Friday August 12, 2022 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated August 15, 2022]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
First targeted job action will be on Monday August 15, 2022 starting 3:30 pm at select BC Liquor Distribution Branch wholesale and distribution centres. The four targeted locations are the distribution centres in Delta, Kamloops and Richmond, and the Victoria Wholesale Customer Centre on 2219 Government Street in Victoria. [Note: the BCGEU release gave that address as 2291 Government St.]
Strike notice has been served.
The bargaining committee representing 33,000 members of the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) who work for the provincial government issued 72-hours strike notice this afternoon.
The BC public service bargaining unit will be in a legal position to take job action as of 2:46 p.m., Monday, August 15.
That could impact the availability of services to individuals, families and businesses in a wide range of areas of government service.
Types and timing of strike action could vary.
The union said in a news release today that it will not be releasing details about the job action at this time.
Agreement expired April 1, 2022:
The most recent collective agreement between the union and the Public Service Agency (PSA) expired on April 1, 2022. BCGEU Says that negotiations for a new collective agreement started on February 8.
The union outlines that bargaining reached impasse on April 6, and union members voted 95% in favour of job action on June 22. The parties met again in July but talks quickly broke down.
Not returning to the table:
Earlier this week, the PSA invited the union back to the bargaining table. Exploratory discussions were held, and the bargaining committee unanimously decided a return to the table would not be fruitful at this time.
Cost of living:
“Our members have been crystal clear since day one that their priority this round of bargaining was cost of living protection for their wages,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU president and chair of the union’s public service bargaining committee.
“The bottom line is they’re not asking for anything that MLAs don’t already have. The strike vote in June and issuing strike notice today is a message to government that our members are serious,” said Smith in the news release.
Everyone else in the BC economy is dealing with cost of living impacts as well.