis Cottage.

“It shouldn’t have gone through the sales office in the first place. I believe retailers and their staff should have a better relationship with the grower,” said Jaimie Miller-Haywood, Budtender at Cannabis Cottage.

“As an employee, I support workers’ rights, but at the same time I’m a worker and I don’t know if I’ll have a job next week. It’s worrying,” she told Global.

Green Gaia Cannabis Co. has temporarily closed its doors due to a lack of supply.

“Due to a lack of product availability and alternative options, our hours of operation are being temporarily reduced. We apologize for any inconvenience,” the retailer posted on Instagram.

It’s hard to find a private retailer happy with the status quo, especially now that the only wholesaler legally available to him is on strike.

When does the strike end?

When will BC cannabis shortages be a thing of the past?

Earlier this week, the BCGEU accepted an offer from the government to return to the negotiating table. A press release said they expect negotiations to resume soon. “But logistics are yet to be confirmed,” they said.

While describing it as a “significant development,” they also said, “To keep up this pressure, the union’s current labor action will remain in effect until further notice.”

The province’s 30 state-owned cannabis stores remain open.

What is a living wage?

The reason why everything costs so much

Cannabis shortages aren’t unique to BC Ontario suffers from shortages for a variety of reasons. And earlier this year, Quebec faced inventory problems when a similar cannabis industry strike erupted in that province.

The main complaint from cannabis workers in Quebec, like the BCGEU, was the demand for a “living wage”.

The concept of a living wage has trickled into mainstream chat in recent years.

The idea is that your income should be able to support a decent standard of living and be adjusted to offset inflation.

In short, providing a living wage means the worker has enough money to live above the poverty line, which in most places means earning at least $17 an hour, plus benefits.

Of course, the employers do not collect any “added value” and leave the employees dry. The marginal productivity of labor determines wages.

“Living Wage” advocates are concerned about rising living costs. But this is not an intrinsic property of the capitalist system. Inflation is government policy.

Even with the modest “2% inflation target” the value of your money will be halved in just 30 years.

A better solution would be to end the inflationary policy immediately. The boogeyman of “deflation” is our Emmanuel Goldstein, Snowball and Leon Trotsky.

In reality, deflation lowers the cost of living while preserving the purchasing power of our wages.

footnote(s)

https://globalnews.ca/news/9080805/penticton-cannabis-stores-bcgeu-strike/
https://mises.org/library/deflation-deflation-myth
https://fee.org/articles/how-wages-are-determined-the-effect-of-interventions/
https://www.bcgeu.ca/bcgeu_accepts_government_offer_to_return_to_the_bargaining_table
https://www.bcgeu.ca/job_action_aug15