After 43 days on the picket line, workers at Cascadia Liquor have ratified their first union contract. Members of SEIU Local 2 voted over the weekend to accept a three-year agreement that includes substantial wage increases, health and dental benefits, and other improvements.
“The wage increases and premiums we’ve won in this contract will be a big help in the short term,” said Oscar Towert, a worker leader at the Quadra Village store. “Just as important, we’ve put the first building blocks in place to win stronger and better contracts in years to come.”
The contract, which covers approximately 70 workers across four stores—Quadra Village, Eagle Creek, Colwood, and Uptown—marks a significant victory for the unionized employees. The Uptown location is still awaiting official certification from the Labour Board following their application last week.
The strike, which began on May 4, 2024, was a challenging ordeal for the workers, according to a press release issued by SEIU.
“Winning our first contract took a much harder and longer fight than I think most of us anticipated,” said Alyssa Lansdowne-Allan, an employee at the Eagle Creek store. “But I think that fight has strengthened us even further as a unit and will ultimately make us a better workforce.”
Wage increases and benefits
Before the strike, most Cascadia Liquor employees earned between $18 and $19 per hour, with raises contingent on a system that required a certain number of hours worked, potentially delaying raises for up to three years, according to the union.
The new agreement raises starting wages by 7.6% and introduces yearly wage increases. Most workers will now earn between $20.08 and $20.87 per hour, with scheduled raises on their hire date anniversaries for the first five years of employment, and annual raises every June, it said.
By June 2026, Sales Associates will earn up to $24.75 plus premiums, Supervisors $25.81 plus premiums, and Receivers $26.35. Employees will also qualify for additional pay premiums, including a $0.50 per hour first aid premium, with training costs covered by Cascadia Liquor.
Additional contract improvements include a probation period limited to 90 calendar days, paid bereavement leave, and a 100% employer-paid extended health and dental benefit plan.
Earlier offer rejected
Unionized workers initially rejected an offer from Cascadia that included improvements the employer planned to implement in non-union stores, which SEIU Local 2 interpreted as an attempt to stymie further union organizing efforts, it said.
Despite this, employees at the Uptown location joined SEIU Local 2 during the strike, marking a first in union history for the region, it said.
“What we’ve accomplished demonstrates how strong we are when we come together,” said Haley Smed from the Uptown store. “I’m already imagining what our next contract will look like if all the stores join the union.”
SEIU Local 2 represents 20,000 workers in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Alberta, and is part of the largest, fastest-growing union in North America.