Public sector unions closely watching BCGEU negotiations
Public sector union members and sitting NDP provincial politicians rubbed shoulders in East Vancouver at a Labour Day picnic on Monday, even as the two sides continue negotiating new contracts.
"It's a great day to mark and celebrate the work of British Columbians across the province who deliver essential services,” said Vancouver-Point Grey MLA David Eby, who is running to become the next leader of the NDP and premier of British Columbia.
He wouldn’t comment directly on the high stakes negotiations between the province and the BC General Employees’ Union.
Last week, BCGEU members agreed to pause job action, which included picket lines at liquor distribution centres that led to bare shelves at some liquor stores and cannabis retailers in recent weeks.
On Friday, the province did announce a tentative new deal with the Facilities Bargaining Association, which represents 60,000 health sector workers including care aids, food-service workers, cleaners and lab assistants.
180 different public sector unions representing more than 390,000 workers have contracts that expire in 2022 and that includes the Ambulance Paramedics of BC, which will begin collective bargaining next week.
"That's going to be an interesting time because we have a lot of disparity to overcome,” said union spokesperson Troy Clifford.
The BC Ambulance Service has experienced chronic critical staffing shortages over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The union says it’s difficult to find qualified people because the wages and benefits offered don’t stack up in comparison to other first responders such as firefighters and police officers.
"We're about 30 percent behind,” said Clifford. “That's a significant gap and what that's hurting is our ability to recruit and retain."
With inflation at levels not seen in a generation, higher wages will be a top priority for all the public sector unions as they negotiate with the province.
"Ensuring that workers here earn a wage where they can support their families and have a dignified standard of life … that's a goal shared by government, shared by unions, and shared by most British Columbians,” Eby said.
The NDP will be judged on their ability to deliver that for workers without anymore picket lines popping up.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.