Publication date: August 17, 2022 • 43 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 11 Comments Strikers are seen in downtown Vancouver during a strike by more than 27,000 British Columbia government employees on September 5, 2012. The union representing about 33,000 employees at the BC Public Service Agency has issued a strike notice to the government employer. Photo by JONATHAN HAYWARD /The Canadian Press

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With nearly 400,000 public sector workers negotiating with the government over wages this year, experts say the BCGEU strike could have a domino effect as unions push for pay to keep pace with inflation.

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The Professional Employees Union indicated it could join the General Employees Union of British Columbia on the picket line after the union representing government licensed professionals issued a 72-hour strike notice at noon Wednesday. The union, which represents 1,200 professionals including geologists, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, pharmacists, psychologists and vets, said it was bolstered by the targeted BCGEU strike which began on Monday. “BCGEU is leading the way by picketing liquor distribution plants,” said Melissa Moroz, labor relations manager at the Professional Employees Union. “We’re going to add to that momentum and that escalation of action for work.”

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Moroz did not elaborate on what the legal strike might look like. The Victoria BCGEU picket line at the Beverage Distribution Branch customer wholesale center in Victoria on August 17, 2022. Photo by Katie DeRosa /PNG The union began negotiations with the Civil Service Agency on April 11 and reached an impasse on May 16, the union said, when wage increases offered by the government failed to address the rising cost of living. Union members voted 92 percent to strike in June. The union is asking for a five percent wage increase in each of three years, or cost-of-living adjustments, whichever is greater, Moroz said. “People don’t join a union to get behind” the cost of living, he said. Moroz said professional employees rebuild bridges and roads, monitor BC’s forests and agriculture and provide care to vulnerable youth. Under the Labor Relations Code, essential workers such as pharmacists and psychologists cannot strike, he said.

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The BCGEU, which represents 33,000 provincial government workers, is in its third day of a targeted strike, with 950 liquor distribution and picketing wholesale workers. This means no alcohol or cannabis products are distributed to BC businesses, which has worried the hospitality industry. About 50 people from 10 different unions picketed in front of the Liquor Distribution Branch’s Victoria wholesale customer center on Wednesday. As she waved at passing cars, BCGEU president Stephanie Smith said that because the BCGEU was first out of the gate to begin negotiations, their actions set the tone for other unions fighting for better pay. “We might be kind of the first domino,” he said. The ball is now in the government’s court, but “the silence has been deafening.”

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The BCGEU bargaining team rejected the Civil Service Agency’s latest offer of a pay rise of 10.99 per cent over three years plus a one per cent cost of living adjustment. Employees will also receive a $2,500 signing bonus. The Treasury said the cost-of-living adjustment “will vary somewhat across the public sector, depending on the average hourly wage of each bargaining unit, because the mandate is designed to provide an extra boost to low-wage workers who are hit hardest in times of high inflation.” The union wants wages linked to inflation, which it says is the deal offered to MLAs. Labor expert Mark Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said with the threat of a strike by the Professional Employees Union, it’s clear the government is under pressure to provide compensation that keeps up with the rising cost of living.

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The BCGEU will try to match the deal Sea gave to Sky bus drivers in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Thompson said, which secures a 13.5 per cent pay rise over five years plus a signing bonus and a clause cost of living. The union, Unifor, praised the “groundbreaking” adjustment proposed by special ombudsman Vince Ready, which gives workers a top-up if inflation outpaces workers’ raises. “What union would go to its members, when inflation has reached 7 percent, to say, ‘Let’s settle for three and a half percent for three years?’ Thompson asked. “They would be fed out of town on a railway line. This is ridiculous.” Nearly all 400,000 unionized workers in the provincial public sector have contracts that expire this year.

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The Hospital Workers Union, which represents more than 50,000 health workers, said “despite strong momentum at the bargaining table” a break in negotiations would be needed in solidarity with the BCGEU. The finance ministry did not give details of what the 10.99 per cent wage increase over three years offered to the BCGEU will cost taxpayers. But he said salaries for the province’s 400,000 public sector employees cost $38.6 billion, or more than half of the province’s budget. A one percent raise for all unionized employees across the public sector would cost about $311 million a year, the Treasury Department said. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to the Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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title: “More Bc Public Sector Workers Are Threatening To Strike Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-21” author: “Patricia Ralston”

Publication date: August 17, 2022 • 43 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 11 Comments Strikers are seen in downtown Vancouver during a strike by more than 27,000 British Columbia government employees on September 5, 2012. The union representing about 33,000 employees at the BC Public Service Agency has issued a strike notice to the government employer. Photo by JONATHAN HAYWARD /The Canadian Press

Content of the article

With nearly 400,000 public sector workers negotiating with the government over wages this year, experts say the BCGEU strike could have a domino effect as unions push for pay to keep pace with inflation.

