Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 10, 2025

BCGEU Escalates Strike Action to Include All Remaining Staff at Adult Correctional Facilities Province-wide  

BURNABY, B.C. – As the sixth week of job action comes to a close, the British Columbia General Employees' Union (BCGEU) is escalating job action once again. Today, all remaining staff at adult correctional facilities across the province are on strike, bringing the total number of public service workers taking job action to nearly 25,000, across more than 470 worksites. 

"Public service is at the heart of who we are, and we do not take the decision to escalate this strike lightly," said Paul Finch, BCGEU President. "The path to resolution lies with the government. Talks have stalled not because of our unwillingness to negotiate, but due to their lack of urgency and meaningful engagement." 

The number of fully struck ministries and services also rose to 20, as the BCGEU intensifies pressure on the provincial government to return to the bargaining table with a fair and respectful offer. 

A full list of striking worksites is available here. 

"We're calling on the provincial government to come back to the table with real proposals that reflect the essential work our members do every day," Finch added. "British Columbians deserve a public service that is properly resourced and respected - and our members deserve nothing less than a fair deal." 

With over 470 worksites affected and thousands more workers joining the strike lines, significant impacts to public services are expected in the days ahead. The BCGEU continues to maintain essential service levels where required by law but warns the government and public that further escalation is possible if the government continues to delay a fair deal. 

The BCGEU's public service bargaining committee remains ready to return to the table as soon as government is prepared to present a revised wage offer. It has been more than a week since talks broke down. Until the government takes bargaining seriously, strike action will continue to grow. 

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For more information, contact BCGEU Communications:

Nadja Komnenic:[email protected] | 604.442.2289

Backgrounder:https://www.bargainingbc.ca/public_service

UWU/MoveUP

Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2025

BCGEU Escalates Strike Action: Over 25,000 Frontline Workers Now on Strike Across B.C., including 11 Fully Struck Ministries and Crown Corporations 

BURNABY, B.C. – The British Columbia General Employees' Union (BCGEU) is escalating job action once again. Today, more than 25,000 frontline public service workers across 475 worksites will be on strike and brings the total number of fully struck ministries and crown corporations to 11, as the BCGEU intensifies pressure on the provincial government to return to the bargaining table with a fair and respectful offer. 

The 11 ministries and crown corporations now fully struck are: 

• Citizens' Services 

• Forest Practices Board 

• Energy and Climate Solutions 

• Finance

• Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation 

• Liquor Distribution Branch 

• Royal B.C. Museum 

• Mining and Critical Minerals 

• B.C. Pension Corporation 

• Infrastructure

• Water, Land and Resource Stewardship 

A full list of striking worksites is available here. 

With 475 worksites affected and thousands more workers joining the strike lines, significant impacts to public services are expected in the days ahead. The BCGEU continues to maintain essential service levels where required by law but warns the government and public that further escalation is possible if the government continues to delay a fair deal. 

The BCGEU's public service bargaining committee remains ready to return to the table as soon as government is prepared to present a revised wage offer. It has been more than a week since talks broke down. Until the government takes bargaining seriously, strike action will continue to grow.

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For more information, contact BCGEU Communications:

Nadja Komnenic: [email protected] | 604.442.2289 Backgrounder: https://www.bargainingbc.ca/public_service 

UWU/MoveUP

Strike notice at Surrey Pre-Trial Centre and VIRCC

Strike notice has now been issued at Surrey Pre-Trial Centre. In addition, a 72-hour strike notice was served yesterday for Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre (VIRCC), which will take effect on Monday, October 6th. 

What this means for members:

• Surrey Pre-Trial Centre: Effective immediately, all qualified managers should be deployed under the Essential Services Order from the Labour Board for up to 60 hours per week. Please note that the overtime ban is lifted at this worksite.
• VIRCC: Starting Monday, managers should be deployed under the same order for up to 60 hours per week. The overtime ban will be lifted at this worksite on Monday.

Once managers have reached their 60-hour maximum, members should be scheduled according to regular scheduling practices, including the standard overtime process that was in place before the overtime ban.

We will provide more information next week.

