Over 2,000 British Columbia public service workers chanted and marched on picket lines Tuesday after the B.C. General Employees’ Union issued a strike notice on Friday.
The BCGEU said a portion of its members are beginning job action, with picket lines going up in Victoria, Prince George and Surrey.
The BCGEU represents about 34,000 public service workers in the province, from wildland firefighters to social workers.
Speaking at a picket line in downtown Victoria Tuesday, BCGEU president Paul Finch said public service workers are facing an affordability crisis, and called the strike “a last resort.”
Finch said the nine sites currently striking across the province were chosen to have minimal impact on the public. But he said the union plans to expand the strike across the province until an acceptable deal is reached.
Negotiations on a new agreement between the union and the B.C. Public Service Agency began in January, but talks broke down on July 18. The union said close to 93 per cent of members working for the B.C. Public Service voted in favour of strike action last month.
Acting Deputy Premier Mike Farnworth said Friday he respects the workers’ right to hold a strike vote, but stressed the province believes the best agreement will be found at the bargaining table. Farnworth said essential services will continue in the province while the strike is ongoing.
The Labour Relations Board sets minimum levels of service that must be maintained when a labour dispute has the potential to threaten people’s health, safety and welfare.
The BCGEU said its demands include wages increases and fair access to telework. The union said its proposal tabled in June was for a two-year deal with a four per cent wage increase in the first year and a 4.25 per cent increase in the second.
The union said the employer’s counter offer in July was for a 1.5 per cent wage increase in the first year of the deal, and a two per cent increase the second year.
BCGEU members were joined on the picket lines Tuesday by striking workers with the Professional Employees Association (PEA), which represents government licensed professionals, like engineers, psychologists and other specialized experts. The PEA had been bargaining with the Public Service Agency since late May. It also held a strike vote and issued a 72-hour strike notice on Friday to coincide with the BCGEU’s job action.
“Taking strike action is not something we do lightly…but enough is enough,” PEA executive director Melissa Moroz told workers and reporters gathered on the picket line in Victoria.
Members of the B.C. Nurses Association were also there to show support. President Adriane Gear suggested a strike vote is not off the table for nurses, either, with their bargaining group set to enter talks with the province this fall.
“The last thing that nurses want to do is withdraw services,” said Gear. “However, if we aren’t able to achieve a collective agreement that respects us…my members have signalled very strongly that they too would take job action.”
The B.C. Greens issued a statement Tuesday in support of the BCGEU’s wage demands.
“We believe the Province must provide fair wages that increase at pace with the cost of living, leading to stronger public services,” said Interim Leader Jeremy Valeriote.
“BCGEU members are not responsible for managing the Province’s deficit—this is the government’s job, and labour agreements should not be seen as an opportunity to cut costs,” said Valeriote.
A Leger poll commissioned by the BCGEU found nearly three-quarters of British Columbians support a salary increase for public service workers, given the rising cost of living.
The poll found 80 per cent of B.C. residents agree that too much is spent on management and not enough on frontline staff in the B.C. public service.
