Our union’s Constitution and Bylaws describe the rights and responsibilities of union membership and how we govern ourselves. At the BCGEU’s 2024 Convention in May, delegates adopted changes to Article 7 of the Constitution which lays out the process of discipline for members found to have violated our union’s constitution. 

These updates affect the role of local chairs under the Complaint Procedure (see page 14 of the Constitution and Bylaws). At the initiation of a complaint, a written statement will no longer be sent to the complainant’s local chair but to a designated email instead ([email protected]). A copy will be sent to the local chair within seven days.

A new form for filing a complaint under Article 7 is also available on the Member Portal. Go to General Resources under the Resources tab and then scroll down to find Documents and Forms. Sign in here for access.

Please note, if a member submits a complaint to you directly as a local chair, please direct the member to the fillable form and the designated email. 

Other minor updates have also been made to improve language around what evidence must be submitted by the complainant, as well as the appeal process. For full details, we encourage you to review the Constitution and Bylaws here. 

In solidarity, 

Paul Finch 
BCGEU president

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2024

As the CRD grasps at straws, striking workers hold the line for fair wages 

WILLIAMS LAKE (Traditional territory of the Williams Lake Band, home to the Secwepemc people) – It's week four of the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) strike, and instead of taking the necessary steps to end job action by amending its last wage offer and negotiating in good faith, the CRD is making unfounded claims.

"The CRD's management is saying that our members are the ones refusing to return to bargaining, but that's simply not the case," says BCGEU President-Elect Paul Finch, who was on the Williams Lake picket line today, and the Quesnel picket line yesterday.

The BCGEU has reached out to the CRD bargaining team's hired gun multiple times during the strike to remind management of their responsibility to make a counteroffer that can financially sustain workers, so they can deliver the highest quality services. On June 10, the BCGEU sent another email to the CRD's bargaining team. The union has yet to receive a response.

"Management knows that the only way out of this strike is by adjusting their last offer, which our members could not accept because it would only exacerbate recruitment and retention issues at the CRD and destabilize services," says Finch. "The Regional District's upper management stopped talking after members voted down that insufficient final offer. In other words, they refuse to honor the bargaining process while our members are deeply invested in settling a deal."

Picketing workers are fighting for language that will protect their future wages from the eroding forces of inflation, in case the cost-of-living spikes again. The union's proposal follows a clear pattern of deals recently settled between other unions and municipalities that recognize workers need wages in-line with the regional cost-of-living to keep contributing to their communities.

"Instead of valuing their staff with a reasonable wage offer, like other comparable employers, the CRD is racking up legal fees and pitting residents against their neighbours - our members - just so they can win an argument. It's unproductive." 

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For more information, please contact BCGEU Communications Officer Celia Shea at 780-720-8122 or [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 10, 2024

BCGEU issues statement on the CRD's strong-arm tactics 

WILLIAMS LAKE – The union representing striking Cariboo Regional District (CRD) workers says that the Regional District's upper management has a responsibility to its staff and the entire community to adjust its last offer and bargain fairly for an improved contract that will serve the needs of all residents.

BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU) President-Elect Paul Finch says, "It's incredibly unfair of the CRD to continue passing the buck to our members in the media, when they already know where the workers stand on the CRD's insufficient wage proposal."

In May, months after BCGEU members voted in favour of strike action to win a fair deal, the CRD's upper management put its final (and only) wage offer to a vote. This offer did not include critical inflation-matching wage protections, even though the CRD never provided evidence that they could not afford such measures.

The members voted the offer down. Many of them are already struggling to pay their bills, and they need financial assurance in the face of an uncertain economic future, where cost-of-living could spike yet again.

"Final offer votes are a last-ditch effort on an employer's part to compel staff to accept a less-than-ideal contract," says Finch. "Two paths to resolution remained when their tactic failed: members could strike or the CRD could improve its offer. The CRD did not adjust their offer, so our members went on strike. The workers made their move. Now it's the employer's turn."

He adds that striking was not an easy decision for the CRD workers, who want to be at work supporting their neighbours. However, job action was necessary to prove that critical services in the Cariboo don't run themselves.

"Communities need skilled and dedicated workers like our members to ensure regional governments can service residents now and into the future," says Finch. "There is a logical and reasonable next step for the CRD to take - provide a contract that attracts and retains workers, so they can do their jobs and give Cariboo residents the support that they deserve."

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For more information, please contact BCGEU Communications Officer Celia Shea at 780-720-8122 or [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

The right to peaceful protest in public places like university and college campuses is legally enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Students, staff and faculty at Canadian universities are entitled to the peaceful expression of their opinions. Campuses across the province have a responsibility to protect the safety of protesting students, as well as their right to free speech and assembly.