In solidarity,

Dean Purdy
Component 1 Vice President
Corrections & Sheriff Services

UWU/MoveUP

Our union has served 72-hour strike notice for all remaining provincial correctional facilities listed below. The notice will take effect at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, October 10. At which time, the overtime ban will no longer be in effect. 

Facilities affected: 

• Alouette Correctional Centre for Women – 24800 Alouette Road, Maple Ridge, B.C. 
• Ford Mountain Correctional Centre – 57657 Chilliwack Lake Road, Chilliwack, B.C. V4Z 1A7 
• Fraser Regional Correctional Centre – 13777 256th Street, Maple Ridge, B.C. V2X 0L7 
• Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre – 2250 W. Trans Canada Highway, Kamloops, B.C. V2C 5M9 
• Nanaimo Correctional Centre – 3945 Biggs Road, Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 5N3 
• North Fraser Pretrial Centre – 1451 Kingsway Avenue, Port Coquitlam, B.C. V3C 1S2 
• Okanagan Correctional Centre – 200 Enterprise Way, Oliver, B.C. V0H 1T2 
• Prince George Regional Correctional Centre – 795 Highway 16 East, Prince George, B.C. V2L 5J9 
• Burnaby Youth Custody Services Centre – 7900 Fraser Park Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5J 5H1 

What this means for members: 
Beginning Friday at 4:00 p.m., managers will be deployed in accordance with the Essential Services Order for up to 60 hours per week. 

New Scheduling Protocol
As part of this next phase, we have negotiated a new Scheduling Protocol Agreement that aims at ensuring fairness, transparency, and consistency in scheduling during this job action.

Key elements of the new Scheduling Protocol include:

Management Deployment: The Essential Services Order requires that management and excluded personnel work up to 60 hours a week. All qualified management and excluded personnel will be scheduled to work up to 60 hours per week before scheduling union members. To facilitate scheduling, managers must provide their availability to schedulers at least 24 hours in advance. 

All remaining shifts, including any overtime required under the staffing levels established by the Order, will be scheduled according to normal scheduling and operational procedures. 

We will share additional updates next week as they become available.
Read last Friday's bulletin here.

In solidarity, 

Dean Purdy 
Component 1 Vice-President 
Corrections & Sheriff Services

UWU/MoveUP

We would like to provide clarification for members working in the Repeat Violent Offending Intervention Initiative (ReVOII) program within Community Corrections.

Members' strike status is determined by the community corrections office they are assigned to-not by the correctional facility they may work with. This means:

• If your community corrections office is not struck, you are expected to continue your regular duties, whether they take place in a correctional facility or in the community.
• If your community corrections office is struck, you are to report for picket duty or essential services at your community-based office-not at the correctional facility.

Please also note that ReVOII correctional supervisors are identified as essential to complete ReVOII-related work, not community corrections staff. Therefore, probation officers participating in ReVOII will not report to correctional facilities while working out of a struck office.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

In solidarity,

Judy Fox-McGuire
Vice-President, Component 6

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 8, 2025


All remaining BC Liquor & Cannabis Stores, all Service BC workers, and Ministry of Labour join the picket lines


BURNABY, B.C. – In a major escalation of its province-wide public service strike, the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) announced today that workers from all remaining BC Liquor and BC Cannabis stores, the Ministry of Citizens' Services-including all Service BC workers - and the Ministry of Labour in Victoriahave now joined picket lines. 

As of today, nearly 25,000 frontline workers are taking job action and 431 worksites are now on strike across B.C. Job action will continue to escalate until the provincial government returns to the bargaining table with a fair wage offer. 

"We don't take this escalation lightly, and we know that disruptions to services are difficult for the public-we regret the impact this is having on communities," said Paul Finch, BCGEU President.

"But after months of patience, our members have been left with no alternative. The government has a choice: they can sit down and bargain with us-or they can continue to let this disruption escalate," added Finch. "We're ready to talk. We've been ready. The ball is in their court." 

A full list of striking worksites is available here. 

Today's escalation follows Monday's historic march and rally in Victoria-one of the largest labour rallies in decades-where more than 10,000 union members and supporters gathered at the B.C. Legislature to demand a fair contract. The rally coincided with the opening of the fall legislative session, underscoring workers' calls for a fair deal and meaningful investment in the public services British Columbians rely on. 

