Business

Liquor-workers’ strike leaves brewers in limbo

Published

1 year ago

August 14, 2023

Frustrated local breweries are watching their sales dry up as a provincewide strike that has shuttered most Manitoba Liquor Marts enters its second week.

“(We) lost the biggest customer,” Sean Shoyoqubov, founder of Oxus Brewing Company in St. James, said Sunday, explaining that Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries makes up at least 60 per cent of Oxus’s beer sales.

An ongoing wage dispute between Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries (MLL) and about 1,400 striking members of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) has closed most Liquor Mart locations across the province.

<img src=”https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/1617727_web1_230813_Sean_Shoyoqubov_5.jpg?w=1000″ alt=”JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

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JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

On Saturday and Sunday, just two Liquor Marts in Winnipeg were open.

And that has some local breweries worried their beer — and sales — will go down the drain.

Since MLL must approve new beer listings, Shoyoqubov said, Oxus has a 3,000-litre batch, equivalent to 6,000 cans, sitting in limbo.

The IPA’s application will remain pending while the strike continues, Shoyoqubov said.

“It is time sensitive. You have to release that (beer) at its peak,” he said. “Most probably, that beer will be a dumper… depending on when the strike ends.”

The beer in question has an overall retail value of $25,000, Shoyoqubov said.

The strike has also paused sales between Stone Angel Brewing Company and its largest buyer.

“It’s poor for business,” said Paul Clerkin, the brewery’s co-owner. “The liquor commission has enormous buying power.”

Stone Angel is also hit two-fold by the strikes: MLL isn’t ordering their beer, and it’s not completing the paperwork necessary for breweries to sell new products to private vendors and other customers, Clerkin said.

“We still have to pay rent and payroll,” Shoyoqubov from Oxus noted. “If (the strike) lasts for another month or two, there’s a good chance some breweries might be in big trouble.”

A majority of his sales — roughly 70 per cent — happen during the summer months, he said.

“Summer’s supposed to be the time to sell lots of beer. You hear the saying, ‘You have to make hay when the sun shines.’ The sun is shining, and nobody can make hay,”– Colin Koop, co-owner of Devil May Care Brewery

“Summer’s supposed to be the time to sell lots of beer,” said Colin Koop, co-owner of Devil May Care Brewery. “You hear the saying, ‘You have to make hay when the sun shines.’ The sun is shining, and nobody can make hay.”

His brewery isn’t affected: Devil May Care doesn’t currently sell in MLL outlets.

However, Koop and his partners had been considering selling in MLL’s Liquor Marts.

“Now that we’re looking at it, I’m not totally sure that I want to do that, in the short-term,” Koop said, adding he’d like to see “real stability” before taking the business step.

Meantime, private vendors inside Winnipeg and beyond are seeing more sales.

“It’s been busier on the hard liquor side,” Braden Hill said, referring to coolers and similar drinks sold at The Bottle Stop.

The employee has noticed an “uptick” in business.

Derek Brennan resorted to buying alcohol from an outlet in a nearby grocery store to keep the beer vendor and bar in Mountain Motor Inn stocked.

Buying liquor for the Stony Mountain company has become difficult; it orders through Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, Brennan said.

“I’ve run out of a few things, but I’ve still got a lot of the main stuff that I need,” he said.

He replenished right before the strike.

Things could change if the strike continues, he added — people are loading up at the beer vendor, and the nearby grocery store has “pretty bare” alcohol shelves.

Crestview and St. Vital had the only two open liquor marts in Winnipeg Sunday. The Crestview location was busy, but less so than its “crazy busy” counterpart early in the afternoon, a Crestview employee said on the phone.

The union representing striking MLL workers didn’t have an update on negotiations Sunday.

“As far as I know… the employer has not moved an inch since the strike began. We’re ready to go to work once we get a fair deal,”– Kyle Ross, president of the MGEU

“As far as I know… the employer has not moved an inch since the strike began,” said Kyle Ross, president of the MGEU. “We’re ready to go to work once we get a fair deal.”

