Vancouver/Fraser Valley (with files from BCGEU/CBC) – Public service workers from adult correctional facilities across B.C. are now on strike.
In the Fraser Valley, that includes Kent/Mountain, Mission and Pacific Institutions as well as Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE).
Overtime bans: Over 1,900 BCGEU members in Corrections and Sheriff Services are also implementing an overtime ban.
The strike notice, issued Friday October 10 , affects non-essential workers at eight jails of the province’s 10 jails and brings the total number of public service workers on strike to more than 25,000 from across 470 B.C. worksites.
It’s an escalation that the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) president Paul Finch says is intended to pressure the B.C. government in face of their “lack of urgency and meaningful engagement” in bringing a revised deal forward.
Prior to this action, workers from the Surrey Pre-trial Centre and Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre were already striking.
Finance Minister Brenda Bailey told reporters on Thursday that B.C. is waiting for the union to return to a deal it walked away from last week.
In a statement, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General said that essential staff are in place to ensure all the province’s correctional facilities will continue to be operated safely and securely. This includes workers’ duties in the community as well, including home visits, the Electronic Supervision Program, and the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative.
BCGEU noted: After negotiations began on January 22, 2025, talks between the BCGEU and the BC Public Service Agency (PSA) broke down on July 18, 2025. BCGEU members working for the BC Public Service conducted a strike authorization vote, August 11 to August 29, 2025, which resulted in 92.7% voting in favour of strike action. The BCGEU issued 72-hour strike notice on Friday August 29 and members began job action on September 2, 2025 (media release). Job action escalated on September 4 (media release), again on September 9 (media release) and again sharply on Monday, September 22. On September 25, the employer invited the union back to the table and negotiations resumed and immediately broke down again September 29. Strike action continues to escalate each day.
