The union representing 34,000 striking public sector workers says it will begin mediation over a labor dispute that has threatened service delivery in the province.
“We are committed to exploring all options to achieve a fair and respectful agreement for our members,” BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) president Paul Finch said in a statement Friday.
The union said the decision responds to a government request on Thursday.
“Mediation represents the next step toward resolving this dispute in a way that respects the vital work our members do every day,” Finch said.
The union said mediation would begin as soon as possible, but that workers would continue picketing across the province during the process.
Its outcome will be non-binding, meaning any tentative agreement will have to be decided by a vote of union members. About 34,000 members are part of the bargaining unit currently participating in the labor action, of which around 25,000 have been actively striking.
The BCGEU is seeking an across-the-board salary increase of four percent each year for two years.
BCGEU members went on strike on September 2, which resulted in picketing at government offices and places of service.
Restaurants and bars have been especially hard hit by the shutdown of British Columbia’s provincial liquor distribution network.
As the strike progresses, with the two sides at odds over appropriate wage increases for a new two-year deal, the union has continued to increase the number of members walking off the job.
This week, the BCGEU said it was close to a “near total strike,” according to Finch.
‘The strike is having repercussions’
All Service BC locations were behind picket lines until Wednesday, but those offices will continue to provide essential services to the people who depend on them, although timelines may be longer than usual, the province said in a statement.
Also this week, the Professional Employees Association said its engineers, geoscientists and mining inspectors are among those now on the picket line, but that some of its essential members will remain on the picket lines.
In a statement Friday, the province said “the strike is having an impact on the public, businesses and employees, and the government is committed to reaching a fair agreement that works for everyone.”
He confirmed this and the BCGEU had entered into mediation with mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers, “in an effort to find a solution to the current dispute between the parties which has resulted in the public service strike”.
