The ongoing General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) job action has escalated, with a ban of non-emergency overtime for BCGEU members working in the BC Public Service effective immediately on Monday.
The bargaining committee represents 33,000 BCGEU members.
See more: Nearly 1,200 District of Saanich workers prepared to strike if agreement not reached
“BC’s public service has been reliant on our members’ overtime for far too long and dealing with the systemic issues behind that reliance is part of what we’re trying to achieve in this round of bargaining,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU president and chair of the union’s public service bargaining committee.
“In this job action our members are the vanguard of the broader public sector in our province. We hope this escalation gives government the incentive they need to invite us back to the bargaining table and negotiate a deal that will ensure robust, sustainable public services for our province and a fair deal for BCGEU members and all public sector workers.”
The overtime ban will not apply to members employed in BC Wildfire Service for the duration of the current wildfire season.
In addition to the overtime ban, targeted job action at BC Liquor Distribution Branch distribution and wholesale centres remains in effect.
The most recent collective agreement between the union and the Public Service Agency (PSA) expired on April 1st 2022.
Negotiations for a new collective agreement started on February 8th.
On August 18th, a union representing District of Saanich workers also voted in favour of holding a strike after failing to reach an agreement in negotiations.
A majority (94%) of the 1,200 District of Saanich workers represented by CUPE Local 2011 voted in favour of strike action.
The decision came after the union rejected what its president Ryan Graham called a “rollover agreement” that does not address the needs of workers struggling with cost-of-living.
Public services provided by CUPE Local 2011 members includes water, wastewater, sanitation, roads, parks, planning, recreation centres, and support police and fire services.
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