A province-wide strike vote is still being conducted by the BC General Employees’ Union and its 33-thousand members – 14-hundred of which work in Prince George.
Negotiations reached an impasse in early April due to a significant gap in wage proposals.
BCGEU President, Stephanie Smith explained the type of workers in PG this affects.
“Everything from your public liquor store worker, your local cannabis store and we represent all ministry workers. This also includes corrections and sheriffs, and we also represent the workers at the Service BC offices and the BC Wildfire service. I think it’s important to note that currently, we are in what is called essential services negotiations. So, there are certain jobs that are deemed essential and that are defined underneath the Labour Code.”
“There are some positions for example that cannot step away from their jobs because they are deemed essential, so, we are in negotiations around that so I can’t speak to specific jobs.”
A strike vote count is scheduled for June 22nd.
However, job action doesn’t necessarily mean hitting the picket lines.
“We have 90 days to action that strike vote. Job action can look very different in different areas – there could be an overtime ban for example where members simply work the hours that are which defined in their jobs with no overtime,” added Smith.
“It could also be work-to-rule where you strictly do the duties of the job as defined and none of those extras that our workers always do.”
Smith also believes cost of living adjustments are attainable as salaries for members of the Legislative Assembly are tied to inflation as are rent increases.
“We are asking the same for our members. They are the workers that got our province through the pandemic and will continue to support our province as we grow economically and they deserve a collective agreement where that recognizes their ongoing contribution.”
“The cost of living has increased so much as we are seeing inflation rates that we haven’t seen in decades. So, our members have been losing purchasing power, their dollar is worth less than it was.”
Smith added the provincial government offered a wage hike of 1.5 percent this year, followed by two-per-cent spikes in 2023 and 2024. The union countered with either a five-per-cent or an inflation-based raise this year and next.
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