BURST
VICTORIA — The B.C. government’s main union has accused the New Democrats of engaging in “delaying and intimidation tactics” around a new contract for the more than 30,000 unionized workers in government and its ministries.
The B.C. General Employees’ Union levelled the charge in a membership bulletin last week. It lamented the disappointing lack of progress at the bargaining table on a replacement for the contract that expired March 31.
“Outside the bargaining table, you’ve seen another side of the employer’s delaying and intimidation tactics,” the bulletin continued.
As evidence, it cited an April 16 virtual meeting for union members presided over by Shannon Salter, deputy minister to the premier and head of the public service.
“This town hall should have been a conversation about our work and how we’re coming together to build a stronger public service in the face of uncertainty,” the union continued. “Instead, our employer used the town hall as an intentional scare tactic to persuade BCGEU members into thinking that there was no money available in our upcoming collective agreement.”
Scare tactics. A bad-faith accusation levelled at the head of the public service herself.
It’s the kind of thing a union might say if talks had broken down with recriminations from both sides. But not this early in a bargaining round that has been slow and uneventful.
Apparently, somebody at BCGEU headquarters reached the same conclusion. Particularly as that first bulletin, sent out at 9 a.m. Thursday, got Salter’s first name wrong, calling her Sharron, not Shannon.
Three hours later the union issued a correction to members.
“The email you received this morning was sent in error,” it said. “The version that you received was neither reviewed nor approved by the bargaining committee.”
A revised bulletin toned down the offending passage somewhat. Left in was the accusation that the New Democrats had engaged in “intimidation and delaying tactics” away from the bargaining table.
Gone was any reference to Salter — with or without the proper first name. Instead, the town hall was described only as a government exercise.
Gone, too, the reference to the province using the town hall as an “intentional scare tactic” to persuade union members “there was no money available.”
The revised bulletin said only that “members left the call feeling scared about funding for our public service jobs.”
Still, the union is unhappy with what it regards as a status quo stance on the part of the New Democrats.
“We know that there is money to invest in our public service. Every day, we see the money that they spend on consultants and inappropriately procured infrastructure projects.”
Union President Paul Finch has pointed out how in government, the ranks of non-union staffers and managers have increased by almost twice as much (52 per cent) as the numbers (28 per cent) of unionized public servants.
“Nearly half of BCGEU members in the public service are already falling behind and more than 20 per cent are working more than one job,” says the revised bulletin signed by Finch and the 11 other members of the bargaining committee.
The union closed by announcing that it would step up efforts to put pressure on the New Democrats, by expanded organizing and advertising campaigns.
The BCGEU is not exaggerating about the government’s tough bargaining stance. The NDP’s current messaging contrasts sharply with the 14 per cent over three years it paid out in the 2022 round.
During the April town hall, Salter spoke at length about the government’s “duty to taxpayers” and the need to “do everything we can to rein in spending.”
Deputy Finance Minister Douglas Scott followed up with a sobering overview of B.C.’s fiscal predicament.
Debt is approaching $100 billion and on track to hit $160 billion within the next three years.
Interest payments will soon be eating up $6 billion a year, making debt servicing the third largest ministry, after only health and education.
Though spending growth has been reduced to 3.3 per cent from 8.7 per cent in election year, B.C. is headed for another $10 billion operating deficit.
“These numbers are real,” Scott told the thousands of public servants who logged on to the town hall. “This is not a short-term financial crisis. We have a systemic deficit that we have to adjust. If we don’t adjust, it will go on in perpetuity.”
Moreover, he said, there can be no more delays in tackling debt and deficits. “Speed is our friend,” said Scott. If current trends continue, it will only get worse owing to the toll of compound interest.
The urgent tone of Scott’s briefing was a departure from the “this is not the time” mantra of the premier and other NDP ministers before the 2024 election.
Salter, in her capacity as head of the public service, also hinted at something else.
“There have been no discussions on layoffs,” she told union members, then added “I cannot offer guarantees” that there won’t be such discussions going forward.
Call it realism. Call it intimidation. Either way, the NDP government message to the BCGEU and other public sector unions is to rein in expectations.