Union members have been without a contract since March of 2022. They want raises in line with those obtained by Premier Heather Stefanson and her cabinet — 3.3 per cent in 2023, and 3.6 per cent in both 2024 and 2025.

MLL is offering a two-per-cent raise per year over four years, and raising the hourly starting wage $2.38 above the province’s minimum wage.

The current starting hourly wage for MLL workers is $14.91, increasing to $15.30 in October in line with the raise in minimum wage.

The last liquor-related dispute in Manitoba happened in October of 1978, when workers struck for seven weeks.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries didn’t respond to requests for comment by print deadline. A reduced number of liquor marts are scheduled to open today. A full list, along with hours, are online at l iquormarts.ca/hours.

With files from Tyler Searle

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Business

What Difference Will You Make to an Employer?

Published

3 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Nick Kossovan

It’s common knowledge that companies don’t hire the most qualified candidates. Employers hire the person they believe will deliver the best value in exchange for their payroll cost.

Since most job seekers know the above, I’m surprised that so few mention their Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Most job seekers list their education, skills, and experience without substantiating them and expect employers to determine whether they can benefit their company; hence, most resumes and LinkedIn profiles are just a list of opinions—borderline platitudes—that are meaningless and, therefore, have no value. Job seekers need to better explain, along with providing evidence, how they’ll contribute to an employer’s success.

Employers don’t hire opinions (read: talk is cheap); they hire results.

You’re not offering anything tangible when you claim:

I’m a great communicator.
I’m detail oriented.
I’m a team player.

Tangible:

“At Global Dynamics, I held quarterly town hall meetings with my 22 sales reps, highlighting our accomplishments, identifying opportunity areas, and recognizing outstanding performers.”
“For eight years, I managed Vandelay Industries IT department, overseeing a staff of 18 and a 12-million-dollar budget while coordinating cross-specialty projects. My strong attention to detail is why I never exceeded budget.”
“While working at Cyberdyne Systems, I was part of the customer service team, consisting of nine of us, striving to improve our response time. Through collaboration and sharing of best practices, we reduced our average response time from 48 to 12 business hours, resulting in a 35% improvement in customer feedback ratings.”

These examples of tangible answers provide employers with what they most want to hear from candidates but rarely do; what value the candidate will bring to the company. Typically, job seekers present their skills, experience, and unsubstantiated opinions and expect recruiters and employers to figure out their value, which is a lazy practice.

Getting hired isn’t based on “I have an MBA in Marketing and Sales,” “I’ve been a web designer for over 15 years,” “I’m young, beautiful and energetic,” blah, blah, blah. Likewise, being rejected isn’t based on “I’m overqualified,” “I’m too old,” “I don’t have enough education,” blah, blah, blah. Getting hired depends entirely on showing employers that you can add value and substance to their company; that you’ll serve a purpose.

When you articulate a solid value offer, the “blah, blah, blah” doesn’t matter. Job seekers focus too much on the “blah, blah, blah,” and when not hired, they say, “It’s not me, it’s…” The biggest mistake I see job seekers make is focusing on the “blah, blah, blah”—their experience and education—believing this is what interests employers. Hiring managers are more interested in whether you can solve the problems the position exists to solve than in your education and experience.

Not impressive: Education

Impressive: A track record of achieving tangible results.

You aren’t who you say you are; you are what you do.

If you want to be somebody who works hard, you have to actually work hard. If you want to be somebody who goes to the gym, you actually have to go to the gym. If you want to be a good friend, spouse, or colleague, you have to actually be a good friend, spouse, or colleague. Actions build reputations, not words.

The biggest challenge job seekers face today is differentiating themselves. To stand out and be memorable, don’t be like most job seekers, someone who’s all talk and no action. Any recruiter or hiring manager will tell you that the job market is heavily populated with job seekers who talk themselves up, talk a “good game” about everything they can “supposedly” do, drop names, etc., but have nothing to show for it.

More than ever, employers want to hear candidates offer a value proposition summarizing what value they bring. If you’re looking for a low-hanging fruit method to differentiate yourself, do what job seekers hardly ever do and make a hard-to-ignore value proposition.

