Members of the British Columbia General Employees' Union picket outside an ICBC driver licensing office, in Surrey, B.C., Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. The union issued 72-hour strike notice following a strike authorization vote in which 92.7% of members voted in favour of job action. Public service members began strike action on Sept. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS
Members of the British Columbia General Employees' Union picket outside an ICBC driver licensing office, in Surrey, B.C., Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. The union issued 72-hour strike notice following a strike authorization vote in which 92.7% of members voted in favour of job action. Public service members began strike action on Sept. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS
GACVICTORIA - Negotiations will resume Monday between the union representing British Columbia's public service workers and the province, but picket lines in front of government offices and liquor stores will remain up.
Paul Finch, president of the BC General Employees' Union, told a rally in front the Royal B.C. Museum on Friday that the government reached out to the union saying it had an "enhanced" offer to present.
He said he wanted to go back to talks this weekend, but the earliest the employer could start was Monday.
"My message to the premier is very simple: let's end this. Come to the table with the real deal. Let's get this done."
The union has been escalating its strike action over the past four weeks, with up to 15,000 workers taking part in everything from picketing to overtime bans.
About a third of the province's liquor stores are behind picket lines along with the liquor and cannabis distribution branch warehouses in Richmond, Delta and Kamloops.
Finch said there has been unprecedented levels of inflation and the cost of living has gone up over the past decade but their wages haven't kept pace.
"This is a crisis. This is a problem, and it should be no surprise that our members voted 93 per cent to authorize job action and to reject the government's last offer," Finch said.
The union has been asking for an 8.25 per cent wage increase over two years.
"A fair deal is one that respects the needs of our members, that addresses the concerns that we've articulated throughout this process. I won't get into further details than that," Finch said. "We're going to respect the negotiation process. We're here to bargain."
Negotiations between the union and its employer broke off in July.
This report by ɫtvwas first published Sept. 26, 2025.
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