Another union representing B.C. public service workers issues strike notice
A union representing B.C. government workers – including veterinarians, engineers and pharmacists – has issued a strike notice.
The Professional Employees Association (PEA) is the union that represents the Government Licensed Professionals (GLP) group, which has 1,200 members who work in B.C. public services.
The union had been negotiating with the B.C. Public Service Agency since April, and in June about 92 per cent of members voted in favour of striking.
On Wednesday at noon, the GLP issued a 72-hour strike notice, though details of what that job action could entail have not yet been made public.
"These licensed professionals rebuild bridges and roads, monitor B.C.’s forests and agriculture, and provide care to the province’s most vulnerable youth," said Melissa Moroz, labour relations officer with the PEA, in a statement.
"We need their expertise more than ever to help keep the province safe," she said.
The union says one of the biggest concerns its members has is compensation. The PEA says members have long cited salaries as a reason why workers leave the public service sector.
The union says staff burnout and lack of position vacancies also has members looking to leave public service "to further their career growth."
The PEA's announcement comes on the heels of the British Columbia General Employees' Union's (BCGEU) recent strike action.
On Saturday, the BCGEU, which represents roughly 33,000 members, issued a strike notice, and that job action started Monday.
On Monday, picket lines were set up at four B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch wholesale and distribution centres. The strike is expected to affect liquor and cannabis stores across the province, with consumers likely seeing impacts on store shelves this week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.