{"id":158555,"date":"2025-10-17T23:06:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T23:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T23:06:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T23:06:00","slug":"setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting the bar: What the BCGEU strike means for other public sector unions"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) enters mediation with the government after a seven-week-long public service strike; many other public sector unions are simultaneously working to hash out new deals with the province.<\/p>\n

These unions represent the province's nurses, teachers, community social service employees and more.<\/p>\n

There are about 34,000 workers in the BCGEU's core public service bargaining unit, and the deal they secure could have implications for these other unions, affecting more than 400,000 workers.<\/p>\n

B.C. public sector collective bargaining agreements have in the past often included "me too" clauses, which stipulate that if another union secures a better deal, that union must get the same.<\/p>\n

This sounds like a good thing for those unions, but some union leaders say this is imposed upon them by the government and used as an excuse to keep wage offers small.<\/p>\n

"I feel that the employer uses that as a get-out-of-jail-free card so that they don't actually have to negotiate," said Adriane Gear, president of the B.C. Nurses' Union. "They just hold that up as 'Oh well, we can't possibly entertain that because then we'll have to give that to everybody.'"<\/p>\n

Payroll accounts for 60 per cent of B.C.'s budget, costing $53.2 billion annually. Roughly $41.9 billion goes to unionized public sector workers, meaning a one-per-cent raise would cost $419 million.<\/p>\n

"Agreements reached in our provincial public sector need to be fair for workers and must acknowledge B.C.’s limited fiscal position and the impacts of the trade war being felt across Canada," says a statement from the Finance Ministry.<\/p>\n

The government projects to have a budget deficit of nearly $11.6 billion this year. Strikes can impact the province's financial picture in the short-term in many ways, saving money on payroll but costing in lost provincial liquor store sales. <\/p>\n

The Finance Ministry would not provide these figures.<\/p>\n

"There are many moving pieces and no simple formula to calculate the cost of a strike, especially one that is evolving," the ministry said. "Right now, we’re seeing higher costs in some areas and savings in others." <\/p>\n

A complex patchwork of deals<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are currently 182 agreements under renegotiation with the government. These include deals for workers in public schools, universities, hospitals, Crown corporations and the core public service. Most agreements expired on March 31, while a few were up on June 30.<\/p>\n

The BCGEU public service unit was first to exchange offers and the first to reach an impasse, followed soon after by the Professional Employees' Association. Both unions are now on strike. A third bargaining unit — the Community Bargaining Association — has also reached an impasse, but not yet held a strike vote. <\/p>\n

Most unions want wage increases, but they also have other needs. Sometimes these needs are more important than money, or they alter the calculus for wage asks.<\/p>\n

Generally, the BCGEU public service unit negotiates first, following an order of events based on historic precedent. This is not necessarily the choice of the unions involved, Health Sciences Association President Sarah Kooner said.<\/p>\n

Her union has some members in the Community Bargaining Association. She said they too want wages that reflect the cost of living, but they also want better working conditions. For her union, the wage offer is still the sticking point.<\/p>\n

"I think that the fact that we've reached this impasse reflects the same frustrations," Kooner said. <\/p>\n

Kooner would not reveal the wage offer on the table for her workers, but in the past, the Community Bargaining Association has gotten the same deal as the BCGEU public service workers.<\/p>\n

The BCGEU public service unit was offered a four per cent raise over two years, with an additional one per cent for select low-wage workers. The BCGEU countered by asking for eight per cent.<\/p>\n

The Health Sciences Association also has workers in other bargaining units that are just getting underway with negotiations, having been forced to wait for the government to decide it is ready. These units have not received a wage offer yet, Kooner said.<\/p>\n

Other unions, such as the B.C. Nurses Union and the B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF), don't necessarily have "me too" clauses written into their agreements. Those workers have different issues at stake and different wage needs.<\/p>\n

"Our priorities may not be the same priorities that other unions have," BCTF President Carole Gordon said.<\/p>\n

This runs contrary to the narrative pushed by the B.C. government of a domino effect if the BCGEU is given a large wage increase.<\/p>\n

"There's a lot more at stake here for the Teachers' Federation rather than just pay," Gordon said. She wants the government to include a workforce strategy to address the teacher shortage. Wages are important, but working conditions are primary. <\/p>\n

The nurses' union, which has 55,000 members, is in a similar situation. Better working conditions and mandated nurse-to-patient ratios are at the top of the agenda. To accomplish this, wages must be competitive to attract workers from competing jurisdictions.<\/p>\n

These details mean the nurses' agreement doesn't need to align with the BCGEU's to accomplish their goals. The nurses' union has never had a "me too" clause.<\/p>\n

"What we're up against is the government using that as a reason not to bargain in good faith," Gear said. "I don't think it's bargaining in good faith."<\/p>\n

Gear said it is a way of "predetermining" wage increases before even coming to the bargaining table.<\/p>\n

Solidarity is important for the labour movement<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even though she is not trying to get a "me too" clause written into the nurses' deal, Gear said she still supports the BCGEU in its effort, saying those workers are "taking it in the chin" for others. <\/p>\n

"Their fight is our fight," she said.<\/p>\n

Part of this mentality is for the broader labour movement to stick together to ensure job action remains an effective tool of persuasion in negotiations. This is why unions support each other and collaborate through organizations such as the B.C. Federation of Labour.<\/p>\n

With a long BCGEU and PEA strike, and the potential for those unions to run out of money for strike pay at some point, Federation President Sussanne Skidmore said others will step in to help.<\/p>\n

"You see it on a provincial level, but also the national unions will sometimes contribute and support," Skidmore said.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the longer this strike continues, the more difficult it can become for the government to settle other deals, Skidmore said. So far, she said, most unions have not been offered deals that are agreeable to them.<\/p>\n

"Every bargaining unit is a democratic process, and they go through the same process," Skidmore said. "But, people are frustrated and supportive of these workers who are out on the picket lines."<\/p>\n

PEA President Melissa Moroz put this in the context of ensuring sacrifices made in this strike have an impact, especially as workers are making $175 per day in strike pay, which is significantly less than what those workers take home as foresters, psychologists or other public service professionals.<\/p>\n

"That is a great sacrifice that they make not only for themselves, but for the future of the workers that come behind them," she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government is renegotiating agreements with everybody from nurses to teachers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":158564,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-158555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-regional-news","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSetting the bar: What the BCGEU strike means for other public sector unions - The Interior News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Setting the bar: What the BCGEU strike means for other public sector unions - The Interior News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The government is renegotiating agreements with everybody from nurses to teachers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Interior News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T23:06:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Staff reports\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Staff reports\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/\",\"name\":\"Setting the bar: What the BCGEU strike means for other public sector unions - The Interior News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/10\/251017-bpd-bcgeu-strike-picket3-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-17T23:06:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b2a2559930289000cbfc74c234c9073b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/2025\/10\/17\/setting-the-bar-what-the-bcgeu-strike-means-for-other-public-sector-unions\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/10\/251017-bpd-bcgeu-strike-picket3-2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/interior-news.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2025\/10\/251017-bpd-bcgeu-strike-picket3-2.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"B.C. 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