B.C. public service workers reach tentative deal with government

The BC General Employees' Union have reached a tentative deal with the province after eight weeks of strike action.

B.C.’s striking public service workers have reached a tentative deal with the provincial government, the union announced Sunday.

Job action by the BC General Employees’ Union has been underway for eight weeks, shuttering provincial liquor and cannabis stores and impacting operations at multiple government ministries as tens of thousands of workers took to the picket line.

“For eight weeks, they held the line – standing up for themselves, their families, and the public services that make life in B.C. possible,” BCGEU president Paul Finch said in a statement.

“This deal shows that when workers stand together, we can make real progress.”

The tentative deal comes after eight days of mediation. Wages were the main sticking point in the previously stalled negotiations.

The proposed deal, which will have to be ratified by membership, includes a general wage increase of three per cent per year for four years as well as “targeted wage adjustments” for the lowest-paid workers.

“This agreement is a step toward fairness,” Finch said.

“It helps ensure that experienced public service workers can afford to stay in their jobs and continue delivering the critical services British Columbians rely on every day.”

Finance Minister Brenda Bailey says she is “pleased” by the development, but will refrain from commenting further until the deal is final.

“Our government respects the ratification process and the rights of union members to vote on their agreements,” she said in a statement.

The B.C. Professional Employees’ Association, however, remains on strike. The union representing roughly 1,900 members has yet to reach a deal.

Professional employee members work across the province in ministries including Health, Attorney General, Mining and Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. The PEA has said essential workers will remain on the job, such as hydrologists with the B.C. River Forecast Centre and child and youth psychologists with the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Any picket lines set up by the PEA will be respected by the BCGEU, Finch said.

With files from The Canadian Press.