Unionized workers at a 91大黄鸭 liquor store will begin a strike on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Employees at Armstrong Regional Cooperative (ARC) Liquor in Guisachan Village are taking action after negotiations ended with a final offer from ARC Liquor on Aug 29. Workers filed a 72-hour strike notice with the BC Labour Relations Board on Sept. 11.

鈥淲hile bargaining was originally going well, and employees felt hopeful, talks fell apart over monetary concerns,鈥� a media release from 
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 2 states.

The workers unionized in May.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for a wage increase because the cost of living in 91大黄鸭 is getting higher and higher as inflation rises,鈥� said four-year employee Julia Scott. 鈥淭he co-op is doing nothing to compensate us, and we need to be able to pay our rent,鈥� 

The SEIU release states that 鈥淎RC Liquor does not seem to agree that dignified pay that allows their employees to live in 91大黄鸭 is important to their community.鈥� 

Workers plan to start picketing at 9 a.m. on Saturday and ask the community to join them at 12 p.m. in a show of support.

SEIU Local 2 represents 20,000 workers across Canada including thousands in the alcohol and beverage industry such as Calona Vineyards, Mission Hill Winery, Okanagan Spring Brewery and others.