BCGEU strike Day 2: Union says job action will escalate if necessary

Members of the BC General Employees Union are back on the picket lines on Wednesday for the second day of the strike.

On Tuesday, around 2,000 BCGEU members picketed outside government buildings in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George, along with the Royal BC Museum and an ICBC office in Surrey.

BCGEU president Paul Finch says job action will escalate if the BC Public Service Agency does not come back with a higher wage offer.

However, he is not sharing details of what that escalation may look like.

2:29 Public servants back on picket lines on day 2 of BCGEU strike

“You’re seeing predominantly inward-facing government services that are impacted,” Finch said.

“That’s going to change. That will escalate over the coming days and weeks and so what we need is the government to come to the table to meet the very reasonable demands of what everyone here has put forward.”

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B.C.’s Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said they need to ensure a fair deal is reached “in the context of the global challenges we’re facing right now, particularly the trade war,” she said.

“We believe this is a fair mandate we’re operating within.”

5:51 Strike action begins for 34,000 B.C. public service workers

The union is asking for a raise of 8.25 per cent over two years, while the province is offering 3.5 per cent over two years.

The BCGEU has more than 95,000 members in 550 bargaining units in the public and private sectors. The union represents about 34,000 government workers.