Being prepared for job action 

Bargaining update

In a new video update to members in the public service, Paul Finch, president of the BCGEU and chair of the Public Service Bargaining committee, discussed preparations for a potential strike vote and what to expect as we approach the upcoming bargaining dates in June. 

Watch the video here. 

The economic situation across the country 

Paul highlighted the impact of a 40-year inflationary cycle on labour costs and the affordability crisis in British Columbia, and criticized past government overspending on capital projects, leading to declining revenues.

He also spoke about public sector labour efforts happening elsewhere across the country, particularly as Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) members and Canada Post workers (CUPW members) are currently taking bold steps to demand fairness and respect at the bargaining table. BCGEU public service members are facing a pivotal moment in our own contract negotiations, and we need a deal that addresses members' affordability challenges.

Preparations for a potential strike vote

Finally, Paul added that our union is preparing for job action, and our organizers are currently mobilizing for strike votes. We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement at the table, but if talks reach an impasse, we need to be ready-ready to organize, mobilize, and stand up for a collective agreement that reflects the importance of the work we do. 

In solidarity,

Your Public Service Bargaining Committee

Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair
Maria Middlemiss, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President 
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative 
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff 
 

UWU/MoveUP

BCGEU President and PSBC Chair Paul Finch Shares Latest Bargaining Update

BCGEU President and Public Service Bargaining Committee Chair Paul Finch has released a new video breaking down the ongoing challenges at the bargaining table. The employer is refusing to move in any meaningful way on the issues you have told us are your priorities for bargaining-and they've said they won't be ready to begin monetary negotiations until June, despite our offer to meet in May.

Watch the video to get the inside story, including the steps our union is taking to prepare in case a strike vote becomes necessary.

Paul Finch Discusses Public Service Bargaining on CKNW

Paul Finch joined guest host Bruce Claggett on The Jas Johal Show (CKNW) to discuss the ongoing public service contract negotiations. The interview touched on a wide range of issues, including the province's economic outlook and the escalating cost-of-living crisis in B.C.

Listen to the full interview here.

In solidarity,

Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair
Maria Middlemiss, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff

UWU/MoveUP

UWU/MoveUP

Special greetings and solidarity from the Public Service Bargaining Committee (PSBC) to recognize Administrative Professionals Day!
 
BCGEU's Component 12 is the largest grouping of administrative professionals in our union and represents about 13,000 of the nearly 35,000-member strong BC Public Service bargaining unit. The PSBC continues to work on non-monetary proposals at the table including many important issues to administrative professionals including telework and classifications.
 
Today at the table, we invited the employer to acknowledge the day and while the size and importance of work being critical to government operations was acknowledged, no advancement or commitment to priority proposals for Administrative Professionals were acknowledged in the context of bargaining.
 

All five BCGEU components which are part of the BC Public Service acknowledge the invaluable work of administrative professionals that keep every worksite running in every office, in every ministry within the public service as well as alternative service delivery sites.
 
The work at the Public Service bargaining table continues to address issues of equity, fairness and respect. Your bargaining committee is dedicated to achieving the best possible deal for all members and stands in solidarity with each other today on Administrative Professionals Day and every day. 
 
Component 12 celebrated this year by asking members to share a bit about the important work being done across the province, check out their video here: Administrative Professionals Day 2025
 
In solidarity,
 
Your Public Service Bargaining Committee

Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair
Maria Bennett, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President 
Douglas W. Dykens, Executive Director – Advocacy, Negotiations, Member 
Benefits and secretary to the PSBC 
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative 
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff 

UWU/MoveUP

What’s Ahead in Bargaining? Paul Finch Breaks It Down In a new video update, BCGEU president and chair of the Public Service Bargaining committee, Paul Finch, shares what members can expect as negotiations with your employer resume on Tuesday. He highlights how recent polling has given the bargaining team a clearer picture of members’ top priorities—especially in light of growing economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living. Paul offers insight into how talks may unfold in the coming weeks, particularly with the employer expected to table their monetary offer soon. Once those proposals are on the table, the bargaining committee will assess whether there’s a viable path toward a deal. He also lays out what steps might be taken if the employer’s offer falls short and doesn’t meet members’ expectations.

