Five things to know about British Columbia’s ongoing public service strike

The provincial government and the BCGEU are going back to the bargaining table. Joining them is a legendary mediator known for hammering out a deal.

The British Columbia government and the union representing its striking public service workers announced Friday they would go into non-binding arbitration to try to find a solution to the seven-week strike.

Here are five things to know about the strike:

Who are the players?

About 25,000 members of the B.C. General Employees’ Union are conducting strike action at more than 470 picket lines across the province.

The bargaining group represents 34,000 people, with most of those remaining on the job considered essential services.

On Friday, the BCGEU and the government agreed to bring in mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers. Ready has arbitrated and or mediated over 7,000 labour and commercial disputes in Canada.

What’s on the table?

The BCGEU says it has asked for a four per cent wage increase in each year of a two-year deal, arguing that keeps up with rising costs and “reflects the value of public service work.” It says the government is offering two per cent per year for two years.

B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey has said the government can’t agree to a deal that makes service delivery too expensive to maintain.

Who is striking?

Union members work across 20 ministries, Crown corporations, and agencies.

The union says fully struck ministries and services include Citizens’ Services, which is responsible for Service BC that supports hundreds of government programs, including income and disability assistance.

All government liquor and cannabis stores, warehouses and headquarters, are shut, which also cuts off supplies for private cannabis and liquor operations.

How long has the strike been going on?

Negotiations for a new collective agreement for the BCGEU began Jan. 22, with the current deal expiring at the end of March.

The union says talks between it and the B.C. Public Service Agency broke down on July 18. A strike vote in August saw a turnout of more than 86 per cent with 92.7 per cent voting in favour.

The BCGEU issued 72-hour strike notice on Aug. 29. Members began job action on Sept. 2 and have escalated multiple times since then.

Who is being impacted?

Six major hospitality organizations issued a joint statement Friday saying its industry is on the “brink of collapse” because the strike has cut off access to liquor products. It says if the strike were to end today it would take months to clear the distribution backlog and get deliveries to businesses.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said the strike has led to weakened confidence by small businesses in the province.

The strike also includes workers in areas such as drivers licensing and student loans.

The B.C. government issued a bulletin Thursday saying it was taking steps to ensure those on disability and income assistance would get their cheques.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2025.