Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
3h ago

BCGEU Begins Targeted Pickets at B.C. Government Sites

Talks remain stalled, with the union pressing for cost-of-living raises plus remote-work protections.

Image
Members of the BC General Employees Union walk the picket line on Queensway outside the BC government building on the first day of their strike on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025 in Prince George, BC.
BCGEU members showing strike solidarity on Labour Day 2025.
Members of the labour movement hold up signs.

Overview

  • A portion of the roughly 34,000 public-service members launched picket lines Tuesday at high-visibility sites including Victoria’s Jack Davis Building, a Service BC centre in Surrey, and a Child and Family Services office in Prince George.
  • Essential services continue to operate, and union president Paul Finch said wildfire operations will not be interrupted.
  • Members voted 92.7% to authorize strike action after negotiations with the BC Public Service Agency collapsed in July, and the province has not returned with a revised wage mandate.
  • The union is seeking general increases of 4% in year one and 4.25% in year two plus a cost-of-living adjustment, along with contract modernization, fair access to remote work, and limits on non-union managers.
  • The Professional Employees Association, representing about 1,800 licensed professionals, also issued a 72-hour notice and signalled readiness to join or escalate if talks do not resume.