A statement from the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) said negotiations with the Public Service Agency, which negotiates on behalf of the province, collapsed on Monday. “To say we are disappointed is an understatement. Despite our best efforts to bridge the gap, the government has refused to table a proposal that meets our members’ basic demand for cost of living protection,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU president. Nearly 95 percent of union members employed in the public service sector — including correctional officers, administrative staff and government employees — voted last month to strike. They cited skyrocketing inflation and the need for cost-of-living wage protection as primary factors. The BCGEU statement said initial discussions with the government were positive, but talks reached an impasse when the province refused to deal with the union’s latest wage proposal. Smith said the government’s offer amounted to a pay cut. In a statement, the province said it believes both sides will overcome the impasse. “Negotiation is a dynamic process and we all recognize that this round involves even more than usual challenges,” an email said Tuesday. “We believe the parties are committed to reaching negotiated settlements that work for everyone at the table.” The statement said the BCGEU is now planning strategic, targeted labor action and completing essential services with the help of the Labor Relations Board. More than 180 collective agreements covering nearly 400,000 workers are up for renewal this year in BC. The strike vote gives the union the mandate to strike if wage demands are not met.
title: “More Jobs Action Looms In Bc As Talks Between Province And Public Service Union Collapse " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-09” author: “Diane Green”
A statement from the BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) said negotiations with the Public Service Agency, which negotiates on behalf of the province, collapsed on Monday. “To say we are disappointed is an understatement. Despite our best efforts to bridge the gap, the government has refused to table a proposal that meets our members’ basic demand for cost of living protection,” said Stephanie Smith, BCGEU president. Nearly 95 percent of union members employed in the public service sector — including correctional officers, administrative staff and government employees — voted last month to strike. They cited skyrocketing inflation and the need for cost-of-living wage protection as primary factors. The BCGEU statement said initial discussions with the government were positive, but talks reached an impasse when the province refused to deal with the union’s latest wage proposal. Smith said the government’s offer amounted to a pay cut. In a statement, the province said it believes both sides will overcome the impasse. “Negotiation is a dynamic process and we all recognize that this round involves even more than usual challenges,” an email said Tuesday. “We believe the parties are committed to reaching negotiated settlements that work for everyone at the table.” The statement said the BCGEU is now planning strategic, targeted labor action and completing essential services with the help of the Labor Relations Board. More than 180 collective agreements covering nearly 400,000 workers are up for renewal this year in BC. The strike vote gives the union the mandate to strike if wage demands are not met.
Truckers vote to strike at Port of Vancouver
Meanwhile, the United Truckers Association says its members have voted unanimously to take action for jobs at the Port of Vancouver to protest a plan to phase out older trucks. A statement from the union says its 639 members voted in favor of the action that could “send shockwaves throughout Canada’s already fragile supply chain.” A scheme aimed at banning older trucks from the port is due to start in September, but the union says the scheme will impose crushing costs on drivers. The statement says the port will not discuss phasing out all trucks 20 years and older, even though most commercially licensed trucks elsewhere in BC do not face similar measures. Association spokesman Gagan Singh says members agreed to hold talks with the port in July but will “go ahead” with a shutdown in August if the aging trucks are banned. The port said last month that the program aims to improve air quality in Metro Vancouver and was set to begin in February, but federal Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra ordered more negotiations. The association’s statement says Alghabra has been quiet since then and the port has reinstated the so-called Rolling Truck Age Program without substantive changes. “The minister will have to offer a different approach in the coming weeks,” says Singh. More details about potential job action will be announced later this month, the statement said.
