British ColumbiaThe union that represents around 34,000 British Columbia public service workers says picket lines are going up in three cities Tuesday as industrial action begins across the province.Union says it’s seeking a 4 per cent general wage increase in the 1st year and 4.25 per cent in the 2ndThe Canadian Press · Posted: Sep 02, 2025 12:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 5 hours agoMembers of the British Columbia General Employees’ Union picket outside an ICBC driver licensing office in Surrey on Tuesday. The union representing thousands of B.C. public service workers set up picket lines Tuesday in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)Members of the union representing thousands of British Columbia public service workers set up picket lines Tuesday in what the union says is a “last resort” in its labour fight with the province.The B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) says picket lines have gone up at provincial government offices in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George, as well as in front of the Royal B.C. Museum.Union president Paul Finch rallied with a crowd of members at Victoria’s Jack Davis Building Tuesday, saying that pickets will remain up “as long as it takes” for workers to secure a deal that adequately addresses their rising affordability concerns.”It’s not an easy thing to take job action,” Finch told union members. LISTEN | Paul Finch on BCGEU strike: The Early EditionMore than 34,000 B.C. public employees take job action to demand better wagesAfter an overwhelming vote in favour of job action, members of the B.C. General Employees Union and the Professional Employees Association have commenced job action this morning. Paul Finch, president of the BCGEU, explains what union members are negotiating for and what disruptions could take place in public services.”But I want to be really clear. We have a common resolve that we are going to fight for fair wages and we’re going to continue to escalate.”Finch said that while the picket lines are starting with “inward-facing government services,” union job action will escalate in the coming days and weeks if no deal is reached during that time.The BCGEU has about 34,000 members in fields including social services, health care, education, government liquor stores, prisons, courts and public administration.The union says they include 2,000 B.C. Wildfire Service workers, 2,350 correctional officers and sheriffs, and 4,850 liquor and cannabis retail and distribution staff, as well as more than 14,000 administrative professionals.The union set up picket lines Tuesday at provincial government offices in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George, as well as in front of the Royal B.C. Museum. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)The government has said essential services are unaffected.The previous collective agreement expired on March 31, and the government has declined to say what has since been offered to the union.Finch had announced Friday that a 72-hour notice of a potential strike had been issued, and the deadline expired after midnight Monday night.Finch said when negotiations broke off with the B.C. Public Service Agency in July, the union had been seeking a four per cent general wage increase in the first year and 4.25 per cent in the second year, as well as an unspecified cost-of-living adjustment.The job action comes after 92.7 per cent of voting members supported strike action in a vote released Friday. Finch said in a statement that workers are “facing an affordability crisis,” adding that their job action is a declaration that the latest offer from the province is “unacceptable.””These same people who are struggling to make ends meet have voted overwhelmingly to strike,” Finch said, adding the members are “willing to fight for the deal that they need.”WATCH | Uncertainty looms as B.C. government workers strike begins: Uncertainty looms as B.C. government workers strike action poised to begin on TuesdayThe B.C. General Employees’ Union says its plan for job action is moving forward. As CBC’s Pinki Wong reports, more than 34,000 public sector workers are in a position to strike on Tuesday.Striking BCGEU members at the Jack Davis Building Tuesday were waving union flags while the 1982 hit song Eye of the Tiger and other music played in the background.A number of passing vehicles honked in support of the striking members, some of whom set up roadside tables stocked with coffee and doughnuts. Workers at the picket lines declined to comment on the strike.Finch said the honking reflected the public support for fair wages for his members who are frustrated that management wage levels have grown at almost twice the rate as that of front-line workers.Professional Employees Association also on strikeAlongside BCGEU members, more than 1,800 Government Licensed Professionals (GLPs) represented by the Professional Employees Association (PEA) are also on strike. That group includes engineers, foresters, geoscientists, psychologists and other specialized workers.The association says it has been in negotiations with the province since late May. It too is looking for increased wages, but is also after professional fee coverage, “appropriate” compensation for emergency work and is asking the province to reduce reliance on external contractors.Professional Employees Association members hold signs calling for fair wages while striking outside the ICBC driving centre in Surrey, alongside members of the BCGEU, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (CBC)”When the province has staff shortages, the work that needs to get done is contracted out at a higher cost and this costs taxpayers more,” Melissa Moroz, the PEA’s executive director and lead negotiator told CBC News. “We have cases where sometimes we have consultants overseeing consultants, so what we’re saying is now is the time to invest in B.C. professionals.”She said if the strike continues, there will be “costly delays” for the province in forestry, mining and infrastructure projects.Members have established picket lines at targeted ministry offices in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George, in coordination with BCGEU workers.”The energy is high and we’ve got a lot of community support,” Moroz said.”We don’t want to escalate this strike, but we will do that if that’s what’s needed.” With files from CBC’s Shaurya Kshatri
B.C. public service staff launch picket lines after strike deadline expires
