FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
March 3, 2026

BCGEU Responds to Expanding cancer coverage for firefighters

"Today's announcement is a welcome step forward for the more than 15,000 wildfire fighters covered under the Workers Compensation Act," said Paul Finch, president of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU), which represents roughly 2,000 members in the wildfire service. 
 
"While we welcome this progress, we will continue advocating for expanded protections, stronger prevention measures, and the resources wildfire fighters need to stay safe. As fire seasons grow longer and more extreme, our members deserve a system that keeps pace with the realities of their work. They put their health on the line for British Columbians and they deserve to know that the province will stand behind them if they get sick," said Finch. 
 
Sebastian Kallos, a wildfire fighter and a vice president of BCGEU's Component 20, which represents members in wildfire and other occupations, said: "On behalf of our wildfire members, we welcome the Province's decision to amend the Firefighters' Occupational Disease Regulation to recognize eight additional cancers as presumptively work-related. Wildfire fighters face intense, prolonged exposure to smoke, carcinogens, and toxic environments on the front lines of increasingly severe fire seasons. Adding these new cancers acknowledges the real and well-documented risks our members take every single day.
 
"Presumptive coverage matters. It means firefighters can access compensation and support without the added burden of proving their disease was caused by the critical job they were proud to do," said Kallos.

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For more information contact BCGEU Communications at [email protected] 

UWU/MoveUP

Provincial Budget Analysis Report 

Dear members,
 

As you may know, the B.C. government tabled its annual budget last week. While this budget does not include the most severe cuts many had feared, it effectively cuts spending in important areas such as housing, childcare and the public sector.

The BCGEU Research Department has put together a budget analysis to help you understand what this budget means for you and your family.

We believe the work needed for fiscal health is clear: right-size management to front-line worker ratios, bring contracts back into government where appropriate, create procurement strategies on large projects that produce value for the public, and match capital spending plans with workforce planning through the creation of an economic development plan.

Cutting public services during economic strain risks deeper economic instability and higher long-term costs. Healthcare, education, childcare, public safety, and public administration enable people to work, businesses to operate, and communities to grow. A strong public sector is what allows the private sector to function efficiently and competitively.

Read the full analysis below: 

Read More

Government has indicated they will cut jobs in the public sector and we have been clear that these cuts must not come from core, front-line workers and instead should address the increase in non-unionized management staff. We know that layoffs through attrition have already negatively impacted frontline services and we continue to advocate reversing this trend.

In solidarity,

Paul Finch, President
BCGEU 

UWU/MoveUP

The B.C. government's 2026/27 budget, Securing B.C.'s Future, avoids the most severe austerity measures many feared-but it still raises serious concerns for public services and the workers who deliver them. 

BCGEU's budget analysis finds that while the province is not facing an immediate fiscal crisis, the government's failure to meaningfully address long-standing revenue shortfalls and strategically invest in crumbling public services risks service reductions through workforce cuts, delayed capital projects, and growing pressure on frontline staff. 

Rather than relying on attrition and "right-sizing" the public sector, our analysis shows that B.C. needs a stronger, fairer approach to revenue generation-one that ensures high-income earners and resource industries contribute their fair share, while protecting the services British Columbians rely on. 

Read the full analysis to understand what Budget 2026 means for public services, workers, and the province's long-term economic future. 

Download PDF of full analysis here

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 25, 2026 

Subject: B.C. wildland firefighters press federal government for action during Parliament Hill lobby day 

Ottawa, Ont. (Traditional Algonquin Anishinaabe Territory) – B.C. wildland firefighters, members of the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU), were on Parliament Hill yesterday to meet with federal decision-makers and call for urgent action on key issues impacting wildland firefighter safety, health, and recognition. 

The Federal Lobby Day brought together wildland firefighters from British Columbia and Members of Parliament to discuss long-standing concerns, including the misclassification of wildland firefighters in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, the need for preventative health screening, and the federal government's role in wildfire response. 