UWU/MoveUP

Rapid Grievance Tribunal 

So far this round of bargaining, discussions have been focused on key non-monetary proposals. One of the most important to our committee is the Rapid Grievance Tribunal. Here's why:

ISSUE:  

The length of time it takes to settle grievances is too long – especially for simple grievances like:

• union leave denial
• vacation denial
• overtime bypasses
• other, simple, straightforward, time-sensitive matters

Grievances are taking as long as two years to resolve, even when it's a simple matter. Lengthy waits mean that – when they win – members don't actually get the leaves they've been denied, as the days requested have long passed. In these cases, justice delayed is justice denied. As a result, many members have lost confidence in the grievance system. 

PROPOSED SOLUTION:  

In our current system, all grievances follow the same process – whether they are simple or complex. So simple grievances get unnecessarily slowed down, as they don't need lengthy investigations or rely on interpretation of complex matters. 

Separating complex and simple grievances into two streams would help conclude both types more quickly. It is not effective to put costly and limited legal resources into very simple cases. That's why we have proposed a "Rapid Grievance Tribunal" process to facilitate quick settlement of simple grievances in the most informal manner possible.

We want to emphasize that the proposed Rapid Grievance Tribunal would only address grievances of a simple nature, not more complex issues that require investigation such as disciplinary grievances.

Our union's intention behind the proposed rapid grievance tribunal is to: 

• Resolve grievances of a straightforward nature in a timely fashion
• Restore confidence in the administration of our contract 
• Resolve disputes that are otherwise impacting productivity 
• Save the union and the PSA significant money spent in prolonged adjudication of disputes that could be settled more simply. 
• Realize cost-savings for government by addressing loss of productivity, reduced workload, reduced case conference and arbitrator time

Paul Finch, BCGEU President and Chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee, explains more about the need for the proposed rapid grievance tribunal here. 

In solidarity,

Your Public Service Bargaining Committee
Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair
Maria Bennett, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President 
Douglas W. Dykens, Executive Director – Advocacy, Negotiations, Member 
Benefits and secretary to the PSBC 
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative 
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff 

UWU/MoveUP

In a new video, Paul Finch, BCGEU President and Chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee, gives an update on bargaining, and answers some commonly asked questions from members like you.

One question that many members have raised why we have taken a pause in contract negotiations. Paul outlines the many reasons for which there has been a break, such as the need to consult with members and poll the public, and the volatile nature of the current political and economic landscape.

Paul also reviews some of the key proposals that have been tabled so far during bargaining, including telework and how telework is used, the elimination the Public Service Job Evaluation Plan (PSJEP), and the Rapid Grievance Tribunal.

In the video, Paul reminds members to check out our union's detailed analysis of the B.C. budget and the potential impacts it may have on bargaining.

As mentioned in last week's bulletin, your bargaining committee will be meeting with the employer on April 22-25 in Vancouver and again on April 28-30 in Victoria. Once bargaining resumes, we have more critical work to do on important procedural and non-monetary provision proposals before we tackle the monetary proposals.

P.S.

As you may know, our current collective agreement is set to expire next Monday, March 31st. We want to reassure you that the terms of our agreement will stay in effect until a new one is negotiated and ratified. So as of April 1st, it will be business as usual for you and your coworkers.

This is outlined in Article 37.5 of the collective agreement: "Both parties shall adhere fully to the terms of this agreement during the period of bona fide collective bargaining." It should also be noted that we will be bargaining for any wage lift to be retroactive to April 1^st 2025.

In solidarity,

Your Public Service Bargaining Committee

Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair Maria Bennett, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President 
Douglas W. Dykens, Executive Director – Advocacy, Negotiations, Member 
Benefits and secretary to the PSBC 
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative 
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff

UWU/MoveUP

Bargaining dates confirmed for April

Your bargaining committee will be meeting with the employer on April 22-25 in Vancouver and again on April 28-30 in Victoria.

The focus of bargaining so far has been on non-monetary proposals – these are issues that don't have a direct monetary cost (check out past bulletins on your bargaining hub for more details on discussions so far). Monetary negotiations deal with wages, benefits, and other issues with a monetary cost - both sides usually prefer to begin these discussions once the non-monetary proposals have been agreed to. The employer has not yet addressed key non-monetary items. We hope to be able to update you on non-monetary movement after returning to the table in April.