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The Professional Employees Union indicated it could join the General Employees Union of British Columbia on the picket line after the union representing government licensed professionals issued a 72-hour strike notice at noon Wednesday. The union, which represents 1,200 professionals including geologists, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, pharmacists, psychologists and vets, said it was bolstered by the targeted BCGEU strike which began on Monday. “BCGEU is leading the way by picketing liquor distribution plants,” said Melissa Moroz, labor relations manager at the Professional Employees Union. “We’re going to add to that momentum and that escalation of action for work.”

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Moroz did not elaborate on what the legal strike might look like. The Victoria BCGEU picket line at the Beverage Distribution Branch customer wholesale center in Victoria on August 17, 2022. Photo by Katie DeRosa /PNG The union began negotiations with the Civil Service Agency on April 11 and reached an impasse on May 16, the union said, when wage increases offered by the government failed to address the rising cost of living. Union members voted 92 percent to strike in June. The union is asking for a five percent wage increase in each of three years, or cost-of-living adjustments, whichever is greater, Moroz said. “People don’t join a union to get behind” the cost of living, he said. Moroz said professional employees rebuild bridges and roads, monitor BC’s forests and agriculture and provide care to vulnerable youth. Under the Labor Relations Code, essential workers such as pharmacists and psychologists cannot strike, he said.

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The BCGEU, which represents 33,000 provincial government workers, is in its third day of a targeted strike, with 950 liquor distribution and picketing wholesale workers. This means no alcohol or cannabis products are distributed to BC businesses, which has worried the hospitality industry. About 50 people from 10 different unions picketed in front of the Liquor Distribution Branch’s Victoria wholesale customer center on Wednesday. As she waved at passing cars, BCGEU president Stephanie Smith said that because the BCGEU was first out of the gate to begin negotiations, their actions set the tone for other unions fighting for better pay. “We might be kind of the first domino,” he said. The ball is now in the government’s court, but “the silence has been deafening.”

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The BCGEU bargaining team rejected the Civil Service Agency’s latest offer of a pay rise of 10.99 per cent over three years plus a one per cent cost of living adjustment. Employees will also receive a $2,500 signing bonus. The Treasury said the cost-of-living adjustment “will vary somewhat across the public sector, depending on the average hourly wage of each bargaining unit, because the mandate is designed to provide an extra boost to low-wage workers who are hit hardest in times of high inflation.” The union wants wages linked to inflation, which it says is the deal offered to MLAs. Labor expert Mark Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said with the threat of a strike by the Professional Employees Union, it’s clear the government is under pressure to provide compensation that keeps up with the rising cost of living.

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The BCGEU will try to match the deal Sea gave to Sky bus drivers in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Thompson said, which secures a 13.5 per cent pay rise over five years plus a signing bonus and a clause cost of living. The union, Unifor, praised the “groundbreaking” adjustment proposed by special ombudsman Vince Ready, which gives workers a top-up if inflation outpaces workers’ raises. “What union would go to its members, when inflation has reached 7 percent, to say, ‘Let’s settle for three and a half percent for three years?’ Thompson asked. “They would be fed out of town on a railway line. This is ridiculous.” Nearly all 400,000 unionized workers in the provincial public sector have contracts that expire this year.

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The Hospital Workers Union, which represents more than 50,000 health workers, said “despite strong momentum at the bargaining table” a break in negotiations would be needed in solidarity with the BCGEU. The finance ministry did not give details of what the 10.99 per cent wage increase over three years offered to the BCGEU will cost taxpayers. But he said salaries for the province’s 400,000 public sector employees cost $38.6 billion, or more than half of the province’s budget. A one percent raise for all unionized employees across the public sector would cost about $311 million a year, the Treasury Department said. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to the Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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title: “More Bc Public Sector Workers Are Threatening To Strike Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-09” author: “Susannah Dunaway”

Publication date: August 17, 2022 • 43 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 11 Comments Strikers are seen in downtown Vancouver during a strike by more than 27,000 British Columbia government employees on September 5, 2012. The union representing about 33,000 employees at the BC Public Service Agency has issued a strike notice to the government employer. Photo by JONATHAN HAYWARD /The Canadian Press

Content of the article

With nearly 400,000 public sector workers negotiating with the government over wages this year, experts say the BCGEU strike could have a domino effect as unions push for pay to keep pace with inflation.

