More than inconvenient

A strike at a Kelowna liquor store adversely impacted a woman who was visiting her doctor for follow-up after surgery.

Katie Poppy tells Castanet she recently underwent oral surgery and went to her doctor's office on Gordon Drive for a check-up. She says she had difficulty navigating her way into the office in her wheelchair because of the strike at a nearby liquor store.

"I did not see violence or harassment, but the disabled person in the wheelchair (me) trying to go to my appointment — I don't appreciate having to try to get through a strike at a liquor store while I am fighting for my life," Poppy said.

Poppy says her husband was pushing her wheelchair after they parked the car near the liquor store and she had to contend with workers on strike hindering her access to the doctor's office.

"It was just yelling, they're holding up the papers for you to sign. Just going into a doctor's office, we don't really care about or want to sign."

Poppy says her doctor's office has a security guard but they were inside the office.

"A doctor's office should not have to have a staff member watching out the doors to ensure people who have medical issues are safe and not harassed to see their doctor because you think you should get more money," Poppy said.

Workers at the Armstrong Regional Cooperative (ARC) Liquor store in Kelowna's Guisachan Village have been fighting for a new contract and walked off the job in mid-September. They've been picketing outside the store since Sept. 14.

On Sunday, the BC Federation of Labour called on Kelowna residents to boycott all of the Armstrong Regional Cooperative's businesses in support of the employees.

Poppy says she was more than inconvenienced by the incident, "I was there for a medical reason."

Request for comment to the union did not receive a response.