"Wildland firefighters are facing increasingly dangerous conditions as wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, yet federal systems still fail to properly recognize the work they do," said BCGEU President Paul Finch. "Meeting directly with federal representatives is critical to ensuring the realities our members face on the fire line are understood and addressed. These workers deserve the same recognition, protections, and supports as other firefighters across the country." 

Wildland firefighters are currently classified under the "Silviculture and Forestry Workers" category in the NOC system. This designation fails to reflect the emergency management and natural disaster response scope of their work, overlooking the risks they face and their critical role in protecting public safety. It also fails to acknowledge wildland firefighters as first responders. During meetings on Parliament Hill, wildland firefighters urged the federal government to move wildland firefighters into existing firefighter classifications, which would improve professional and first responder recognition, data accuracy, and access to programs that support early occupational health screening for presumptive conditions. 

Participants also called on the federal government to support the development of preventative occupational health screening for wildland firefighters, including early cancer detection and screening for other presumptive conditions linked to wildland firefighting work. 

"Wildland firefighters put their health on the line to protect communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems," Finch added. "Preventative health screening is a proactive step that could save lives, and the federal government has a clear role to play in making that happen." 

The lobby day was organized with the support of West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler, who met with wildland firefighters and helped facilitate discussions with federal officials. 

"Wildland firefighters are at the front line protecting communities across British Columbia and Canada from a growing threat," said MP Patrick Weiler. "I'm committed to creating space for these workers to share their experiences directly with federal decision-makers. Their expertise is invaluable, and their voices must be part of shaping federal policy on wildfire response and wildland firefighter health and safety." 

As wildfire activity continues to escalate nationwide, wildland firefighters are also calling for deeper engagement between the federal government, labour representatives, and jurisdictional wildfire agencies to clarify and strengthen the federal role in wildfire response. 

The BCGEU represents more than 2,300 wildland firefighters employed by the B.C. Wildfire Service. The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, representing more than 95,000 workers across nearly every community and economic sector in the province. 

For more information contact BCGEU Communications at [email protected] 

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For more information on the federal National Framework on Cancers Linked to Firefighting, including efforts to improve cancer prevention, research, and screening access for firefighters, visit:
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/firefighters-health/national-framework-cancers-linked-firefighting.html#a13 

UWU/MoveUP

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
February 18, 2026 
 

BCGEU Opposes Elimination of Independent Merit Commissioner

The B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) is raising serious concerns about legislation introduced in yesterday’s provincial budget that would abolish the independent Office of the Merit Commissioner and transfer its responsibilities to the BC Public Service Agency (PSA).

The union, which represents more than 95,000 members including nearly 35,000 public service workers, says it was not consulted on the proposed changes. 

The proposed amendments to the Public Service Act would discontinue the Office of the Merit Commissioner and return oversight of merit-based hiring and staffing reviews to the Deputy Minister of the PSA, the same agency responsible for administering hiring processes across the public service.

“You cannot effectively oversee yourself,” said BCGEU President Paul Finch. “Independent review exists for a reason: to ensure accountability, maintain public confidence, and protect from political or internal interference. Eliminating independent oversight undermines transparency and risks eroding trust in the fairness of public service staffing.”

The Office of the Merit Commissioner was established to provide independent review and public reporting on whether appointments and transfers in the B.C. Public Service are made on merit. While government states the merit principle itself will remain unchanged, the BCGEU argues that shifting oversight into the PSA creates a clear and unavoidable conflict of interest.

“Public service employees rely on and deserve confidence that staffing decisions – hiring, promotions, and transfers – are fair and impartial,” added Finch. “British Columbians deserve assurance that their public service is professional and non-partisan. Removing independent oversight sends the wrong message.”

The BCGEU is calling on government to reconsider the legislation, consult meaningfully with stakeholders, and maintain independent oversight of merit-based staffing.

