The B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) has announced a tentative deal has been struck with the provincial government, which could bring an end to a weeks-long strike that has impacted everything from liquor distribution to wildfire fighting.
More than 25,000 workers represented by the public service union have been on some form of job action since Sept. 2.
The tentative agreement, announced in a Sunday statement, comes after mediated talks with the province.
According to the union, the tentative deal still needs to be ratified, and includes a three per cent general wage increase per year for the next four years.
The B.C. public service worker strike is entering its seventh week, and some in the hospitality sector say it’s affecting their business. As Jessica Cheung explains, some restaurants say they’ve even experienced aggression from customers over a shortage of alcohol.
The BCGEU’s statement says the tentative deal marks “significant progress” on issues like wages and affordability, but it will be up to the 34,000 members of the public service to ratify it.
Most of them had been on strike for eight weeks, setting up picket lines at government offices, B.C. Liquor Stores, Liquor Distribution Branch facilities and more — leading to a strained supply of liquor and cannabis in particular.
A strike by the Professional Employees’ Union (PEA) — a separate union that represents licensed professionals who work for the province — remains ongoing.
“This tentative agreement is the result of the incredible strength and solidarity of BCGEU and PEA members across the province,” said BCGEU president Paul Finch in the union’s statement.
