By Catherine Garrett Global News
Posted July 8, 2023
Talks between unionized employees at Granville Island Brewing and their employer broke down in late June. The brewery is owned by a subsidiary of Molson Coors.
Workers at Granville Island Brewing are now on strike after talks broke down over wages and job security in late June.
Unionized employees took to the picket line Saturday morning outside the brewery.
“We came to them with a decent offer and they weren’t willing to negotiate with us,” said SEIU Local 2 shop steward Aaron Nakonechny. “That’s when we decided, okay, what you’re offering isn’t even going to cover inflation for us, and that’s not going to work.”
Workers have been without a contract since the end of May.
The Brewery is owned by Molson-Coors, one of the largest beer companies in the world.
Unionized employees start at a wage of $16.75 per hour, while most on staff are making $20.97, neither of which is enough to live on with Vancouver’s surging cost of living, the union says.
“If they want people to work here and be able to live and pay rent in Vancouver, they are going to need to show that on our paycheques,” said Nakonechny.
In a statement, Molson Coors says it is doing “everything it can” to get a deal done. It says this includes offering raises on top of current pay, which it says is already above Vancouver’s living wage.
The statement adds the company has also proposed mediation, but says the union has refused.
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