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last mo.

B.C. Public-Service Strike Widens to 22 Sites as Province Tables ‘Last’ 4.5% Offer

The union rejects the province’s higher costing of its proposals as “creative math.”

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Members of the British Columbia General Employees' Union picket outside an ICBC driver licensing office, in Surrey, B.C., Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. The union representing thousands of British Columbia public service workers set up picket lines Tuesday at provincial government offices in Victoria, Surrey and Prince George as well as in front of the Royal BC Museum. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Striking BCGEU employees set up a picket line outside of the Service B.C. office in downtown Kelowna Tuesday morning.
A member of the British Columbia General Employees' Union pickets outside an ICBC driver licensing office, in Surrey, B.C., Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. The union issued 72-hour strike notice following a strike authorization vote in which 92.7% of members voted in favour of job action. Public service members began strike action on September 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS

Overview

  • More than 4,000 BCGEU members are on picket lines at 22 locations, adding sites in Nanaimo, Kamloops, Kelowna, Cranbrook, Nelson, Fort St. John and Smithers to earlier actions in Victoria, Surrey and Vancouver.
  • Prince George and Williams Lake are using virtual pickets due to wildfire smoke, with in-person action deferred until conditions improve.
  • The Finance Ministry detailed a two-year compensation package worth 4.5% including cost-of-living allowances and estimated the union’s broader package at 15.75% and about $437 million in ongoing annual costs.
  • BCGEU maintains its core wage ask is 8.25% over two years and disputes the government’s calculations, while also seeking telework protections and contract modernization.
  • The Professional Employees Association has joined the strike with licensed professionals, and MoveUP signaled it could escalate if no stronger mandate emerges, as union leaders say liquor distribution centres are not being targeted at this time.