Public servants in British Columbia (BC) could go on strike as early as September 2nd.
On August 29, the British Columbia Government Employees Union (BCGEU) announced the results of the strike authorization vote that had been ongoing since August 11. The union announced that 86% of eligible members voted, and 92.7% of those voted in favour.
The union has already submitted a 72-hour strike notice and is ready to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 2nd.
The BCGEU represents approximately 34,000 public servants in British Columbia, including forest firefighters, correctional officers, security officers, alcohol and cannabis sales and distribution staff, social workers and administrative staff. In addition, the Professional Employees Association (PEA), a union representing government-employed professionals such as geologists, psychologists, and engineers, also voted to strike and announced that it would serve 72 hours’ notice in line with the BCGEU. The PEA has approximately 1,800 members.
The two unions have been without a contract since March 31, and negotiations have been stalled since mid-July. BCGEU president Paul Finch said the main issues at stake in the negotiations were wages, work-from-home rules and other issues, but declined to say how a strike would be carried out.