B.C.s public service workers escalate strike to correctional facilities

Public service workers in British Columbia have intensified their strike, with all unionized staff at adult correctional facilities joining the action. The BC General Employees’ Union reports that the escalation has brought the total number of affected work sites to over 470, involving approximately 25,000 workers across 20 ministries and agencies. Union president Paul Finch criticized the government for its “lack of urgency” in contract negotiations, prompting the strike's escalation. B. C.

Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger stated that the strike has not disrupted core services at correctional centers, which remain adequately staffed during this period. The province maintains that its last proposal was fair, balancing workers’ needs with B. C. ’s constrained fiscal position. Job action has ramped up recently, highlighted by a march in Vancouver and a rally at the legislature as politicians returned for the fall session.

The Professional Employees Association has also escalated its actions, including over 1,000 staff from various ministries. Essential workers, such as hydrologists and child psychologists, are noted as remaining on duty despite the strike.