Monday October 6, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 11:37 am | Updated 5 pm]
Editorial analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) has gathered thousands of supporters today for a march to the BC Legislature where a rally will be held at 12 noon. [Updates to come]
BCGEU calls itself 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.
Government frontline workers are a key subset of BCGEU; on October 3 more than 17,000 public service workers were taking job action across B.C.
On October 3 BCGEU said that 23,000 health care workers were set to join the support for BCGEU’s Fund the Frontlines.
Update at 5 pm – About 10,000 people participated in the march and rally, according to BCGEU in a news release.
This is the first day of the 43rd Parliament Fall 2025 session of the BC Legislative Assembly, which began at 10 am this morning, carrying on with business of the day. The BCGEU strike was mentioned once or twice in passing.
Thousands of BCGEU workers and supporters are marching through downtown Victoria starting at 11 am (departing Centennial Square, along Cormorant St, down Blanshard St, to Belleville St). Vehicle traffic is likely to be interrupted.
The rally will start at 12 noon in front of the BC Legislature timed to coincide with the lunch break time of the MLAs from their attendance in the House.
The event will be livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
Timeline:
BCGEU began job action on September 2, with picket lines escalating over recent weeks.
On Friday October 3 BCGEU announced that talks had broken down and reached an impasse; on Friday more than 17,000 public service workers were taking job action across B.C
Tug of war analysis:
Despite this massive gathering today — and all the effort that tiakes — it’s unclear how much impact a march and strike will have on any final negotiations.
Ironically, it’s the BC NDP that is the party of supporting workers. Many of their members are unionized workers. This is an interesting study in how an NDP government deals with being in power while standing up for the people. In some sense, being in power as government is the only way to stand up for people.
Premier David Eby and Finance Minister Brenda Bailey seem resolved to the realities of the provincial financial situation as it is … notably dealing with considerable uncertainty due to the economic challenges of pivoting away from depending on trade with the United States (including high tariffs and duties on the forestry sector in BC).
The negotiations between the BC Government and the BCGEU have been mostly over wages as relative to the increasing cost of living.
The government says it wants to strike a balance between fairness for government workers as well as all British Columbians.
After the BC Finance Minister released the First Quarterly Report on September 15, BCGEU said it feels the government’s fiscal situation is not bad enough to warrant a shortfall on what BCGEU wants for its members.
As other BC unions (e.g. teachers and health workers) negotiate with the Province they are possibly less likely to join BCGEU who may become increasingly isolated from their peers in other unions.
===== RELATED:
- Thousands expected to participate in Oct 6 BCGEU rally (October 5, 2025)
- BC shows $665 million deficit increase in first quarter 2025 (September 15, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: 43rd PARLIAMENT OF BC | BCGEU