Urgent Update: BCGEU Ratifies Agreement

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,

We are delighted to share good news with you this morning! After weeks of voting, members of the BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU) have officially ratified a new collective agreement with government. This means that--despite persistent industry rumours--the BCGEU now has a three-year labour agreement with government and will not be resuming any strike action.

Union officials say the agreement was ratified by a vote of 53.4 per cent with over 71 per cent of eligible members voting.

The ratified agreement includes:

• Three-year term

• General wage increases:

• Year 1 – a flat increase of $0.25 per hour, which provides a greater percentage increase for lower paid employees (for BCGEU workers, an average of 0.76%) plus 3.24%

• Year 2 – 5.5% plus a potential Cost of Living Adjustment to a maximum of 6.75%

• Year 3 – 2% plus a potential Cost of Living Adjustment to a maximum of 3%

• A negotiable “flexibility allocation” of up to 0.25% in years 1 and 2 to support mutually beneficial outcomes for both parties

• Important achievements for both the parties in these negotiations include various pay adjustments for select occupations to respond to recruitment and retention challenges. There was also agreement on provisions that provide Indigenous employees with access to paid leave to engage in activities that connect them to their culture and language, as well as language to support employee health and safety and mental health in the workplace.

Click here to read the government press release.

While the strike ended in August, the LDB remains about a week behind, the order-to-ship timeline for NSWP has increased to four weeks, and delivery windows and ETAs remain unavailable. Members can rest assured that, now that this issue is finally behind us, we are speaking with government about finding logical and efficient reforms to BC's liquor distribution system to avoid these sorts of disruptions in future.