Sunday September 14, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
In a move that escalates their job action, the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) escalated their strike action on Friday morning with the launch of an overtime ban.
That was seen with the action of more than 1,700 Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) workers on September 12.
BCGEU job action started on September 2 with 2,600 BC government workers walking off the job. That got stepped up to 4,000 workers starting September 8.
Now the total number of public service workers engaged in job action is over 6,000.
LDB sites:
The overtime ban applies to the following sites:
- BCLDB Head Office, Burnaby
- Delta Distribution Centre
- Richmond Distribution Centre
- Kamloops Distribution Centre
Impact on restaurant sector:
riday’s escalation has triggered a state of “nervousness and anxiety” among restaurateurs who rely on government-run liquor distribution, according to B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association president Ian Tostenson.
Affordability:
“Public service workers should not be asked to shoulder the affordability crisis while government counts on their labour to generate record liquor revenues,” said Paul Finch, BCGEU president and chair of the public service bargaining committee.
Affordability is likely being experienced by most British Columbians. The cost of nearly everything has escalated over the past five years.
Many Canadians carry a debt load that has only increased in recent years — that often includes leaning into credit card funds as a way to make ends meet. A declining credit rating only spirals into a worse financial situation.
When essential purchases are postponed there can be other ramifications like impacts to health or family activity.
Provincial government:
The government has been actioning on affordability for years through policies in rental housing, ICBC rebates, and a range of other social supports.
Overall, the BC government’s political stance on this BCGEU strike is that the needs of all British Columbians must be taken into account, as they struggle with a rising deficit and debt load as part of maintaining social support programs including the most expensive — i.e. health care and education.
The government has its own ‘affordability’ issues now that carbon tax revenues are down by about $2 billion (since the federal government cancelled that program) and various broad economic sectors are potentially propped up during the trade war and economic diversification that has been thrust upon BC and Canada from the United States.
Interest rates:
The next Bank of Canada interest rate announcement is scheduled for this coming week, on Wednesday September 17. Currently the Bank of Canada policy rate rate sits at 2.75% (held steady at July 30).
How the central bank decides to interpret the continuing economic struggle of this country (through their one blunt tool of setting the policy interest rate) will have a psychological or behavioural impact on Canadian households and businesses, irrespective of direct fiscal impact.
===== RELATED:
- NEWS SECTIONS: 43rd BC PARLIAMENT | JOBS & EMPLOYMENT | AFFORDABILITY | EDITORIALS
- Over 4,000 BCGEU workers on picket lines Sept 9 (September 8, 2025)
- BCGEU strike escalation announcement coming Sept 8 (September 7 & 8, 2025)
- Gentle strike escalation on third day of BCGEU job action (September 4, 2025)
- 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)