Two B.C. unions are prepared to strike on Tuesday

Many of the more than 35,000 public-service employees from two unions in British Columbia will be heading to the picket lines on Tuesday morning if they are not called back to the bargaining table, the union heads say.

“We think our government is out of touch with both our membership and the public‚” said Paul Finch, bargaining chair and president of the British Columbia General Employees’ Union. “We think the government needs to take a knee and revise their position here.”

The BCGEU, which represents 34,000 public-sector employees, as well as the Professional Employees Association (PEA), which represents more than 1,800 licensed government professionals, each issued a 72-strike notice on Friday.