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The Professional Employees Union indicated it could join the General Employees Union of British Columbia on the picket line after the union representing government licensed professionals issued a 72-hour strike notice at noon Wednesday. The union, which represents 1,200 professionals including geologists, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, pharmacists, psychologists and vets, said it was bolstered by the targeted BCGEU strike which began on Monday. “BCGEU is leading the way by picketing liquor distribution plants,” said Melissa Moroz, labor relations manager at the Professional Employees Union. “We’re going to add to that momentum and that escalation of action for work.”

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Moroz did not elaborate on what the legal strike might look like. The Victoria BCGEU picket line at the Beverage Distribution Branch customer wholesale center in Victoria on August 17, 2022. Photo by Katie DeRosa /PNG The union began negotiations with the Civil Service Agency on April 11 and reached an impasse on May 16, the union said, when wage increases offered by the government failed to address the rising cost of living. Union members voted 92 percent to strike in June. The union is asking for a five percent wage increase in each of three years, or cost-of-living adjustments, whichever is greater, Moroz said. “People don’t join a union to get behind” the cost of living, he said. Moroz said professional employees rebuild bridges and roads, monitor BC’s forests and agriculture and provide care to vulnerable youth. Under the Labor Relations Code, essential workers such as pharmacists and psychologists cannot strike, he said.

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The BCGEU, which represents 33,000 provincial government workers, is in its third day of a targeted strike, with 950 liquor distribution and picketing wholesale workers. This means no alcohol or cannabis products are distributed to BC businesses, which has worried the hospitality industry. About 50 people from 10 different unions picketed in front of the Liquor Distribution Branch’s Victoria wholesale customer center on Wednesday. As she waved at passing cars, BCGEU president Stephanie Smith said that because the BCGEU was first out of the gate to begin negotiations, their actions set the tone for other unions fighting for better pay. “We might be kind of the first domino,” he said. The ball is now in the government’s court, but “the silence has been deafening.”

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Content of the article

The BCGEU bargaining team rejected the Civil Service Agency’s latest offer of a pay rise of 10.99 per cent over three years plus a one per cent cost of living adjustment. Employees will also receive a $2,500 signing bonus. The Treasury said the cost-of-living adjustment “will vary somewhat across the public sector, depending on the average hourly wage of each bargaining unit, because the mandate is designed to provide an extra boost to low-wage workers who are hit hardest in times of high inflation.” The union wants wages linked to inflation, which it says is the deal offered to MLAs. Labor expert Mark Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said with the threat of a strike by the Professional Employees Union, it’s clear the government is under pressure to provide compensation that keeps up with the rising cost of living.

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The BCGEU will try to match the deal Sea gave to Sky bus drivers in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Thompson said, which secures a 13.5 per cent pay rise over five years plus a signing bonus and a clause cost of living. The union, Unifor, praised the “groundbreaking” adjustment proposed by special ombudsman Vince Ready, which gives workers a top-up if inflation outpaces workers’ raises. “What union would go to its members, when inflation has reached 7 percent, to say, ‘Let’s settle for three and a half percent for three years?’ Thompson asked. “They would be fed out of town on a railway line. This is ridiculous.” Nearly all 400,000 unionized workers in the provincial public sector have contracts that expire this year.

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The Hospital Workers Union, which represents more than 50,000 health workers, said “despite strong momentum at the bargaining table” a break in negotiations would be needed in solidarity with the BCGEU. The finance ministry did not give details of what the 10.99 per cent wage increase over three years offered to the BCGEU will cost taxpayers. But he said salaries for the province’s 400,000 public sector employees cost $38.6 billion, or more than half of the province’s budget. A one percent raise for all unionized employees across the public sector would cost about $311 million a year, the Treasury Department said. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to the Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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title: “More Bc Public Sector Workers Are Threatening To Strike Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-24” author: “Alfred Gilpin”

Publication date: August 17, 2022 • 43 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 11 Comments Strikers are seen in downtown Vancouver during a strike by more than 27,000 British Columbia government employees on September 5, 2012. The union representing about 33,000 employees at the BC Public Service Agency has issued a strike notice to the government employer. Photo by JONATHAN HAYWARD /The Canadian Press

Content of the article

With nearly 400,000 public sector workers negotiating with the government over wages this year, experts say the BCGEU strike could have a domino effect as unions push for pay to keep pace with inflation.

