10,000 Strong and Not Stopping Until We Get a Fair Deal! 

For three weeks we have been engaged in targeted strike action to bring your employer back to the negotiating table. While several thousand BCGEU members have marched on picket lines across the province, government has attempted and failed to reach a deal with another bargaining association to undermine our efforts; misrepresented and made blatantly false claims about our negotiating asks (as well as prior rounds of bargaining); and has used revised Q1 financial estimates to argue against negotiating with your bargaining committee. 

They've refused to negotiate since our membership overwhelmingly rejected their mandate offer by 93%. Since then, we have patiently outlined our case to the public, highlighting how our contracts have fallen below inflation as well as the average wage in B.C. over the past decade. We've also emphasized the staggering increase in excluded and management positions within our bargaining unit, and the failure to fund frontline work throughout that period.

Over these weeks, out strike strategy has targeted core government operations while minimizing direct impact on the general public. And instead of responding with a renewed wage mandate, the government has chosen to stand by a low-ball offer that will keep you in an affordability crisis, risking B.C's economy and services. So, we're showing them what your labour is worth: Early this morning, members at all Liquor Distribution (LDB) centres and warehouses started walking off the job to join our strike. 

In concert with members at the LDB Headquarters in Burnaby, and five other newly struck worksites (see list below to confirm if you're picketing), this raises our historic job action to 10,000 striking workers! 

Are you striking today?

Regardless of how often you work or if you work remotely, if your or your team's worksite, home base or headquarters is included in the following list, you are on strike today. 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 FAQs here. 

• 2219 Government, Victoria - on strike as of 7 a.m. - picketing at 675 Belleville. 
• 800 Johnson, Victoria - Strike began 7:30 a.m. - picketing at 675 Belleville. 
• 835 Humboldt St, Victoria – Strike began at 7:30 a.m. 
• 3383 Gilmore, Burnaby – Strike began at 8 a.m. 
• 4940 Canada Way, Burnaby - Strike began 8 a.m. - picketing at 3383 Gilmore, Burnaby 
• 815 Hornby, Vancouver - Strike began 8 a.m. 
• 605 Robson St, Vancouver - Strike began 8 a.m. - picketers directed to nearest picket line 
• 7003 72 St., Delta – Strike began with walkout at 9:30 a.m. 
• 3389 No 6 Rd, Richmond – on strike as of morning shift change 
• 9881 Dallas Drive, Kamloops – on strike as of morning shift change 
  
  

Watch Delta LDB Workers Walk Off the Job

Hear BCGEU President Paul Finch talk more about today's escalation with media outside of the Delta LDB Warehouse, where members walked off the job at 9:30 a.m! 
 

Click here to watch YouTube video:
"Public Service Strike - Escalation Announcement at Delta LDB Warehouse - Sept 22, 2025"

Our strike strategy

Who goes on strike and when is a strategic decision that your bargaining committee is making carefully to apply maximum pressure on the employer. While we've tried, to date, to minimize the impacts on the public, today's actions will be felt by B.C residents. 

This labour gap though, will be far worse (and more permanent) if government doesn't come back with a better wage mandate that can attract and retain the workers needed to sustain public services into the future. 

We warned the employer that we would be forced to escalate – now they must deal with the industry fallout and face the fact that offering public service workers a fair, inflation-fighting contract is the best way to protect B.C's economy. 

Solidarity Actions

If you're not currently engaged in job action, you can take these actions to support fellow public service workers on the lines: 
• Visit a picket line near you, click here to see the list of picket locations.
• Send an email to your MLA calling for a fair deal for public service workers.
• Share BCGEU social media content on Facebook and Instagram

Strike quick links

For questions about striking worksites, remote work and how to avoid scabbing – see the FAQ under About Job Action to find the answers to:
 
• Which worksites are on strike? 
• How do I determine if my worksite is on strike? 
• What is scabbing? How do I avoid doing it? 
• What would a strike mean for remote workers? 
 
Sign up for Payworks to make sure you're paid for any strike duties you're assigned, whether or not you're part of the current job action. To do so, check your inbox for an email from [email protected] and follow the instructions. You will be a sked to confirm your identity, to create your login credentials and to set up direct deposit by providing your banking information. For further info about Payworks, review the Public Service FAQ here. 


Prepare a picket pass for essential services or emergency duties. If your worksite is on strike and you are scheduled by the employer to perform essential service duties, or if you're called in by the employer due to an emergency (as determined by the employer), you must prepare a "picket pass" at http://bcgeu.ca/picket-pass and show your pass to a BCGEU picket captain at the picket line to be cleared to cross and complete your work (i.e., to not scab). NOTE: If your shift is scheduled after picket line hours (e.g., weekend, midnight, etc.), you must email [email protected] to report your attendance instead of reporting to a picket captain. For further info about picket passes and essential services/emergency duties, review the Public Service FAQs here. 

As the government's first quarterly budget report last week confirmed: B.C. is not facing a fiscal crisis. Our debt-to-GDP ratio is among the lowest in the country, and debt servicing costs are manageable. None of this is a barrier to paying public service workers a fair wage. 

Government's current offer of 3.5 per cent over two years falls short of inflation projections for B.C. over the same period. Wages in B.C. are up 40.6 per cent since 2016 but public service workers have only seen a 27.2 per cent increase. We're on strike to close that 13.4-per cent gap and keep up with the cost of living. Public service workers cannot keep falling behind. 

If this government is serious about building a strong economy and protecting the services British Columbians rely on, it must treat the workers who make that economy run with fairness and respect. And that starts with a fair deal at the bargaining table. 

 
In solidarity,
Your Public Service Bargaining Committee

UWU/MoveUP