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BCGEU escalates job action amid impasse in contract talks

Job action has been escalated by the BC General Employees Union.

As of this morning (Thursday), picket lines have been expanded to include nearly 90 workers at the Ministry of Finance office on Howe Street in Downtown Vancouver.

The union says there has been no indication the provincial government’s Public Service Agency is willing to return to the table with an improved wage offer.

“BCGEU members in the public service deliver the essential services British Columbians depend on every day, and they deserve wages that reflect the value of the critical work done by workers including wildfire fighters, social workers and court clerks,” said Paul Finch, BCGEU president and chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee.

“The employer’s refusal to put forward a wage proposal that meaningfully addresses the affordability crisis leaves us no choice but to escalate job action.”

On Tuesday, over 2,600 BCGEU members walked picket lines at government sites in Prince George, Surrey and Victoria.

Roughly 260 union members participated in the northern capital.

Negotiations between the BCGEU and the PSA began at the end of January but reached an impasse last month after the collective agreement expired at the end of March.

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Brendan Pawliw
Brendan Pawliw
Since moving to Prince George in 2015, Brendan has covered local sports including the WHL’s Prince George Cougars, Prince George Spruce Kings, UNBC Timberwolves, Cariboo Cougars AAA, and Northern Capitals U18 female hockey teams. Career highlights include play-by-play during the Spruce Kings' BCHL championship runs in 2018 and 2019, including the Doyle Cup win. He also covered the 2019 National Junior A Championship, the 2017 Telus Cup, the 2022 World Women’s Curling Championship, and the 2022 BC Summer Games. Brendan is the news voice on 94.3 The Goat and Country 97 FM, reporting on crime, real estate, labour, and environmental issues. Outside of work, he officiates box lacrosse and fastball, sits on the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame board, and co-hosts the Hockey North podcast.

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