“A strong, impartial public service is foundational to good governance,” Finch said. “Weakening independent accountability is the wrong direction for British Columbia.”

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Media Contact: 

Nadja Komnenic | BCGEU Communications | 604-442-2289 | [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

BC's 'stability budget' continues cuts to the public sector

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 17, 2026 

VICTORIA, B.C. 
Today, B.C. Budget 2026/27 was released. While the government is calling this budget a stabilizing budget that preserves public services, the reality is that the failure to make the necessary changes to revenue and invest in these public services will amount to cuts to how public services are delivered.

Government has indicated they will cut jobs in the public sector and BCGEU has been clear that these cuts must not come from core frontline workers. Reductions in the public service workforce of more than 2,500 people are promised as a way to reduce the budget deficit. Both Premier Eby and Finance Minister Bailey have made public commitments that this is about rightsizing the ratio of management to frontline service providers, but we are already seeing through attrition that frontline workers will be asked to do more with less.

BCGEU President Paul Finch attended this morning's budget lockup to advocate for the union's priorities on behalf of its more than 95,000 members. 

"We need to put this budget in context. The province needs to responsibly address the deficit, but this is not a financial crisis," said Finch. "What we need to see is strategic investment in the services that keep costs down for ordinary people. Instead, what we saw today was that more cuts are coming to the public sector workforce. Government has promised that this will be achieved by right-sizing the management-to-frontline service worker ratio, and we will hold them accountable for this promise."

Finch emphasized that current fiscal pressures stem from global uncertainty, inflation, cost overruns, and lost revenues – including the removal of the carbon tax without a replacement plan– not frontline public spending. 

"You cannot build a productive economy on a weakened public foundation," said Finch. "In difficult economic times, the people of B.C. rely on public services. Healthcare. Childcare. Public safety. Our members are not the cause of this deficit; they are essential to the solution." 

Importantly, this budget does make an effort to consider revenue generation and taxation. This is an important step in the right direction, but it does not go far enough to deliver fair value on our resources or to make strategic investments in our workforce.

The union is calling on government to take the right steps on the revenue generation side and to develop a fulsome economic development plan and a workforce development plan. 

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Media Contact: 
Nadja Komnenic | BCGEU Communications | 604-442-2289 | [email protected] 

UWU/MoveUP

Provincial Budget 2026 /27 – What's in Store

Dear BCGEU member,

The B.C. government tabled its annual budget today. A team of BCGEU staff and I attended the budget lockup to analyze its contents and advocate for our union's key priorities.

Faced with a mounting structural deficit, government has tabled what they are calling a "stabilizing" budget. While this budget does not dramatically reduce public services, it effectively cuts spending in important areas. As a result, we are left with cuts to public services at a time when they are most needed. 

Government has indicated they will cut jobs in the public sector and we have been clear that these cuts must not come from core, front-line workers and instead should address the increase in non-unionized management staff. We know that layoffs through attrition have already negatively impacted frontline services and we continue to advocate reversing this trend. 

We are glad to see a recommitment to universality in childcare. But universality without access is meaningless to those working families who cannot get affordable quality childcare spaces. We are also not seeing commitments to compensation for the early childhood educators who make this system work. There is also a concerning $1.4 billion deferral of housing investments that will further impact affordability. 

To put the government's numbers into context: We need to responsibly address the mounting deficit, but this is not a financial crisis. Government spending has been relatively consistent and B.C.'s debt-to-GDP ratio is already among the lowest in the country. Our province already has a lean public service that cannot absorb any cuts to core services.

So what should change?

It is encouraging to see that revenue generation is on the table because it is clear that government has a revenue problem. But government also has a governance problem. We need to ensure that investments in core infrastructure are done right – that means building with procurement strategies that get the best value for all people in B.C.

Inefficient procurement processes and tax breaks for resource extraction corporations line the pockets of a few wealthy shareholders but shortchange residents of B.C. of their fair share of our province's wealth. This wastefulness must end and the province should align infrastructure development with the people who depend on it.

