NEWS & UPDATES
March 08, 2022
Cowichan branch of VIRL behind picket lines as BCGEU librarians escalate job ...
BURNABY, B.C. (COAST SALISH TERRITORIES) – Members of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU) working as librarians for the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) are on the picket line at VIRL's Cowichan Branch (2687 James Street in Duncan) today. The picket is the first step in escalated job action from the librarians who are awaiting response to their latest counteroffer from the employer ...
March 04, 2022
March 8 International Women’s Day 2022 #BreakTheBias - BC General Employees' ...
March 8th is International Women’s Day (IWD).
It’s an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of women throughout history and around the world. An opportunity to recommit ourselves to stand together and work together to continue breaking down the barriers that still hold women back in far too many families, communities and workplaces. An opportunity to dream with our eyes open a...
March 04, 2022
Pickets at VIRL branches Wednesday if no offer made, says BCGEU librarians - ...
BURNABY, B.C. (COAST SALISH TERRITORIES) – Members of the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) working as librarians for the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) will begin escalated job action starting Wednesday, March 9 should they not receive a serious offer from the employer. On March 1, after the union had issued 72-hour strike notice, the employer made a new offer to librarians. Howeve...
March 04, 2022
Bargaining update: Week 4 concludes - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)
The fourth week of public service bargaining has wrapped for the week of March 1st in Victoria. Your bargaining committee will meet with the employer – B.C.’s Public Service Agency – again next week in Vancouver. Negotiations of non-monetary issues continue to be productive. Your bargaining committee has made progress on the following collective agreement language:
Improvements to the process ...
March 04, 2022
Letter: BCGEU librarians call on VIRL Board of Trustees to #respectVIRLlibrar...
On Thursday March 3, 2022, all 48 BCGEU members working as librarians for the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) submitted a group letter to the library's Board Trustees.
Read their letter here.The letter called on all 38 trustees to ensure that librarians' next collective agreement provides them with fundamental support – including a psychologically safe and respectful workplace, and wag...
March 02, 2022
Seventy-two hour strike notice filed: librarians on Vancouver Island urge ele...
BURNABY, B.C. (COAST SALISH TERRITORIES) – The BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU) served the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) board with 72-hour strike notice on Monday, February 28. The union's move means libraries in many communities on Vancouver Island and neighbouring islands could be behind picket lines as early as 8 a.m. Thursday, March 3. The BCGEU is calling on elected represen...
March 01, 2022
Public Service Bargaining: Week 4 Kicks Off - BC General Employees' Union (BC...
Public service bargaining has resumed for the week of March 1st in Victoria. Today begins week four of negotiations between your BCGEU Public Service Bargaining Committee and the provincial government's Public Service Agency (PSA). We expect to begin talking money with the PSA within the next week. So far, our talks have centered around non-monetary proposals. The committee is made up of BCGEU ...
February 25, 2022
Third Week Of Public Service Bargaining Wraps - BC General Employees' Union (...
Week three of Main Table Public Service Bargaining between the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the B.C. Government’s Public Service Agency (PSA) is concluding for the week of February 21. The tone at the bargaining table continues to be generally positive and collaborative, and your bargaining committee remains committed to bringing forward the priorities you’ve identified. The committe...
February 23, 2022
BCGEU welcomes progressive vision, new spending, and strong economic outlook ...
A progressive vision for inclusive and clean growth, continued support for critical public services like healthcare and childcare, and the announcement of a new year-round B.C. Wildfire Service are just some of the highlights in what the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) is calling a "bargaining budget". "The devil is always in the details but on first glance there's a lot for our members a...
February 18, 2022
Official statement from the BCGEU on unauthorized use of logo for protest eve...
The BCGEU has recently learned that our logo is being used without authorization on promotional material for a "protest" event planned for next week.
We want to be clear that our union is not associated with, nor do we support, the event or its organizers in any way. This is an unlawful action on the part of the organizers. We are considering all legal options before us to hold the responsibl...
February 18, 2022
Week 2 Public Service bargaining with govt concludes – steady progress made o...
Your Public Service Bargaining Committee negotiating team met with the provincial government's Public Service Agency on Monday, February 14 in Victoria to resume bargaining for the week. As we have previously reported, BCGEU Public Service members have made it clear in their proposals to your bargaining committee: financial issues are key to a tentative agreement. The news this week that the in...
BCGEU Headquarters is on the unceded and shared traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skxwú7mesh (Squamish) & Səlí̓ lwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.