Thursday September 4, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) is escalating job action today as part of an ongoing province-wide strike in the public service.
This is the third day of job action by BCGEU.
“With no indication that the provincial government’s Public Service Agency (PSA) is willing to return to the table with an improved offer, picket lines have expanded this morning to include nearly 90 workers at the Ministry of Finance at 900 Howe Street in downtown Vancouver,” said the BCGEU in a news release today.
BCGEU says their job action is about campaigning for fair wages and what the union calls a modernized contract for more than 34,000 bargaining unit members working for B.C.’s public service.
When BCGEU members are on strike they only receive strike pay, not their full wages. Balancing that against the BCGEU determined need to fight for higher wages falls within the broader ‘cost of living / affordability’ challenge that many workers are facing in BC.
Where the strikes are:
Job action began Tuesday, when over 2,600 BCGEU members walked picket lines at key government sites in Victoria (at out front of the Royal BC Museum across from the BC legislature), Surrey (impeding service at the ICBC driver licencing office at the Guildford Corporate Centre), and Prince George.
ICBC is redirecting their customers to the Driver Licencing Office in Surrey at 13426 78th Avenue.
BCGEU stand:
“BCGEU members in the public service deliver the essential services British Columbians depend on every day, and they deserve wages that reflect the value of the critical work done by workers including wildfire fighters, social workers and court clerks,” said Paul Finch, BCGEU president and chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee.
“The employer’s refusal to put forward a wage proposal that meaningfully addresses the affordability crisis leaves us no choice but to escalate job action,” said Finch in today’s BCGEU news release.
BC Government position:
Yesterday BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said the finances of the province have to “fair” to all British Columbians.
Today Premier David Eby said as much, in his press conference in Surrey.
Both statements indicate a holding of the line on wages for some sectors over others as the trade war continues with the United States and Canada begins a long journey to economic diversification with far less dependence on the United States.
Eby added that BC will be “the engine of the new economy” with emphasis on economic development and resource development.
Being free from dependence on the United States will increase BC and Canada’s prosperity as a whole, Eby said today.
Timeline:
Negotiations between the BCGEU and the PSA began on January 22, 2025. Talks reached an impasse last month after the collective agreement expired on March 31, 2025. Members are calling for a wage package that keeps pace with the rising cost of living and recognizes their vital contributions to the province.
“Job action will continue to escalate until government brings a fair offer,” says BCGEU.
The BCGEU is one of the largest and most diverse unions in British Columbia with over 95,000 members in 550 bargaining units in the public and private sector.
===== RELATED:
- BCGEU strike starts Sept 2 with picket lines in three cities (September 1, 2025)
- BC premier, NDP & prime minister articulate important needs on Labour Day (September 1, 2025)
- BCGEU public sector workers could strike by Sept 2 (August 30, 2025)
- BCGEU strikers joined by PEA at downtown Victoria street rally (August 17, 2022)
- NEWS SECTIONS: 43rd BC PARLIAMENT | JOBS & EMPLOYMENT | AFFORDABILITY | EDITORIALS