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We rallied for essential pay – and more! - BCGEU

Published on October 04, 2021

On September 1, close to 100 of you showed up outside BCLDB head office in solidarity for your essential pay and to ask Blain to offer his support in going to Finance Minister Selina Robinson.

Even though Blain was a no-show (despite our invitation), and the BC Public Service Agency's response to our latest follow-up to the Finance Minister's office didn't acknowledge the option to provide essential pay from BCLDB revenue (they deferred to the TPP again!), your high commitment to this rally is an act of solidarity worth celebrating and an indicator of what else we workers can do to achieve essential pay if we continue to organize amongst ourselves!

Be sure to check out the photos and video, and these highlights of the rally:

  • Attendance: A total of 71 members from various warehouses and stores plus 11 staff, as well as elected members including treasurer Paul Finch and all four of our Executive Vice Presidents

  • Contributions: 10 rally captains and a handful of staff handled set up to clean up and all the tasks in between. All attendees wore masks plus "Essential Pay" t-shirts and buttons. Flags were waved, balloons floated, chants were chorused, inspiring speeches were made by your co-workers (including one who travelled from the Okanagan to attend) and all EVPs and treasurer Paul Finch. An Indigenous drummer gifted the rally with energy, and all attending members got to meet each other safely in person!

  • Attention: CFAX and CKNW aired interviews with Paul Finch, and Global and CityTV/OMNI captured footage of the event. Lots of honking and cheers of support from passing drivers, including BCGEU siblings from LifeLabs. Fellow BCLDB employees looked down at the rally from head office, and some even joined (apparently Blain issued a memo approving employees to do so on their breaks).

Thank you to everyone who made this rally such a success. The Component 5 executive and I are now reviewing all our efforts to date and soon decide next steps of our campaign. I'll be in touch.
 
In the meantime, here's what you can do to keep the momentum going:

  1. Encourage all your coworkers to sign union cards. If they haven't, put them in touch with the local steward or, in the case there is no local steward, the union area office.
  2. Encourage all your coworkers to ensure their contact info is up to date with our union. Info can be submitted through the BCGEU Member Portal. If you haven't yet signed up for access to the Member Portal, you can do so here.
  3. Encourage all your coworkers, friends and family to email the Finance Minister and/or tweet her to authorize essential pay from BCLDB revenue
  4. Request a meeting with your MLA to discuss the need for essential pay and ask your MLA to speak to the Finance Minister on our behalf. Let me know if you do this so I can support!
  5. Complete the bargaining survey and let me and your fellow bargaining representatives know your top needs. Bargaining begins early in 2022! 

In solidarity – for essential pay, and more!

Kusam Doal
BCGEU Vice President, Component 5 (Retail and Warehouse)



UWU/MoveUP