Our union and you, the workers at the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB), have a stake in the development and implementation of any B.C. policy or legislation regarding liquor. The B.C. government, who is responsible for liquor policy and legislation, knows the benefit of consulting us before implementing any changes. Recently, we had to remind them to do so – and to do it better.
In a meeting with Deputy Minister, Crown Agencies Secretariat Doug Scott and Principal, Crown Agency Policy & Strategic Initiatives Kim Horn on November 22, 2021, BCGEU President Stephanie Smith and I shared our union’s belief that government’s current approach to stakeholder engagement – an entity called the Business and Technical Advisory Panel (BTAP) – is inadequate.
We noted that BTAP is inadequate for two reasons: it lacks meaningful input from workers or labour organizations, and it implies that profit should be the goal of the private sector while social responsibility should be the goal of the public sector – a clear lack of balance.
The impact of BTAP’s inadequacy can be seen in government’s process implementing two recent policies: a February 2021 policy permanently allowing wholesale pricing to licensees (a temporary measure during the height of COVID-19 in 2020) and a July 2021 policy allowing special occasion license holders to purchase from private stores rather than only public stores.
Both these policy changes impact you, but we were not given the opportunity to point this out in advance.
We know it’s possible for government to hear our concerns in advance of implementation, given our experience as stakeholders in other policy spaces including poverty reduction, tourism and the COVID-19 pandemic, and COVID-19 policies implemented by government and employers in healthcare.
With all that in mind, we urged government in November to develop a better process that ensures:
In a meeting with Deputy Minister, Crown Agencies Secretariat Doug Scott and Principal, Crown Agency Policy & Strategic Initiatives Kim Horn on November 22, 2021, BCGEU President Stephanie Smith and I shared our union’s belief that government’s current approach to stakeholder engagement – an entity called the Business and Technical Advisory Panel (BTAP) – is inadequate.
We noted that BTAP is inadequate for two reasons: it lacks meaningful input from workers or labour organizations, and it implies that profit should be the goal of the private sector while social responsibility should be the goal of the public sector – a clear lack of balance.
The impact of BTAP’s inadequacy can be seen in government’s process implementing two recent policies: a February 2021 policy permanently allowing wholesale pricing to licensees (a temporary measure during the height of COVID-19 in 2020) and a July 2021 policy allowing special occasion license holders to purchase from private stores rather than only public stores.
Both these policy changes impact you, but we were not given the opportunity to point this out in advance.
We know it’s possible for government to hear our concerns in advance of implementation, given our experience as stakeholders in other policy spaces including poverty reduction, tourism and the COVID-19 pandemic, and COVID-19 policies implemented by government and employers in healthcare.
With all that in mind, we urged government in November to develop a better process that ensures:
- Regular and ongoing opportunities for workers and their unions to give meaningful input, and as soon as possible in the development of liquor policy or law
- Hear diverse interests – from workers’ rights to revenue generation, socially responsible public safety to collaboration
- Alignment with government’s commitment to economic recovery that focuses on the “triple bottom-line”: people, planet, and profit.
- Alignment with the BCLDB’s mandate letter including advancing and protecting public interest, enhancing public services, and optimizing BCLDB’s financial performance.
I will let you know the outcome of our recommendations as soon as I know. In the meantime, our union continues to fight against any recommendations or policies that may have adverse impacts on you.
In solidarity,
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice President
Resource:
Download BTAP's 2018 report here
UWU/MoveUP
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