Striking public sector workers in British Columbia got a massive public show of support in the province's capital on Monday, Oct. 6.
Thousands packed the lawn in front of the legislature in Victoria to push for a settlement in a labour dispute that has been ongoing for more than a month.
The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) and the Professional Employees' Association (PEA) have been engaged in escalating job action since Sept. 2. The two unions combined represent roughly 35,000 workers in B.C.'s public service, about 5,000 of whom are deemed essential and unable to strike.
So far, more than 17,000 of these workers are on strike, including all PEA members in southern Vancouver Island. The PEA announced an escalation on Monday with roughly 300 government lawyers walking off the job.
BCGEU President Paul Finch would not reveal his strategy, other than to say the union is prepared to continue escalating job action.
"It's going to last until this government gets back in touch with working people in this province and gets back to the bargaining table," he said.
The unions and government are still far apart on a deal. The latest offer from the government is a four-per-cent raise over two years, plus an additional one per cent if allowances and altered wage classifications are included.
"We're looking for an agreement that is both fair to these important government workers, but also fair to taxpayers," Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said after the rally.
Bailey said the government's offer is at pace with inflation both now and next year.
The union's latest demand is for an eight-per-cent raise over two years. The last collective bargaining agreement expired at the end of March, so any eventual deal will be backdated. Finch said unionized public service workers are being paid less than the provincial average.
"Today, a BCGU member in the civil service makes on average 2.7 per cent less than the average worker in this province," Finch said. "That's not acceptable."
With so many workers on strike, union-excluded upper-level management is being forced to step in to accomplish some tasks normally done by union workers. Bailey gave the example of processing student loans.
"What's happening is that you see people who are excluded from the union agreement stepping into roles to make sure that things move forward," Bailey said.