The BCGEU stands in solidarity with the students, staff and faculty who are peacefully demonstrating and engaging in dialogue on important human rights issues. In doing so, they continue a long-standing tradition of on-campus fights for dignity and human rights. They stand on the shoulders of many student movements throughout history, which have fought against war, occupation, racism, sexism, and the destruction of our planet.

Our union defends the rights of students to mobilize and we urge colleges and universities across the province to reject the use of force and to abstain from trying to silence these protestors. Instead, we call on university and college administrators to engage with the protestors and commit to open dialogue and empathy to find common ground on the important issues that they are fighting for. 

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 5, 2024

BCGEU says the Regional District is prolonging the strike, hurting whole community 

WILLIAMS LAKE - It's Day 18 of the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) strike, and the union representing picketing workers says the CRD's upper management is refusing to return to the table with a deal that's in-line with what workers or the community needs, which is putting vital services at risk of prolonged job action.

BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) members were forced to strike when the CRD shutdown bargaining by refusing to negotiate or move from their original, insufficient wage proposal – a proposal that failed to include the inflation-matching wages members desperately need.

Paul Finch, president-elect of the BCGEU, says:
"The CRD owes it to the entire Cariboo community to provide frontline workers with the wage protections they need to keep calling the area home. Wages that can keep up with the cost of living are key to attracting and retaining expertise needed to deliver strong services now and into the future."

Finch followed that up to say: "It's disappointing that upper management is so blatantly ignoring the impact that our members have on the prosperity of the entire Cariboo Region. By devaluing their staff, they're also devaluing the farmers, construction workers, library customers and everyone else whose own livelihoods and quality of life depend on our members and the vital work they do." 

Striking workers have been bargaining with the Cariboo Regional District since January. They formed their first picket line in Williams Lake on May 13, and expanded the strike into Quesnel and 100 Mile House shortly after.

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For more information, please contact BCGEU Communications Officer Celia Shea at 780-720-8122 or [email protected]. 

UWU/MoveUP

Our union's 52nd constitutional convention has just adjourned. Since the call to order on Wednesday evening, nearly 600 delegates representing every region and component debated and passed a wide range of resolutions, which will help shape the direction of our union for the next three years.

Members also elected our union's new Executive Committee. We are pleased today to share that the following candidates were successfully elected into the following roles:

President:
Paul Finch 

Treasurer:
Maria Middlemiss 

Executive Vice-Presidents: 
Masoud Aminzavvar 
Coralie Gregoire 
Doug Kinna 
Megan Washington 
Tristen Wybou 

In accordance with a constitutional update passed on May 30, 2024, the composition of the five EVP positions has met these new requirements: 

• At least one (1) must be a woman.
• At least one (1) must be a man.
• At least one (1) must be from an equity group.
• At least one (1) must be Indigenous.

For more information on what's been happening at Convention 2024, you can read summary of some of the highlights here: https://convention.bcgeu.ca/news

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 29, 2024 

BC's fastest growing union kicks off leadership-defining convention

VANCOUVER-Almost 600 delegates from across the province are gathered today for the start of the 52nd Convention of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU). Over the next three days at the triennial event, delegates will determine the direction of their union by voting on policy resolutions and electing a new and expanded leadership team. 

Stephanie Smith, the first woman elected president of the BCGEU, announced in January that she would not run for a fourth term. In addition to selecting a new president for the first time in ten years, delegates will elect an Equity Executive Vice President (Equity EVP), also for the first time. This new position expands the leadership team as well as reflecting the union's overall commitment to diversity and inclusion at all levels of membership.

"Our province has so much economic, cultural and social diversity, and I think we are going to see the election of a new BCGEU leadership team that is even more representative of that great diversity," said Smith. "It's an exciting opportunity to continue to build on the actions that demonstrate our union's values." 

Between the call to order on Wednesday evening and the adjournment on Saturday, delegates will hear from high profile speakers about important issues facing working people, and they will debate and decide on resolutions that cover a wide range of union, social justice and equity issues – determining the priorities and path the BCGEU will take for the next three years.

"Unions represent the best of us – as workers and as activists – because they show that we succeed not by focusing only on our own needs, but by uniting and standing beside our colleagues, allies and neighbours," said Smith. "Today I believe more strongly than ever in what's possible when good people work together and I know that our members are ready for all the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead." 

To view the convention agenda, speakers list and more, visit: https://convention.bcgeu.ca/

WHAT: BCGEU's 52nd Constitutional Convention 

WHEN: Wednesday May 29 to Saturday June 1, 2024 

WHERE: Westin Bayshore Hotel, 1601 Bayshore Dr., Vancouver 

Media interested in attending the convention can contact Bronwen Barnett, Communications Officer, at 604-291-9611 or [email protected] 

The BCGEU is B.C.'s fastest growing union with over 90,000 members in virtually every community and economic sector in the province. 

