TERRACE, B.C. – The labour strike that has impacted public services across British Columbia for nearly eight weeks has concluded, with the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) announcing a tentative deal with the provincial government on Sunday, October 26.
The agreement, which still requires a final ratification vote by the membership, was reached after both sides agreed to non-binding mediation with special mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers. The strike, driven by core disagreements over cost-of-living wages, involved nearly 25,000 workers and had caused significant disruption to government services, including the closure of liquor stores and regulatory offices.
Key Terms of the Four-Year Deal
The tentative collective agreement provides a general wage increase of three per cent for four years for the union’s approximately 34,000 members.
BCGEU President Paul Finch credited the successful negotiation to the solidarity of the membership. “For eight weeks, they held the line, standing up for themselves, their families, and the public services that make life in B.C. possible,” Finch said in a statement. “This deal shows that when workers stand together, we can make real progress.”
The union reported that the agreement includes several non-wage improvements designed to address the acute affordability crisis and retention issues among public service workers:
- Job Protections and improvements to telework fairness.
- A new category for fully remote workers with unique protections.
- Improvements to vision and counselling benefits.
- A faster grievance tribunal process.
Finch stated the deal is a “step toward fairness” that will help ensure experienced public service workers “can afford to stay in their jobs and continue delivering the critical services British Columbians rely on every day.”
PEA Strike Continues
While the BCGEU strike is over, the Professional Employees’ Union (PEA), which shared picket lines with the BCGEU, remains without a deal.
BCGEU President Finch confirmed that his union will continue to respect PEA picket lines until that union also has a labour deal in place.
Melissa Moroz, PEA executive director, emphasized the commitment of her members. “The length of this job action illustrates the seriousness of the issues that PEA and BCGEU workers face,” Moroz said. “It’s why we have been united in our resolve to fight for the future of public services in this province.”
The end of the BCGEU strike is expected to immediately ease pressure on the province’s regulatory and commercial services that had been disrupted by the job action.
