Thousands of members of the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) gathered on the grounds of the B.C. legislature on Monday afternoon as the strike entered its sixth week.
Monday marked the first day of the fall legislative session and politicians from across the province were in Victoria as the fall sitting got underway.
The union members said they wanted to send the provincial government a strong message that they want to see an improvement in the offer when it comes to wages.
Alongside members of the BCGEU, a number of other union members showed up in support on Monday.
The BCGEU has been escalating the strike each week, with more and more workers on the picket lines and more government stores behind those lines.
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As of Monday, the union says more than 19,700 members at 306 worksites are fully or partially on strike, with 113 picket lines up.
This includes members working for Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) Weigh Scale stations across the province who are on strike and picketing at their nearest BCGEU picket line, and BC Liquor and BC Cannabis stores, four Liquor Distribution Board warehouses and the Liquor Distribution Board headquarters.
A full list of striking worksites is available at this link.
Wages remain the sticking point.
Paul Finch, BCGEU president and chair of the public service bargaining committee, said last week that the government had been offering them four per cent over two years, but B.C. Premier David Eby told reporters the government’s revised offer includes a raise of up to 5 per cent over two years.
The union says it is prepared to keep escalating the strike after the province’s increased wage offer was rejected. The union says the five per cent is not an increase in general wages. It bundles in market adjustments and other unrelated items, which not all members would receive.
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