Increase sales: “Based on my experience managing Regina and Saskatoon for PharmaKorp, I’m confident that I can increase BioGen’s sales by no less than 25% in Winnipeg and the surrounding area by the end of 2025.”
Reduce cost: “During my 12 years as Taco Town’s head of purchasing, I renegotiated contracts with key suppliers, resulting in 15% cost savings, saving the company over $450,000 annually. I know I can do the same for The Pasta House.”
Increase customer satisfaction:“During my time at Globex Corporation, I established a systematic feedback mechanism that enabled customers to share their experiences. This led to targeted improvements, increasing our Net Promoter Score by 15 points. I can increase Dunder Mifflin’s net promoter score.”
Save time: “As Zap Delivery’s dispatcher, I implemented advanced routing software that analyzed traffic patterns, reducing average delivery times by 20%. My implementation of this software at Froggy’s Delivery can reduce your delivery times by at least 20%, if not more.”

If you want to achieve job search success as soon as possible, structure your job search with a single thread that’s evident and consistent throughout your résumé, LinkedIn profile, cover letters and especially during interviews; clearly convey what difference you’ll make to the employer.

_____________________________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.

Business

Netflix’s subscriber growth slows as gains from password-sharing crackdown subside

Published

4 days ago

October 17, 2024

Anne Joseph

Netflix on Thursday reported that its subscriber growth slowed dramatically during the summer, a sign the huge gains from the video-streaming service’s crackdown on freeloading viewers is tapering off.

The 5.1 million subscribers that Netflix added during the July-September period represented a 42% decline from the total gained during the same time last year. Even so, the company’s revenue and profit rose at a faster pace than analysts had projected, according to FactSet Research.

Netflix ended September with 282.7 million worldwide subscribers — far more than any other streaming service.

The Los Gatos, California, company earned $2.36 billion, or $5.40 per share, a 41% increase from the same time last year. Revenue climbed 15% from a year ago to $9.82 billion. Netflix management predicted the company’s revenue will rise at the same 15% year-over-year pace during the October-December period, slightly than better than analysts have been expecting.

The strong financial performance in the past quarter coupled with the upbeat forecast eclipsed any worries about slowing subscriber growth. Netflix’s stock price surged nearly 4% in extended trading after the numbers came out, building upon a more than 40% increase in the company’s shares so far this year.

The past quarter’s subscriber gains were the lowest posted in any three-month period since the beginning of last year. That drop-off indicates Netflix is shifting to a new phase after reaping the benefits from a ban on the once-rampant practice of sharing account passwords that enabled an estimated 100 million people watch its popular service without paying for it.

The crackdown, triggered by a rare loss of subscribers coming out of the pandemic in 2022, helped Netflix add 57 million subscribers from June 2022 through this June — an average of more than 7 million per quarter, while many of its industry rivals have been struggling as households curbed their discretionary spending.

Netflix’s gains also were propelled by a low-priced version of its service that included commercials for the first time in its history. The company still is only getting a small fraction of its revenue from the 2-year-old advertising push, but Netflix is intensifying its focus on that segment of its business to help boost its profits.

In a letter to shareholder, Netflix reiterated previous cautionary notes about its expansion into advertising, though the low-priced option including commercials has become its fastest growing segment.

“We have much more work to do improving our offering for advertisers, which will be a priority over the next few years,” Netflix management wrote in the letter.

As part of its evolution, Netflix has been increasingly supplementing its lineup of scripted TV series and movies with live programming, such as a Labor Day spectacle featuring renowned glutton Joey Chestnut setting a world record for gorging on hot dogs in a showdown with his longtime nemesis Takeru Kobayashi.

Netflix will be trying to attract more viewer during the current quarter with a Nov. 15 fight pitting former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson against Jake Paul, a YouTube sensation turned boxer, and two National Football League games on Christmas Day.

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Business

All Magic Spells (TM) : Top Converting Magic Spell eCommerce Store

Published

4 days ago

October 17, 2024

Sven Eggers

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