FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BCGEU pleased with government appointment of Special Mediator in ferries dispute

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) – The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) bargaining committee representing workers at Western Pacific Marine (WPM) is pleased that the Ministry of Labour has assigned a Special Mediator to work with the two parties to reach a fair agreement in their labour dispute.
 
"Our union bargaining committee has been working hard to reach a new collective agreement that provides the pay and benefits needed to attract and retain staff for this vital public service. We're pleased that government has recognized the importance of resolving this situation quickly by agreeing to appoint a Special Mediator," said BCGEU president Paul Finch. "Workers have been engaging in job action since October, and want to get back to work under a fair agreement. Our union will provide all of the information necessary for the mediator to perform their role, and we encourage Western Pacific Marine to do the same."
 
Under the terms of the government announcement, the two parties will work with Special Mediator Vince Ready for up to 14 days to reach an agreement.
 
Special Mediators are appointed by the Ministry of Labour when requested by both parties in a labour dispute and report back directly to the ministry. They have expertise and more authority in addressing challenging labour disputes. The two parties have engaged a mediator through the BC Labour earlier in negotiations.
 
The BCGEU requested a Special Mediator from the Ministry of Labour early last week after WPM agreed with the union's proposal to engage one.

UWU/MoveUP