Your bargaining committee represents you at the table and pushes for the priorities that you've identified throughout the pre-bargaining period. During the negotiation process, we will share as much information as we can. We often don't share the specifics of any offers on the table because we want to go into bargaining decisive and determined. If we run into issues at the table, that's when we come back and ask you what you're willing to fight for - what's a must and what can we confidently accept on your behalf.

Over the next few weeks, we will be mobilising workplace contacts and preparing opportunities for member education and townhall meetings. Stay tuned for more information!

BCGEU's Budget Analysis

Our union is closely monitoring the evolving economic landscape and its impact on our members and bargaining conditions. As part of that we've recently completed a detailed analysis of the provincial budget. Read our union's take on the B.C. budget and what it means for members.

In addition to an analysis of the U.S. tariff impacts and B.C.'s response, the document offers a deep dive into budget highlights such as potential implications for public service and public sector bargaining, emergency readiness and wildfire response, and government's housing strategy.

Reminder – update your contact information

We're asking all members in the public service to update your contact information in the Member Portal before your contract expires on March 31st.

If you don't yet have a Member Portal account, click here to sign up today. 

Already have a Member Portal account? You can log in here. If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it here. It's important to make sure that our union has your up-to-date contact information.

In solidarity, 

Your Public Service Bargaining Committee

 
Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair
Maria Bennett, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative 
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President
Douglas W. Dykens, Executive Director – Advocacy, Negotiations, Member
Benefits and secretary to the PSBC
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff

UWU/MoveUP

The sixth week of public service bargaining concluded in Victoria on Friday. We reached agreement on the use of artificial intelligence and automated work, achieved language regarding our commitment to reconciliation, and continued work on the component agreements. The employer has refused to negotiate meaningful language changes on key issues such as reasonable parameters on telework and electronic monitoring. The committee stands firm on these issues. 

VIDEO: Paul Finch outlines the significance of MOU 1 
Watch BCGEU President Paul Finch, who also serves as Chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee, clarify some key points about Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 1, which covers job security. Paul explains why the renewal of this MOU is a significant development at the bargaining table, especially following government's two recent hiring freeze announcements.

Next steps
Both parties will be taking a scheduled break and won't return to the bargaining table until April. We will continue to send regular email bulletins containing useful information, resources and education about the bargaining process. 

Your current collective agreement expires on March 31st, but the terms and conditions of employment outlined in the expired agreement will continue to apply until your new contract is negotiated and put in place. That means that April 1st will be business as usual for you and your coworkers unless you hear otherwise from our union.

This break in bargaining is an intentional pause to carefully plan and strategize,especially given the current uncertain economic climate. In the meantime, we will continue to work behind the scenes to prepare next steps, including carrying out research, launching polling to take a temperature check of members and the public, plan for member town halls and webinars, and conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of the provincial budget, the US tariffs, and other external economic factors.

Meet your bargaining committee
Your bargaining committee consists of elected members of our union – members like you. Read about each member of the committee, learn more about their background and what inspires and motivates them this round of bargaining and throughout their union activism.

Pink Shirt Day: Wednesday, February 26
Pink Shirt Day is an important reminder that bullying and harassment have no place in our workplaces. Unions play a critical role in combating workplace bullying and harassment. Through collective bargaining, unions can secure anti-harassment protections, enforcing workplace rights, and hold employers accountable for fostering respectful workplaces. 

On Pink Shirt Day, the Public Service Bargaining Committee members wore pink to show their ongoing commitment to ensuring all workers have safe, inclusive, and supportive workplaces.



In solidarity,

Your Public Service Bargaining Committee

Paul Finch, President and Committee Chair
Maria Bennett, Treasurer
Dean Purdy, Component 1 Vice-President
Kusam Doal, Component 5 Vice-President
Judy Fox-McGuire, Component 6 Vice-President
Mona Dykes, Component 6 Second Representative
DJ Pohl, Component 12 Vice-President
Faith Johnston, Component 12 Second Representative
Robert Davis, Component 20 Vice-President 
Douglas W. Dykens, Executive Director – Advocacy, Negotiations, Member 
Benefits and secretary to the PSBC 
Larisa Mills, Staff Representative 
Sumiko Marshall, Support Staff 

UWU/MoveUP