“The wage offer was too low, there was no recognition of cost of living adjustments.” — Stephanie Smith, President of the BCGEU
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One of BC’s largest unions, representing tens of thousands of government employees, issued a notice that the labor action could begin Monday, with expected impacts to a host of public services.
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Stephanie Smith, president of the BC General Clerks Union, says her 33,000 members, including BC firefighters, corrections officers, office staff, and liquor and cannabis store workers, are unwilling to budge on their most pressing demand.
“We are asking for salary protections against inflation with a cost-of-living adjustment clause in a new collective agreement.”
Although Smith acknowledged that “anything could happen in the next 72 hours” before the strike takes place, he hopes the BC Public Service Agency will give in to pressure from employees.
“I hope the phone rings this weekend and we get invited back with a serious offer,” he told Postmedia on Saturday.
Tensions between the union and the employer erupted in late June when members rejected a 9.99 percent wage increase for the next three years.
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“The salary offer was too low, cost-of-living adjustments were not recognized,” Smith said.
On Friday, the BCGEU informed workers to “watch your email for details on the specific sites that will be picketed,” in an online bulletin.
In a statement, the BC Public Services Agency said that “while it is uncertain how the union could initiate a strike, critical services will still be available to people” and that it respects employees’ right to strike.
Government workers whose sudden departure from their job would pose a safety and legal risk to the public, including wildland firefighters and those who work in courthouses, prisons, and child protective services. plan to execute the job action in other ways.
“If we strike, these workers could refuse to work overtime, only perform the tasks outlined in their employment contract, or be adamant about taking their breaks on time,” Smith said.
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The last time BCGEU members appeared on the picket lines was nearly a decade ago, when 1,785 BC government work sites in 152 communities closed for a business day on September 5, 2012 wWith 27,000 people participating in the all-day strike.
Although the union was last invited to the bargaining table for exploratory discussions on Friday, Smith said the BC Public Service Agency was rigid in the negotiations.
“It is getting harder and harder for workers to cover the cost of rent and mortgage payments,” he said, noting that tensions between the groups have reached a fever pitch as wages fail to keep pace with the cost. of life.
While the last wage increase for public service workers was two percent in April of last year, consumer inflation rose four times as much as in June, according to Statistics Canada.
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“The purchasing power of workers has decreased with the increase in costs of everything else, especially the price of gasoline. It is affecting our British Columbia communities as less is being spent on smaller businesses now that there is little or no disposable income.”
Wildland firefighters start at less than $24 per hour. Unlike MLAs, the wages of provincially employed workers do not fluctuate to match existing inflation rates.
“What we are asking for is not new. The old-age pension and other benefits are adjusted based on inflation rates,” Smith said.
An overwhelming majority of union members working in direct government, close to 95 percent, voted in favor of the strike.
