Wednesday October 8, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
Political analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
All remaining BC Liquor & Cannabis Stores, workers in the Ministry of Citizens’ Services (including Service BC workers) and Ministry of Labour workers have joined the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) picket lines.
Job action by BCGEU began on September 2 and has escalated since then.
Today’s escalation is presented by BCGEU as significant. “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 the government has yet to respond with much of a shift in their offer.
Restaurants Canada is urging the BC Government and the BCGEU to reach an agreement are restaurants and bar in BC are “quickly running out of liquor inventory”.
Significant numbers:
As of today, nearly 25,000 frontline workers are taking job action and 431 worksites are now on strike across B.C, says BCGEU.
The union says that “job action will continue to escalate until the provincial government returns to the bargaining table with a fair wage offer”.
No change in BCGEU stance:
“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.”
That’s said despite that the BC Government says the cupboard is bare to the degree that the BCGEU request must be balanced with being fair to all British Columbians, BCGEU maintains their stance.
So things between employer and workers appear to be at a standstill for now.
Striking worksites as of October 8, 2025:
- Picket lines: Over 22,500 BCGEU members at 468 worksites are fully or partially on strike with picket lines up in the following cities (listed here alphabetically). This includes all members working for:
- BC Liquor and BC Cannabis stores, Liquor Distribution Board warehouses and the Liquor Distribution Board headquarters
- The Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions
- The Ministry of Citizens’ Services
- The Ministry of Finance
- The Ministry of Mining
- Ministry of Water, Land and Resources Stewardship
- Service BC
- Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) Weigh Scale stations
- Overtime bans: Over 1,900 BCGEU members in Corrections and Sheriff Services are also implementing an overtime ban.
===== RELATED:
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- NEWS SECTIONS: JOBS & EMPLOYMENT | BCGEU | 43rd PARLIAMENT OF BC