Negotiations between the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and the provincial government are set to resume Monday, but picket lines in front of government offices and liquor stores will remain in place.
The development comes amid a growing strike that has now drawn visible support from across the labour movement.
On Friday, leaders from several major unions joined the BCGEU in Victoria to show solidarity as the province agreed to return to the bargaining table with a revised offer.
The strike currently involves more than 15,000 public service members, with job action spreading further this week.
Workers walked off the job at 17 additional BC Liquor Stores and at the Ministry of Attorney General, bringing the total number of stores on strike to 77 across the province.
“This is what solidarity looks like,” said Paul Finch, BCGEU president and chair of the public service bargaining committee.
“When unions come together, we demonstrate our collective power and remind government that public sector workers are serious, committed, and united in their demand for fairness.”
Union representatives emphasized that their shared challenges at the bargaining table reflect broader affordability concerns across the province.
Melissa Moroz, executive director of the Professional Employees Association, said that when public service workers stand together they send a message to government that their fight is for all British Columbians who rely on their services.
Negotiations are scheduled to resume on Monday, September 29th, with both sides expected to revisit wage proposals. Until then, picket lines will remain and job action is expected to continue.
Brent Calvert, president of the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC, criticized what he called the government’s reliance on a restrictive provincial mandate system, urging the province to address affordability issues at the bargaining table.
The union has been asking for an 8.25% increase over two years. Negotiations between the union and its employer broke off in July.
