Strike taking toll on workers' morale: report
British Columbia’s adult correctional system is facing operational changes after non-essential public service workers at eight of the province’s ten adult jails continued their strike that began on Friday.
Some 25,000 B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) workers have set up picket lines at more than 470 worksites across the province since the start of the strike, which has now entered its seventh week, according to a CBC report.
The labour action is now taking a toll on workers, one strike participant shared.
The labour action is taking a toll on workers, one strike participant shared. Striking workers receive $130 per day for four hours of picketing, an amount that many say is not enough to cover basic living expenses. Leah Brown, a single mother and strike team support worker in Nanaimo, said the strike pay is just enough to cover her rent.
“It’s tough. Thanksgiving had to be scaled back, and I know Christmas is already going to be scaled back,” Brown said, according to CBC.
Brown also noted the mental and physical exhaustion among workers, who are eager to return to their jobs. “We’re very frustrated, because the government has not come back to the table — like I feel like we are not valued,” she said.
In a letter to members, the BCGEU president said: “The government has failed to come to the bargaining table with a fair deal, and as a result, members of the public service have been on strike for weeks. This isn't what any of us wanted, and it's especially disappointing coming from a government who promised to prioritise workers' rights.
“With government failing to return our calls, it feels like the BCNDP is turning their backs on workers — the very people who helped get them elected. We need to remind them that many members of the BCGEU, through votes, dollars, and volunteer time, helped put them in office.”
Meanwhile, B.C. Premier David Eby said the government is working closely to ensure a fair offer is being made to members of the union, and the government is hoping to get back to the bargaining table as soon as possible.
It has been an “incredibly challenging time” not just for the restaurant sector but for many British Columbians who are looking to get government services, such as permits or licences, the premier said, according to a CTV News report.
“It has been a long strike. I know it’s frustrating, but we hope to get back to the table to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
File photo from BCGEU's Facebook page
