BCGEU make preparations for strike action as talks with Province break down

Three days of negotiations between the BCGEU and the Province of British Columbia ended abruptly on Monday, with the union noting of their disappointment that the provincial government did not see their creative proposals on cost of living adjustments (COLA) and wage protection from inflation  as a foundation to work with.

A move which would seem to have the provincial workers union ready to bring out the picket signs and stop work at a number of government worksites.

"To say we are disappointed is an understatement: despite our best efforts to bridge the gap, government has refused to table a proposal that meets our members' key demand of cost-of-living protection. Our members have told us since the beginning of this round of bargaining that they would not ratify a deal which did not address the increasing cost of living. 

We were surprised that the employer was unwilling to come back to the table with a counteroffer. Our union's revised wage proposal is within the monetary framework that government has laid out, and yet the employer was not willing to budge, notwithstanding over $16 billion in unallocated reserves in their most recent fiscal plan." -- Stephanie Smith, BCGEU President and chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee.

The union notes that among their issues, they are seeking a Cost of Living Allowance, much the same that the Government provides to elected MLA's.

The full scope of the BCGEU frustration with the Horgan government is available for review here.

Seemingly exacerbating the current negotiating climate was the move by the province to go over the heads of the union, appealing directly to the union membership by releasing their latest bargaining plan towards the union demands earlier this week.

Media reports this week indicate that the government has offered a new three year contract with wage increases amounting to close to 11 percent and a signing bonus of up to $2,500.

A move that as some of the journalists covering Victoria note has not been received well, with a suggestion by the BCGEU that the NDP may not be living up to their Labour focused roots.

In a recent vote, 95 percent of the 33,000 union members employed in the public service voted in favour of strike action. 

Those that are part of the membership include correctional officers, provincial forest fighters, social workers, administrative staff and a range of other government employees.

The BCGEU, the largest public sector union in the province,  is currently planning strategic, targeted job action, that while preparing for essential services requirements with the Labour Relations Board.

The current dispute, may not be the last, as part of their update this week the union noted that there will be more labour negotiations to come for the province. 

The BCGEU is the first of many public sector unions to bargain with the provincial government in 2022. In total, almost 400,000 public sector workers have agreements that will, or already have, expire this year.

Should there be a labour stoppage for the Northwest, we'll chronicle some of the themes through our Labour archive.

For now, follow the rhetoric and any negotiations ahead through our Legislature archive.

More notes on the percolating labour troubles will also be part of the news flow as part of our political blog D'Arcy McGee and our Victoria Viewpoints archive.