The BC Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) joined hundreds this morning in downtown Vancouver at the CKNW Kids' Fund 2018 Pink Shirt Day rally. This annual campaign to end bullying spreads awareness and raises funds to support programs that foster children's healthy self-esteem with this year's focus on cyberbullying.

"Bullying continues to be a problem whether in our schools, at work, or online. The BCGEU has sponsored this important campaign for the last six years and is committed to preventing bullying in the workplace as well through education workshops and other resources for our members," says BCGEU president Stephanie Smith.

The BCGEU includes anti-bullying language in its collective agreements and provides regular occupational health and safety training on bullying and harassment to members around the province. The union's anti-bullying course was also updated last year to include a specific section on cyberbullying.

Not only can bullying damage mental health and lower morale and productivity in the workplace, the impact of gender-based cyberbullying against women and girls is also of great concern.

"Girls are more likely than boys to be victims of cyberbullying, sometimes with tragic results. Women in positions of power in media and politics are increasingly attacked as well," says Smith. "The most important thing we can do is speak up, just as so many have done in the #MeToo and the Time's Up movements. Together we can stand up to cyberbullies."

Smith was joined at the rally today by BCGEU members as well as members of the union's Provincial Executive.

UWU/MoveUP