Thousands of striking BCGEU members rally at Legislature

B.C.’s fall legislative session opened with a roar Monday, as thousands of striking B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) members and their supporters rallied on the lawn of the Legislature in Victoria.

The union says more than 10,000 people joined the rally — marking week six of the public-sector strike.

BCGEU president Paul Finch says the message is simple: to demand that the province come back to the bargaining table with a fair deal.

“We are at a point now where there’s going to be a rapid escalation of the remaining civil servants joining picket lines to demand a fair deal from the province,” Finch told 1130 NewsRadio.

He says his members are frustrated after talks collapsed again last week.

“We brought our bargaining demands straight to the government’s doorstep,” Finch said in a statement.

“We won’t back down, we won’t be divided, and we won’t stop until we win a fair deal.”

22,000 workers are now involved in job action

The BCGEU says nearly 22,000 workers are now part of what’s become one of the largest and longest-running public-service strikes in B.C. history.

That includes staff from liquor and cannabis stores, the liquor distribution branch, and commercial vehicle inspection stations.

Finch warns that the longer the standoff drags on, the more public services could grind to a halt.

“We attempted to settle this in the first three weeks with limited strike action that saw the public minimally affected, but unfortunately, that’s no longer the case.”

The BCGEU is pushing for a four per cent annual raise over two years to keep up with inflation.

The province, meanwhile, has offered two per cent per year, which the union says falls well short of what workers need to handle rising costs.

Finch also calls the government’s public claim of a “five per cent” increase misleading, saying it includes temporary market adjustments that not all employees would receive.

“Workers have kept vital public services running under immense pressure,” he said. “They deserve transparency and real wage growth — not spin tactics and stalled talks.”

Monday’s rally comes as pressure builds on Premier David Eby’s government to end the labour dispute.

The BCGEU says it’s prepared to escalate job action in the coming days if there’s still no movement at the bargaining table.

Negotiations between the two sides fell apart last week, less than 24 hours after resuming.