"Our members showed up in force in Victoria to remind the government that behind every public service is a worker who deserves respect and a fair contract," said Finch. "This is not just about wages-this is about investing in the services people across this province depend on." 

The BCGEU's Public Service Bargaining Committee remains ready to return to the table as soon as government is prepared to present a revised wage offer. It has been more than a week since talks broke down. Until the government takes bargaining seriously, strike action will continue to grow. 

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For more information, contact BCGEU Communications:
Nadja Komnenic: [email protected] | 604.442.2289
Backgrounder: https://www.bargainingbc.ca/public_service 

UWU/MoveUP

Dear PS members, 

As we continue to stand strong together on the picket lines, we want to share an important update about strike pay (including for those doing essential services work) and to provide some information on when strike pay is paid.  


Strike Pay Has Changed!

Effective immediately, strike pay has changed from the target pay system to a flat rate system. The new flat rate strike pay will apply to the current pay period that began September 28. 
 
For each picketing shift, members will earn $130, tax-free.  

If you're full-time, you're eligible to work up to 5 picket shifts/week (for a maximum of $650, tax-free). If you're part-time, you're eligible for prorated strike pay for as many shifts as you are scheduled to work. For example, if you work 3 days/week, you can picket and get strike pay for 3 shifts (3 × $130 = $390 tax free).  

If you work in essential services, here's what you need to know:  

• If you work under 7 hours of essential services in a week, you can work up to 5 picket shifts per week, for a maximum of $650 if you are full time or prorated if part time. 

• If you work 7 hours or more of essential services in a week, for every 7 hours of essential work, you are scheduled for 1 fewer picket shift. Example: If you are full time and work 14 hours essential services, you will do 3 picket shifts ($390) plus your wages for 14 hours of essential work. 

Finally, if you are full-time and your strike pay and any applicable essential shift wages are less than $650/week, you may schedule additional picket shifts to bring you up to the $650 maximum.  

Here's a flow chart to explain the new system:
 

Flowchart shows changes to strike pay which are explained in this bulletin.

Your Strike Pay Questions Answered 

When is the pay period? 

The pay period is from Sunday-Saturday each week, with payments issued on the following Friday. For this current week, the pay period is Sunday September 28-Saturday October 4, and Payworks will issue payments on October 10. 

When do I get paid? 

Payworks deposits money into bank accounts and issues cheques each Friday. For those who have signed up for direct deposit, your pay will appear immediately in your account, but some banks or credit unions have a processing delay before the money will show up in your bank account. This is not a delay on the union's end, so is unfortunately not something that we can control. If you have questions about this, you can speak directly with your bank or credit union.

If you are expecting a cheque, you should call or email the AO corresponding to the Area in which you picketed as of Monday for how to get your cheque. 

Will the postal strike affect strike pay? 

CUPW members at Canada Post just announced a national strike, which could mean significant delays in getting strike pay cheques to you. The single best way to avoid strike pay delays is to sign up for Payworks.

Please check your inbox for an email from [email protected] and follow the instructions. You will be asked to confirm your identity, to create login credentials and to set up direct deposit by providing your banking information. Further info about Payworks can be found here. 

Your dedication is the backbone of this strike. Together, we're showing strength, determination, and solidarity in every corner of the province. 

In solidarity, 
Your BCGEU Public Sector Bargaining Committee


Strike Quick Links

During this round of bargaining and job action, our union has been maintaining a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) for members, including questions about sick days, covering work, overtime, and remote work. It can be found at https://www.bcgeu.ca/ps_faqs

Know your worksite so you don't unknowingly scab. Regardless of how often you work or if you work remotely, if your or your team's worksite, home base or headquarters is being picketed, you are on strike. If you're unsure of your home base or headquarters, talk with your coworkers or check the address on your paycheque, letter of employment, telework agreement and/or physical address of your worksite. Knowing your worksite is critical to ensuring you don't unknowingly scab (i.e., work when you're actually on strike). For more, review "How do I determine if my worksite is on strike?" in our FAQ here. 

