Burnaby/Victoria (from BCGEU) – OCTOBER 8 UPDATE – In a major escalation of its province-wide public service strike, the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) announced today that workers from all remaining BC Liquor and BC Cannabis stores, the Ministry of Citizens’ Services—including all Service BC workers — and the Ministry of Labour in Victoriahave now joined picket lines.
As of today, nearly 25,000 frontline workers are taking job action and 431 worksites are now on strike across B.C. Job action will continue to escalate until the provincial government returns to the bargaining table with a fair wage offer.
“We don’t take this escalation lightly, and we know that disruptions to services are difficult for the public—we regret the impact this is having on communities,” said Paul Finch, BCGEU President.
“But after months of patience, our members have been left with no alternative. The government has a choice: they can sit down and bargain with us—or they can continue to let this disruption escalate,” added Finch. “We’re ready to talk. We’ve been ready. The ball is in their court.”
A full list of striking worksites is available here.
OCTOBER 4 Story – Members of the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) – including 13,000 represented by the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) – announced Friday (Oct 3) morning that negotiations with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) have broken down and have reached impasse.
CBA members work in critical, community-based health services across B.C., including drug and alcohol treatment centres, adult day care, detox and emergency shelters, women’s clinics, seniors’ services, mental health group homes, home support, and more. Despite bargaining since March, the employer has failed to meaningfully engage on key non-monetary issues that matter most to frontline workers.
“CBA members serve some of the most vulnerable people in B.C.,” said Scott De Long, CBA Bargaining Chair and BCGEU Vice-President Community Health Services. “They work on the front lines of community health—often in precarious, high-risk environments—and they’ve been underpaid and undervalued for over 30 years. Our members are simply asking for fairness and equity, and they’ve more than earned it.”
The BCGEU is one of seven unions in the Community Bargaining Association, which represents nearly 23,000 workers across B.C.
