The B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) said Thursday progress is steady as mediation talks between the union and the province continued for a sixth day.
The union said mediation began on Oct. 18, with renowned long-time labour mediator Vince Ready and his colleague Amanda Rogers leading the talks.
BCGEU members have been on strike or taking other job action like overtime bans since Sept. 2, calling for better wages, improved access to telework and a reduction in non-unionized managers, among other issues.
“There are still key issues where the parties remain apart, but the mediators are working hard to help bridge those gaps,” said the union in a statement.
The union said any tentative agreement reached it will be shared with members for review and a vote before it’s finalized.
The BCGEU said earlier this week all remaining members at B.C. Wildfire Service and the Ministry of Forests have joined the strike, bringing the total number of members taking job action to about 25,000.
Workers are striking at the majority of provincial ministries, the Premier’s Office and other organizations like BC Pension Corporation.
The strike has also led to the closures of all BC Liquor and BC Cannabis stores, and Liquor Distribution Branch warehouses. Last week, a group of B.C. alcohol and restaurant industry organizations released a joint statement saying the strike is causing “serious economic damage” to the province’s liquor and cannabis distribution system.
The group includes the Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) , BC Craft Brewers Guild, Restaurants Canada and others. They said the strike is impacting the industry’s busiest season, and emergency measures and distribution flexibility are needed to get liquor and cannabis products flowing again.
“Even when things return to normal, there are significant delays in starting distribution operations back up and running to meet the immediate demands of industry,” said Bo Chen, interim Executive Director for ABLE BC, in a statement.
B.C. Green party leader Emily Lowan, who has been vocal in her support for the BCGEU, said Thursday said she’s concerned the strike has dragged on this long.
“We’re two months in, and the government is still stone-walling and shortchanging workers,” said Lowan. “We’re seeing this ripple effect, obviously, across the entire economy, and taxpayers are growing frustrated.”
About 1600 government licensed professionals represented by the Professional Employees Association (PEA) are also on strike, after launching job action at the same time as the BCGEU. They include engineers, foresters, geoscientists, psychologists, and other specialized experts working for the province. The PEA said last week the strike is the longest in the union’s 51-year history.
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