BACKGROUNDER

Stephanie Smith 

• Stephanie Smith was first elected BCGEU president in 2014. 
• She first became involved in her union working as an early childhood educator. 
• Smith has been an important leader in B.C. politics and the labour movement – from being named one of Business in Vancouver's most influential leaders to the many roles she's taken on across community organizations and alongside other public and private sector unions. 
• In her ten years as president of the BCGEU, the fastest growing union in B.C., she oversaw countless campaigns and job actions, and she has played a significant role in the provincial and national labour movement's efforts to make life better for working people. 

Equity Executive Vice President 

• The change in president will also happen alongside other major shifts in the wider leadership team, including the addition of a new Equity Executive Vice President (EVP) position. 
• This new position is intended to increase representation of members from one or more equity groups – those that face systemic marginalization created by historic and ongoing, social and environmental factors. 
• While many of the union's recent executive committee members have identified with one or more equity groups, this newly created Equity EVP position explicitly puts equity issues at the forefront of the BCGEU's agenda. 

Convention 

• The BCGEU's Constitutional Convention is typically held every three years. 
• Due to the pandemic, this is the union's first in-person convention since 2017.
• Delegates come from across the province and work in every sector (direct government, broader public service, private sector, non-profit sector). 

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2024

BCGEU expands Cariboo Region strike, calls on the Regional District to bargain in good faith 

WILLIAMS LAKE - Cariboo Regional District workers, who have been fighting for a fair contract for months, expanded their strike action this morning. Forced by the Regional District's inaction, they are now picketing the library in Williams Lake and Quesnel's City Hall.

The workers, who are members of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU), will be on the picket lines between 8:15 am and 4:15 pm. Media are invited to visit all striking locations, which include:

• Quesnel: 410 Kinchant St (8:15 am to 4:00 pm)
• 100 Mile House: Cariboo Regional District Library - 449 Birch Ave S (8:15 am to 4:00 pm)
• Williams Lake: 180 3 Ave N Suite D (8:15 am to 4:15 pm)

"It's disappointing that the Regional District is not honouring its workers and returning to the bargaining table with a reasonable deal," says BCGEU Treasurer Paul Finch. "Our members were committed to the negotiations process from day one and exhausted every avenue to resolution, including applying for mediation. But the Regional District clung to its subpar offer, pushing members to strike."

The Regional District tried to strongarm BCGEU members into accepting wages that do not offer staff the financial security they need to continue calling the Cariboo Region home while they serve their communities with library support, waste management, fire mitigation and more. In contrast, the workers have been advocating for inflation-matching protections, which will help offset financial pressures if the Region's cost-of-living skyrockets again.

The Regional District, which is already suffering from recruitment and retention problems, needs vital improvements to working conditions; otherwise, high turnover risks destabilizing local services.

"The level of respect that a government shows for its workers is a direct reflection of the respect it has for its residents," adds Finch. "The Regional District owes it to their constituents to put more resources into the support that people count on. They owe it to their constituents to help get our members back to work by returning to the bargaining table."

BCGEU members were pushed to kick off strike action on Monday, May 13, starting with the Regional District's main office in Williams Lake, where the majority of the BCGEU members work. Since then, they've been expanding their picket lines, as the CRD has failed to come back to workers with a fair offer.

"The community support has been incredible to see," says Finch. "Between donations and kind words from neighbours, unions, a school district, and even a small business, Cariboo Region residents are rallying behind our members and their fight for a contract that will attract and retain dedicated and experienced workers in the Cariboo Region." 

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For more information, please contact: 
Celia Shea, BCGEU Communications officer, at 780-720-8122 or [email protected]

UWU/MoveUP

As we learn more details of the fast-moving wildfire threatening Fort Nelson, officials have placed almost 5,000 people under an evacuation order due to the wildfire affecting the Town of Fort Nelson and the Fort Nelson First Nation.

We have hundreds of members like you living and working in the area, and our thoughts are with you and your families at this uncertain time.

As one of B.C.'s largest unions, and as the union representing many of the emergency crews serving our communities like Fort Nelson, we are here to support our members and affected communities across the province.

That's why we want to make sure all BCGEU members affected by this crisis are aware of the emergency relief fund that can help you out during moments like these.

As per article 8.5 of the BCGEU's Financial Manual, emergency financial assistance may be paid to a member if a member loses their home to due to damage caused by a fire, or if they lose access to their home due to a formal evacuation order arising from a fire.

If you think you may be eligible for emergency financial assistance, please contact the BCGEU's Peace River Area Office by email: [email protected] or phone: (250) 785-6185 / 1-800-667-0788 to speak to a staff representative and receive the application form.

Please note that a completed FA-111 application form must be submitted within three months of the fire, flood or other natural disaster to receive payment, which will be made directly by your component. Applicants must be full or life BCGEU members as noted in constitution and bylaws articles 4.1 and 4.4.

For updates and current conditions including highway closures and evacuation orders, more information will be available through Emergency Info BC.

Please feel free to get in touch with us should you have any issues with your employer during this time.