The strike by British Columbia (BC) provincial public servants is entering its fifth week and escalating. On October 3, the BC Government Employees Union (BCGEU) announced that approximately 900 new members would join the strike. This includes staff at 20 provincial liquor stores (BC Liquor Stores) and provincial cannabis stores, as well as employees from the Ministry of Environment and Parks and the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
The BCGEU and the provincial government resumed negotiations on September 29, but the talks soon broke down. On October 1, the BCGEU, along with other unions, held a rally in downtown Vancouver to protest.
According to the BCGEU website, as of October 3, more than 17,000 members were on strike through picketing and refusal of overtime, with 90 picket lines at 198 locations across the state, including 80 liquor stores, four liquor distribution warehouses, and Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement.
The BCGEU is demanding wage increases to address rising living costs. Previously, it had called for a total wage increase of 8.25% over two years, but in a statement on September 29th, it announced that it had presented a counterproposal of a 4% wage increase each year over two years. However, according to BCGEU President Paul Finch, the latest wage increase proposal presented by the state government is a total of 4% over two years (2% per year), which he calls “completely unacceptable.”
Meanwhile, Premier David Eby said the state government’s 0.5% increase on previous proposals was “no small concession, involving hundreds of millions of dollars in financial impact,” adding: “The government is committed to returning to the negotiating table. Public services are important, and we need staff to get back to work.”