B.C. Public Service Union to Escalate Strike After Talks Collapse With Province

The B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) says it will ramp up its strike after contract talks with the province collapsed Monday in Victoria.

Union president Paul Finch accused the government of dragging its feet, saying negotiators showed up hours late and presented only a marginally improved offer. “Talks broke off today, but they didn’t really start,” Finch told a crowd of workers, calling the move a “cheap stunt.”

The BCGEU, which represents 34,000 public sector workers, has been on strike for five weeks—believed to be the longest civil service strike in the province’s history. About 15,000 members are actively involved in actions ranging from overtime bans to pickets at government offices, liquor and cannabis warehouses, and roughly a third of B.C.’s liquor stores.

The union has been pushing for 8.25% wage increases over two years, but said it offered a compromise of 4% per year in its latest counterproposal. Finch said the province responded with an offer of just 5% over two years, up slightly from its previous 4%.

“We came back to them and said, ‘Maybe there’s been a mistake,’” Finch said. “There’s no point in calling us back to the table if you aren’t going to present something materially different.”

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey disputed the union’s account, saying there was no set meeting time and that government negotiators were ready at noon. She added that even small adjustments to the offer reflect good faith, given the province’s “very constrained fiscal environment.”

“Four-and-a-half per cent to five per cent is different,” Bailey said. “It’s not a time where you are going to see large swings.” She argued the union has been unwilling to make progress toward what the government sees as a reasonable agreement.

With no sign of a deal, Finch said the public should expect larger demonstrations in the coming days, possibly including a rally outside the legislature when lawmakers return October 6.

“Talks are off until government comes back with a real offer—full stop,” Finch said, drawing cheers from workers on the picket line.