Wednesday February 19, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
As tough economic times unfold in BC, the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) looks at yesterday BC Throne Speech as a high-level document. Not much detail yet as to how BC workers will fair in terms of wages in the year ahead.
BCGEU is often heard about in the public realm mostly in the context of protecting BC government workers but they have a broader mandate to also impact the conditions that affect workers outside of the public service, says BCGEU President Paul Finch.
“A strong public sector is critical to a thriving economy,” says Finch.
He told Island Social Trends yesterday that BCGEU wants to see how far the government will go in producing an economic development plan.
After the Throne Speech Finch said: “The BCGEU is encouraged by government’s commitment to strengthen B.C.’s economy by putting people first – and we will hold them to that. BCGEU urges government to commit to producing a long-term economic development plan that addresses the affordability crisis in B.C.”
The BCGEU looks forward to working closely with government to address the cost-of-living crisis in B.C. With the strength of our public service and abundant natural resources, B.C. is very well positioned to weather the ongoing economic headwinds.
Broader workplace realities:
The federal Employment Insurance (EI) program only kicks in for workers who have salaried jobs and who pay into that program. It’s an old program first structured in the 1940s, with revisions over the years but without the flexibility and resilience to address the wide range of workers today.
After the Throne Speech yesterday, Finch told Island Social Trends that the needs of workers must be looked at across many concerns including benefits, including for contractors, gig workers and self-employed.
“Benefits available to contract workers is obviously an issue,” says Finch. Health and dental coverage as well as pensions are often not in place for those workers. “We would like to see those options manifest.”
Productivity:
The primary driver of productivity is capital reinvestment in the economy.
The main way you bring down the aggregate cost of labour isn’t by suppressing wages. It’s by providing things that support workers. In Canada that includes universal health care.
Affordability:
The BC Throne Speech is intentionally a high-level address without details. It’s a statement of government direction. Will affordability be addressed by this government?
“It’s even more important now. It’s absolutely critical that they do that now in the current situation,” said Finch regarding affordability supports for British Columbians.
“If we’re going to have a united approach to dealing with a potential trade war with the Americans we need to address the inflationary pressures on working people in BC. That’s a requirement,” says BCGEU’s president.
Defending workers against the rising tide of predatory and volatile capital is an important step in keeping our economy resilient and agile.
As people across the province deal with the rising cost of living, their ability to access public services without having to take out their credit card becomes even more important.
The BCGEU position is: “It is workers who built this province, and it is workers who will help keep our province going in the face of looming U.S. tariffs and wider economic uncertainty.”
Public sector:
“A well-funded and resourced public sector will lead to the equitable economic prosperity we need to face down the economic impacts of Trump’s presidency, which is what both the Province and BCGEU would like to see,” says BCGEU in their Throne Speech response yeserday.
“As the Premier said: our most precious resource of all is the people of B.C. A robust public sector and a strong middle class will help our economy grow,” says BCGEU.
The BCGEU bargaining position for public sector worker wages will not start out with a less aggressive due to the current economic conditions, Finch says.
“If the members choose to moderate” that position, that will be done through a democratic process, he explains.
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