Liquor Mart inventories drying up on shelves as labour dispute drags on

As the long weekend approaches, Winnipeggers are having trouble getting the beer, wine and liquor they want due to the ongoing labour dispute between Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) and the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU).

The union represents about 1,400 workers who have been without a contract since the previous one expired in March 2022. 

As part of a selective strike that began on July 19, MGEU employees are on strike until Thursday at 7 a.m. at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries' headquarters and the provincial liquor distribution centre, both located in Winnipeg, MGEU spokesperson John Baert said in a statement.

MGEU employees are also refusing overtime and Liquor Mart store employees are not receiving any shipments, Baert said.

Liquor Marts that run out of products need to close for one day to restock the stores, Liquor & Lotteries spokesperson Laurel Trotter said in a statement.

"The upcoming long weekend, Terry Fox Day, is an important weekend during Manitoba summers. MBLL is keeping the needs of Manitobans in mind by taking reasonable steps to ensure they can enjoy this weekend," Trotter said.

"Examples of this include temporarily closing some locations so they can be fully restocked."

On Tuesday, seven Liquor Marts in the province were closed for restocking and their employees were locked out.

Restaurant purchasers and individual shoppers who visited open stores in Winnipeg encountered limited stocks of certain products and had to visit more than one store — and in some cases, drive to neighbouring municipalities.

Russ Shewchuk went shopping Tuesday for a wedding reception slated for September and found all the beer he needed at a provincial Liquor Mart store in Madison Square in Winnipeg, but he had to drive to Stonewall for the wine.

"They were able to point me in the right direction about where to go, but they're very sporadic with the product on the shelves right now," Shewchuk said as he loaded cases of beer into his SUV.

"I am in support of workers. They deserve a fair rate and a fair increase. MLCC makes a lot of money. I'm a union supporter. But obviously I'm having a wedding and I need to get product somehow."

Jason Gibbons, one of the managers at Frankie's Italian Kitchen at Seasons of Tuxedo, said his staff had to visit four Winnipeg liquor stores to find everything the restaurant needs for the week.

"A lot of our employees have been running all over the city trying to get the product we need," Gibbons said, adding bottles of specialty liquor, such as Aperol, are particularly hard to find.

Frankie's is not alone, said Shaun Jeffrey, the CEO of the Manitoba Restaurants and Food Services Association.

"It's a little bit challenging trying to get some liquor. I know there's been a lot of operators playing the game of driving into the rural areas to try to find alcohol, but those shelves are seeming to be pretty empty these days, too," he said in an interview.

The work slowdown is also affecting alcohol producers. Tim Hudek, operations manager at One Great City Brewing in Winnipeg, said the brewery has had to deal with logistical headaches such as having to adjust when it delivers beer to Liquor & Lotteries.

"Being a smaller business we tend to be pretty nimble and pretty able to react, so it hasn't really had a financial effect on us yet," he said.

There is no indication when the labour dispute will end. Both sides have identified wages as a sticking point.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries said it will not close any stores or lock out any employees on Wednesday.

"Any subsequent closures this week depend on the MGEU's continued restrictions to the duties of its members when working in Liquor Marts and operational decisions we must make to maintain service to our customers, which includes thousands of small local businesses," Trotter said.

Some Liquor Marts will be open this weekend "regardless of the MGEU's next steps," they added.

The MGEU did not announce any strike action beyond Thursday morning.

"The bargaining committee will continue to meet with the conciliator this week, but there has been no movement and the corporation is continuing to use replacement workers at the Liquor Distribution Centre," Baert said.