Members of the BCGEU strike along the highway in Kamloops on Aug. 19. (BCGEU Facebook page)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

union unrest

BCGEU slashes non-urgent overtime as job action escalates

Aug 22, 2022 | 10:07 AM

NANAIMO — The BC General Employees Union (BCGEU) has announced a ban on non-emergency overtime for their members working in the public service, effective immediately.

BCGEU president and chair of the bargaining committee Stephanie Smith said in a statement they hope these escalating actions provides the government with proper incentives to invite them back to the bargaining table.

“BC’s public service has been reliant on our members’ overtime for far too long and dealing with the systemic issues behind that reliance is part of what we’re trying to achieve in this round of bargaining.”

They said relying on workers’ willingness to perform overtime is unsustainable and dangerous, and leads to burnout and increased risk of the physical and psychological safety of their workers.

This ban does not apply to those employed with the BC Wildfire Service for the duration of the wildfire season.

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This action is in addition to the liquor rationing in government-run liquor stores, which began last week as a result of BCGEU picket lines around distribution centres in four locations.

The most recent collective agreement between the union and the Public Service Agency expired on April 1, 2022.

Negotiations on a new deal began in early February but broke down in the spring which leads to union members voting 95 per cent in favour of job action on June 22.

The BCGEU encompasses 33,000 employers in a range of industries, including government-run liquor and cannabis stores, those employed in correctional institutions and courthouses and community social services.

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