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The Professional Employees Union indicated it could join the General Employees Union of British Columbia on the picket line after the union representing government licensed professionals issued a 72-hour strike notice at noon Wednesday. The union, which represents 1,200 professionals including geologists, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, pharmacists, psychologists and vets, said it was bolstered by the targeted BCGEU strike which began on Monday. “BCGEU is leading the way by picketing liquor distribution plants,” said Melissa Moroz, labor relations manager at the Professional Employees Union. “We’re going to add to that momentum and that escalation of action for work.”

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Moroz did not elaborate on what the legal strike might look like. The Victoria BCGEU picket line at the Beverage Distribution Branch customer wholesale center in Victoria on August 17, 2022. Photo by Katie DeRosa /PNG The union began negotiations with the Civil Service Agency on April 11 and reached an impasse on May 16, the union said, when wage increases offered by the government failed to address the rising cost of living. Union members voted 92 percent to strike in June. The union is asking for a five percent wage increase in each of three years, or cost-of-living adjustments, whichever is greater, Moroz said. “People don’t join a union to get behind” the cost of living, he said. Moroz said professional employees rebuild bridges and roads, monitor BC’s forests and agriculture and provide care to vulnerable youth. Under the Labor Relations Code, essential workers such as pharmacists and psychologists cannot strike, he said.

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The BCGEU, which represents 33,000 provincial government workers, is in its third day of a targeted strike, with 950 liquor distribution and picketing wholesale workers. This means no alcohol or cannabis products are distributed to BC businesses, which has worried the hospitality industry. About 50 people from 10 different unions picketed in front of the Liquor Distribution Branch’s Victoria wholesale customer center on Wednesday. As she waved at passing cars, BCGEU president Stephanie Smith said that because the BCGEU was first out of the gate to begin negotiations, their actions set the tone for other unions fighting for better pay. “We might be kind of the first domino,” he said. The ball is now in the government’s court, but “the silence has been deafening.”

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Content of the article

The BCGEU bargaining team rejected the Civil Service Agency’s latest offer of a pay rise of 10.99 per cent over three years plus a one per cent cost of living adjustment. Employees will also receive a $2,500 signing bonus. The Treasury said the cost-of-living adjustment “will vary somewhat across the public sector, depending on the average hourly wage of each bargaining unit, because the mandate is designed to provide an extra boost to low-wage workers who are hit hardest in times of high inflation.” The union wants wages linked to inflation, which it says is the deal offered to MLAs. Labor expert Mark Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said with the threat of a strike by the Professional Employees Union, it’s clear the government is under pressure to provide compensation that keeps up with the rising cost of living.

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The BCGEU will try to match the deal Sea gave to Sky bus drivers in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Thompson said, which secures a 13.5 per cent pay rise over five years plus a signing bonus and a clause cost of living. The union, Unifor, praised the “groundbreaking” adjustment proposed by special ombudsman Vince Ready, which gives workers a top-up if inflation outpaces workers’ raises. “What union would go to its members, when inflation has reached 7 percent, to say, ‘Let’s settle for three and a half percent for three years?’ Thompson asked. “They would be fed out of town on a railway line. This is ridiculous.” Nearly all 400,000 unionized workers in the provincial public sector have contracts that expire this year.

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The Hospital Workers Union, which represents more than 50,000 health workers, said “despite strong momentum at the bargaining table” a break in negotiations would be needed in solidarity with the BCGEU. The finance ministry did not give details of what the 10.99 per cent wage increase over three years offered to the BCGEU will cost taxpayers. But he said salaries for the province’s 400,000 public sector employees cost $38.6 billion, or more than half of the province’s budget. A one percent raise for all unionized employees across the public sector would cost about $311 million a year, the Treasury Department said. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to the Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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title: “More Bc Public Sector Workers Are Threatening To Strike Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-01” author: “Debra Kochheiser”

Publication date: August 17, 2022 • 43 minutes ago • 4 minutes read • 11 Comments Strikers are seen in downtown Vancouver during a strike by more than 27,000 British Columbia government employees on September 5, 2012. The union representing about 33,000 employees at the BC Public Service Agency has issued a strike notice to the government employer. Photo by JONATHAN HAYWARD /The Canadian Press

Content of the article

With nearly 400,000 public sector workers negotiating with the government over wages this year, experts say the BCGEU strike could have a domino effect as unions push for pay to keep pace with inflation.

