NANAIMO — It was a show of solidarity from different groups of striking workers, each showing their support to the other’s bargaining process.
Members from across the central Island region of the B.C. Government Employees Union (BCGEU), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Professional Employees Association (PEA) rallied outside provincial government offices on Labieux Rd. on Friday, Oct. 10.
CUPW Local 786 president Shane Lorenz told NanaimoNewsNOW the event was to ensure all workers are united to stand up and fight for what they deserve.
“Workers everywhere across the country really falling behind with wages in the last decade due to high inflation. I saw a statistic, one in five government workers is now working a second job to make ends meet, that’s just not the way it used to be.”
Members walked up and down the E&N trail along the Island Hwy. just before 12 p.m. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)Hundreds of members were on the picket lines Friday leading to the march from the offices to the E&N Trail, along the Island Hwy. at 11:30 a.m.
Lorenz said support for their strike action has been “surprisingly great” from the general public in Nanaimo and surrounding area.
He added they’re after a fair deal for members, while securing the long term viability of the postal service.
“We don’t think Canadians should lose their public service, and we think Canadians should have a say, and so the government is making decisions without feedback or input from the public, and we don’t think that that’s right.”
Picket lines have been setup around provincial government offices on Labieux Rd. in Nanaimo for the last six weeks. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)Zone captain for BCGEU workers in Nanaimo and the north Island Kelli Zimmerman said they were proud to come together in solidarity with both CUPW and PEA staff.
She added BCGEU members are in every major sector of the government, including corrections, transportation, ministry offices, liquor/cannabis distribution and more.
“When we talk to anyone out in the public and we have people passing by, they’re in support of us and they really want us to get a fair deal, they think it’s important for us, and all of the different unions that are going to the table to bargain with the government.”
She encouraged those supportive of their cause to email their local MLA, asking for a fair deal from government.
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