Everyone’s job is important. But under the BC Labour Relations Code, some jobs can be designated as ‘essential’. Deciding which jobs are designated essential is a standard part of the bargaining process. It’s done through negotiations between union representatives and employer representatives.
 
Section 72(2) of the Labour Relations Code defines essential services as “facilities, productions and services” that are “necessary or essential to prevent immediate and serious danger to the health, safety or welfare of the residents of British Columbia.” It is important to understand that essential services negotiated under the Labour Relations Code for the purposes of job action are not the same as the essential services designated during the COVID-19 pandemic for temporary pandemic pay.
 
Most of the essential services negotiations have been completed. We are waiting for the Labour Board to deliver a ruling on a few worksites.