We are calling on government to implement a robust economic development and workforce plan to thoroughly reevaluate its procurement and royalty revenue process in order to maximize the public good that comes from investments. Because those revenues belong to all residents of B.C.

We know that B.C.'s true economic power lies not only in our vast natural wealth, but in the expertise and dedication of our workers. As we have argued in the past, the profits of our natural and human resources should benefit the many, not the few. The revenue from resources that belong to all of us should be reinvested in our communities to solve the problems we face because the only path to progress is with robust and well-funded public services.

In solidarity,

Paul Finch, President
BCGEU 

UWU/MoveUP

The 2026/27 B.C. Budget is a test. 

It's a test of whether this government will lead during a storm with calm, responsible governance - or pass the cost of economic uncertainty onto working families. 

Let's be clear: the deficit must be addressed responsibly, but the path forward cannot come at the expense of the public services and workers that keep British Columbia running. 

Working people did not create today's economic pressures. Global instability, inflation, and government revenue decisions did. Cutting public services now would only make life more expensive for families and weaken our province's economic foundation. 

Public Services Are What Make the Economy Work 

Healthcare. Education. Child care. Public safety. Public services. 

These services allow our members to go to work, businesses to operate, and communities to thrive. They lower household costs and create stability in uncertain times. 

Weakening them doesn't solve a deficit - it shifts costs directly onto working families. 

When public services shrink: 

• Parents lose access to affordable child care. 
• Healthcare wait times grow. 
• Education supports erode. 
• Costs rise for families already struggling with housing, food, and transportation. 

You cannot build a productive economy on a crumbling public foundation. 

This Is About Revenue - Not Austerity 

This is not simply a spending problem. It's a revenue problem. 

Government decisions, including eliminating revenue sources without a replacement plan, and years of not getting fair value for our resources, have significantly contributed to the deficit. That's a policy choice. 

The real question isn't whether we can afford public services. It's whether government is willing to put in place a sustainable revenue plan to protect the services people depend on. Cuts alone are not a responsible economic strategy. 

Child Care: It's time to deliver

This government campaigned on universal, quality child care, fee caps, and professional compensation for the workers who care for our children. In the years since, we have fallen behind other provinces in delivering on that promise. 

Across B.C., families can't find affordable quality child care. Parents - disproportionately women - are being forced out of the workforce because spaces aren't available. Early childhood educators' compensation remains a problem for workers and for retaining these skilled providers. 

Child care isn't a luxury. It's economic infrastructure. 

If parents can't work, the economy doesn't work. 

If child care workers can't afford to stay in the sector, the system collapses. 

A budget for working families must include: 

• Real progress toward universal child care 
• Affordable, capped fees 
• Fair wages and respect for child care workers 

Our Members Are Not the Problem - We Are the Solution

When government talks about reducing the size of the public service, they are talking about cutting jobs. 

In a time of economic strain, cutting public sector workers doesn't strengthen the economy - it weakens it. 

BCGEU members deliver the services that make affordability possible. We are healthcare workers, child care workers, administrative professionals, frontline staff, and public safety workers. We are part of the economic engine of this province. 

A budget for working families protects the services that keep costs down and communities strong.

TAKE ACTION: Tell the Premier to Fix Child Care

The government needs to hear directly from working people. 

If you believe child care must be affordable, accessible, quality and properly funded - now is the time to speak up. 

Join our partners in the $10/day child care coalition and send an email to Premier David Eby today and demand a real plan for universal quality child care. 

Tell him: 

• Families can't afford higher child care costs. 
• Parents shouldn't be forced out of the workforce. 
• Child care workers deserve professional wages. 
• A budget for working families must protect and expand childcare. 

👉 [Click here to send your email now] 

When working people speak together, government listens. 

Let's make sure it's a budget that works for working families. 

In solidarity, 

Paul Finch, 
President, BCGEU 

UWU/MoveUP