Hundreds of workers, union members and labour leaders gathered at Edmonds Park in Burnaby on Monday to mark Labour Day in the shadow of looming job action by one of B.C.’s largest public sector unions.
The B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) has issued strike notice, with up to 34,000 members set to start job action as early as 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday.
On Friday, the BCGEU revealed members had voted 92.7 in favour of strike action and issued the strike notice.
The union represents workers in a variety of fields from government liquor stores and warehouses to community college instructors and municipal workers.
The Government Licensed Professionals (GLP), which represent about 1,800 licensed professionals, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, psychologists, and other specialized experts, also announced plans to issue a strike notice on Friday.
On Monday, the union said “a portion” of its workers would be walking picket lines at “various locations” around the province, including the Jack Davis building in Victoria, a Service BC centre at 152 Street and 104 Avenue, and a Child and Family Services office on 4th Avenue in Prince George.
“Government declined to come back with a revised wage mandate offer that means no negotiations have taken place,” BCGEU president Paul Finch said.
The union’s public service bargaining unit last took job action in 2022, resulting in a two-week strike targeting the B.C. Liquor Distribution Warehouses that disrupted alcohol and cannabis sales.
“We looked at job duties to ensure that British Columbians, their health and safety and well being are taken care of throughout this job action, those are in place across the province,” Finch said.
“Last time they weren’t and so one of the few places we actually could strike was the Liquor Distribution Branch.”
On Monday, the Vancouver and New Westminster and District Labour Councils staged the Burnaby rally, with the theme “Workers together; unions deliver.”
Despite the province and one of its key public sector unions being at odds at the bargaining table, NDP Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside pitched a message of solidarity to the crowd.
“Labour Day is such an important opportunity for us to shine a light on the progress of working people and their organizations, their unions. It is truly a day that belongs to all of you,” she said.
“Today we recognize that the rights we enjoy were won by workers who refused to back down, from a five-day work week and fair wages to safer workplaces, a stronger voice in shaping our workplaces. You know and I know that nothing comes without struggle.”
The provincial government has declined to comment on the strike beyond saying that essential services will not be affected, and that the “best agreements are always reached in bargaining and negotiations.”