The battle over where B.C. government employees work is shaping up to be an early test for the province’s incoming premier, with the union representing more than 95,000 workers preparing to challenge any sweeping return-to-office order. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has made his preference clear. He wants provincial employees who live within what he considers a reasonable distance of a government office to return to the workplace, while allowing some flexibility for people in more remote parts of B.C. “I’m committed to having people come back to the office,” Doerkson said. “I’m open to the notion that we might have a hybrid where we have people working in very rural spaces or rural parts of our province.” “But the reality is, if you’re living in a place that’s accessible to an office like this, that’s in downtown Victoria or elsewhere in the province, in some of our other centers. I want people coming back to work in the office,” he added. But the British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) says Doerkson needs to look at the bigger picture before making any changes. Union president Paul Finch says remote work has been a significant financial benefit to the province. “We believe that remote work arrangements have saved the province millions of dollars,” Finch said. He also questions whether government has the physical space to accommodate a widespread return. “The real estate footprint has shrunk dramatically. There are not offices available for all the folks who are working remotely to return to office,” he said. For employees, returning to the workplace could also mean additional expenses, including fuel, parking and commuting costs. “If this is a significant financial hit, I think the province should think twice about that,” Finch said. There’s also unfinished business from the last round of contract negotiations. Finch says government committed to identifying positions that could be fully remote or eligible for telework but hasn’t completed that work. “The government has failed to implement it,” he said. “So, we want to see that completed before we look at any changes or modifications.” For Finch, the issue ultimately comes down to public service delivery, not where employees sit while doing their jobs. “These decisions need to be evidence-based. They need to be based on what is going to deliver the best value to British Columbians.” He says remote arrangements have also made it possible for people in smaller and rural communities to join the provincial workforce without relocating to major population centres. “It’s also supported rural and resource communities by allowing folks who want a better quality or standard of life to move to those communities, support the local economy and, in doing so, still contribute meaningfully to the province and deliver quality public services.” His warning to the incoming government is direct. “We think it’d be a huge mistake for government to order a mass return to office.” Downtown Victoria wants workers back While the union makes its case for maintaining remote work, downtown Victoria’s business community welcomes the prospect of more provincial employees returning. John Wilson, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, says the additional foot traffic would be a welcome boost for local businesses. “We’re excited about it. We believe the more people working downtown, the more vibrant downtown Victoria we can have,” he said. “It’s great for businesses, great for our community.” Wilson says the impact of fewer people downtown has been particularly noticeable outside the busy tourism season. “We’ve definitely noticed, particularly off-peak season, the lack of vibrancy in the downtown core, the lack of people, if you will.” “It would be great to get some more people down here just to bring back hospitality and retail businesses back to where they need to be to survive,” he said. But Wilson adds that filling office buildings with government employees isn’t the only way to revitalize downtown. He points to the potential to convert vacant office space into hotels, residential accommodation or other commercial uses. However, redevelopment costs and building regulations remain significant obstacles. The chamber is also advocating for a broader transportation strategy, including improved transit, HOV lanes, cycling infrastructure and potentially a commuter ferry. Wilson says the region needs multiple solutions. “We don’t believe that one stand-alone mode is going to solve the challenges we have in the South Island right now.” The West Shore wants a different approach The debate looks different in the growing West Shore, where Colwood Coun. Ian Ward believes the province should consider locating government workplaces closer to where employees live. “Let’s talk about where those offices are,” Ward said. He points to the region’s population growth and the number of provincial employees who have made communities such as Colwood and Langford their home. Ward says there are opportunities to establish permanent or shared office spaces in the West Shore, potentially allowing employees to return to a workplace without commuting into downtown Victoria. He also wants the province to reconsider shared workspaces, including the facility established in Langford under former premier John Horgan and then-mayor Stu Young. Ward says one reason the arrangement struggled to gain traction was that time spent working there didn’t count toward employees’ required office days. “So logically, if you’re somebody who works from home, you’re going to work from home if the opportunity is there versus going into a shared space.” He believes a simple policy change, combined with more shared facilities, could make a significant difference. The commute is another concern. Ward says congestion between the West Shore and Victoria has been getting worse. “You add more cars onto the road. It doesn’t get better,” Ward said. He wants the province to consider allowing high-occupancy vehicles to use bus lanes, while keeping longer-term transportation projects such as light rail on the agenda. But Ward’s argument goes beyond traffic. He says the West Shore has evolved considerably. “We aren’t the sort of sleepy bedroom communities of Victoria that we were 25 years ago,” Ward said. “We are building our own downtowns. We want vibrancy.” He points to the growth of local businesses and amenities that increasingly give residents reasons to shop, eat and spend their money closer to home. “The onus shouldn’t be on outlying communities to sort of subsidize Victoria’s vibrancy.” A decision still to come For now, the BCGEU says it wants to sit down with the incoming government before any changes are made. Finch says the union has already reached out to Doerkson. “We’re very patient,” he said. “We understand they have a lot of work to do to put together a government.” But if the government moves ahead with a widespread return-to-office order, Finch says the union will vigorously advocate for its members. Doerkson has made his position clear. Whether the incoming government can find common ground with the union, while addressing the concerns of businesses and communities across the region, remains to be seen. With files from CTV News’ Brendan Strain