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Content of the article

The Professional Employees Union indicated it could join the General Employees Union of British Columbia on the picket line after the union representing government licensed professionals issued a 72-hour strike notice at noon Wednesday. The union, which represents 1,200 professionals including geologists, engineers, foresters, geoscientists, pharmacists, psychologists and vets, said it was bolstered by the targeted BCGEU strike which began on Monday. “BCGEU is leading the way by picketing liquor distribution plants,” said Melissa Moroz, labor relations manager at the Professional Employees Union. “We’re going to add to that momentum and that escalation of action for work.”

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Moroz did not elaborate on what the legal strike might look like. The Victoria BCGEU picket line at the Beverage Distribution Branch customer wholesale center in Victoria on August 17, 2022. Photo by Katie DeRosa /PNG The union began negotiations with the Civil Service Agency on April 11 and reached an impasse on May 16, the union said, when wage increases offered by the government failed to address the rising cost of living. Union members voted 92 percent to strike in June. The union is asking for a five percent wage increase in each of three years, or cost-of-living adjustments, whichever is greater, Moroz said. “People don’t join a union to get behind” the cost of living, he said. Moroz said professional employees rebuild bridges and roads, monitor BC’s forests and agriculture and provide care to vulnerable youth. Under the Labor Relations Code, essential workers such as pharmacists and psychologists cannot strike, he said.

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The BCGEU, which represents 33,000 provincial government workers, is in its third day of a targeted strike, with 950 liquor distribution and picketing wholesale workers. This means no alcohol or cannabis products are distributed to BC businesses, which has worried the hospitality industry. About 50 people from 10 different unions picketed in front of the Liquor Distribution Branch’s Victoria wholesale customer center on Wednesday. As she waved at passing cars, BCGEU president Stephanie Smith said that because the BCGEU was first out of the gate to begin negotiations, their actions set the tone for other unions fighting for better pay. “We might be kind of the first domino,” he said. The ball is now in the government’s court, but “the silence has been deafening.”

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Content of the article

The BCGEU bargaining team rejected the Civil Service Agency’s latest offer of a pay rise of 10.99 per cent over three years plus a one per cent cost of living adjustment. Employees will also receive a $2,500 signing bonus. The Treasury said the cost-of-living adjustment “will vary somewhat across the public sector, depending on the average hourly wage of each bargaining unit, because the mandate is designed to provide an extra boost to low-wage workers who are hit hardest in times of high inflation.” The union wants wages linked to inflation, which it says is the deal offered to MLAs. Labor expert Mark Thompson, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, said with the threat of a strike by the Professional Employees Union, it’s clear the government is under pressure to provide compensation that keeps up with the rising cost of living.

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Content of the article

The BCGEU will try to match the deal Sea gave to Sky bus drivers in Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton, Thompson said, which secures a 13.5 per cent pay rise over five years plus a signing bonus and a clause cost of living. The union, Unifor, praised the “groundbreaking” adjustment proposed by special ombudsman Vince Ready, which gives workers a top-up if inflation outpaces workers’ raises. “What union would go to its members, when inflation has reached 7 percent, to say, ‘Let’s settle for three and a half percent for three years?’ Thompson asked. “They would be fed out of town on a railway line. This is ridiculous.” Nearly all 400,000 unionized workers in the provincial public sector have contracts that expire this year.

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The Hospital Workers Union, which represents more than 50,000 health workers, said “despite strong momentum at the bargaining table” a break in negotiations would be needed in solidarity with the BCGEU. The finance ministry did not give details of what the 10.99 per cent wage increase over three years offered to the BCGEU will cost taxpayers. But he said salaries for the province’s 400,000 public sector employees cost $38.6 billion, or more than half of the province’s budget. A one percent raise for all unionized employees across the public sector would cost about $311 million a year, the Treasury Department said. [email protected] More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week, you can get unlimited, ad-lite access to the Vancouver Sun, The Province, the National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

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