UWU/MoveUP

Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2025

Almost 2,600 more workers added to escalation of BCGEU public service strike

BURNABY, B.C. – A day after more than 10,000 union members, allies and community members marched and rallied at the B.C. Legislature in Victoria, the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) has escalated strike action again with 48 more worksites representing almost 2,600 more members joining picket lines. 

The government's failure to bring a fair offer to the table means the strike now includes nearly 30 FrontCounter BC offices province-wide - where British Columbians access natural resource and land use permits - as well as 18 more BC Liquor and Cannabis stores. As of today, every worksite in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is also now on strike. 

See a list of all striking worksites here

Almost 25,000 members of the public service are now engaged in job action across the province; over 22,000 workers are on strike at 359 fully or partially struck worksites and there are 127 picket lines. 

The Public Service Bargaining Committee is prepared to return to the table as soon as the government presents a meaningful offer. The BCGEU is calling for a 4 per cent general wage increase per year for two years - a modest and reasonable proposal that acknowledges inflation and reflects the essential contributions of public service workers. In contrast, the government's offer of 2 per cent per year for two years falls far short of what's needed to keep pace with inflation and maintain stable public services. 

Without fair wages, the government risks losing the very workers who keep B.C. running - from wildfire crews and social workers to sheriffs, IT professionals, and frontline administrators.  

Spokesperson available for comment: 
Paul Finch, BCGEU president and chair of the Public Service Bargaining Committee 

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For more information, contact BCGEU Communications:
Nadja Komnenic: [email protected] | 604-442-2289 
Backgrounder: https://www.bargainingbc.ca/public_service

UWU/MoveUP

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2025 

Over 10,000 rally at B.C. Legislature to support striking public service workers 

VICTORIA, B.C.– Coinciding with the start of the fall legislative session, more than 10,000 union members and allies marched through Victoria today in a powerful show of unity with nearly 19,700 striking public service workers represented by the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU). Marking the sixth week of job action, leaders from major unions and allied organizations - including the Professional Employees Association (PEA), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and the BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) - joined BCGEU president Paul Finch at the rally, denouncing government inaction at the bargaining table and calling on them to return with a fair wage offer or face continued job action escalation in the coming days.

"We brought our bargaining demands straight to the government's doorstep right at the start of the fall legislative session," said BCGEU president Paul Finch. "Today's rally – our biggest rally yet – shows the undeniable power of working people standing together. B.C.'s public service workers deserve respect, fairness, and wages that reflect their true value. We won't back down, we won't be divided, and we won't stop until we win a fair deal." 

This show of solidarity comes just one week after resumed negotiations collapsed on their first day, deepening tensions in what is now one of the largest public sector job actions in B.C. history. 

Meanwhile, the BCGEU sharply escalated its job action today as members walked off the job at 106 additional worksites, bringing the total to 308 sites impacted across the province and a total of nearly 22,000 workers participating in job action. 

The threat of even greater disruption to public services looms as the Community Bargaining Association (CBA) announced last Friday that they had reached an impasse in talks with the government. The CBA represents close to 23,000 workers across the province, and its members work in some of the most critical, community-based services like drug and alcohol treatment centres, adult day care, detox and emergency shelters, women's clinics, seniors' services, mental health group homes, home support, and more. 

Despite growing public disruption, the BCGEU reiterated its commitment to bargaining a fair contract that addresses the affordability crisis faced by public service workers. Talks broke down again on September 29 when the government returned to the table with no meaningful improvement on wages. The BCGEU is calling for a four per cent general wage increase each year for two years for all public service workers - a fair and modest proposal that keeps pace with inflation. 

The government's counter of a two per cent per year for two years general wage increase falls well short. While government has publicly claimed their offer amounts to five per cent over two years, that figure is misleading: it folds in temporary market adjustments and other items not all workers would receive. 

"Workers have kept vital public services running under immense pressure," said Finch. "They deserve transparency and real wage growth - not spin tactics and stalled talks." 

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For media inquiries, contact BCGEU Communications: 
Nadja Komnenic: [email protected] | 604.442.2289 
Backgrounder: www.bargainingbc.ca/public_service

UWU/MoveUP