SEIU Local 2: Armstrong Co-Op Strikers and Members Surprise Boss’s Holiday Party

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The meeting is scheduled for Thursday at the Kelowna Guisachan Village

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KELOWNA, British Columbia, Dec. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Striking brewery workers of Armstrong Regional Cooperative (ARC), members of SEIU Local 2, made a surprise appearance at a company-wide employee dinner in Vernon, BC Saturday evening. Their intervention was supported and joined by co-op members and other unionized liquor workers.

The intervention lasted about three minutes and involved a short speech by the striking workers. They displayed a banner urging the employer to live up to the principles of social interaction and urged them to return to the negotiating table in good faith. “Santa Claus” was also seen delivering a box of coal to the employer while handing out chocolate treats to employees and patrons.

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Workers at ARC Liquor Guisachan Village, represented by SEIU Local 2, have been on strike for more than 14 weeks since September 14. Negotiations only started when the employer gave the Union a “final” proposal without discussing the outstanding issues. such as salaries.

“Nobody wants to strike. Nobody wants to interfere with the holiday gathering,” said Julia Scott, a striking ARC worker. “But the truth is that there was nothing else we could do except to deliver our message to the employer because they refuse to sit down and talk to us at the negotiating table.”

Nathan Sanders, another striking co-op worker explained, “ARC is talking a big game about being a coalition that includes negotiations and the local community. Employees of the local community! We are invested in the success of the alliance and want to resolve this quickly. We are waiting for ARC to agree to fair negotiations.”

A member of the coalition also participated in the unexpected intervention. “The reason I want to help is because I heard that there are five people who are fighting against a greedy organization for their right to negotiate good wages,” said Cyril Chippeway. “ARC needs to talk about valuing democracy and society.”

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A video reel and photos of the intervention are publicly available on SEIU Local 2’s social media channels. The striking workers and their union are determined to continue the strike until the ARC agrees to negotiate properly. The meeting is scheduled for December 19 at 2:30 pm outside the Guisachan area with guest speaker, Harry Bains, former BC Labor Minister.

SEIU Local 2 represents 20,000 workers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We are proud members of the largest, fastest growing, and most powerful union in North America.

Facebook @SEIULocal2 – Instagram @SEIU_Local2 – TikTok @seiulocal2

Media Contact:

We Oh
902-955-9966
toh@seiulocal2.ca

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