The BC General Employees’ Union has ratified a new agreement for approximately 36,000 members employed across the B.C. Public Service, following mediation on October 26, 2025. The agreement applies to workers who deliver essential government services, including social workers, employment assistance workers, biologists, court clerks, sheriffs and correctional officers. It also covers BCGEU-represented employees at the Liquor Distribution Branch, BC Pension Corporation, Destination BC and the Royal BC Museum.
A key focus of the deal is improving recruitment and retention in difficult-to-staff areas. It includes targeted market and classification adjustments for low-wage and hard-to-recruit positions, along with the creation of new dedicated remote roles. Government says these measures are intended to strengthen and stabilize service delivery across British Columbia.
The four-year agreement includes annual three-percent general wage increases, matching the provincial 2025 Balanced Measures Mandate that guides public-sector negotiations. As with the framework agreement reached earlier with the Facilities Bargaining Association, the BCGEU Public Service agreement contains additional increases beyond those available to the broader public sector under the mandate.
Since 2014, the province has used enhanced bargaining mandates in specific sectors where staffing challenges threaten essential services. Earlier examples include low-wage redress measures in community health and social services. For the current round, enhanced mandates have been extended to both the FBA and BCGEU Public Service tables in response to rising affordability and labour-market pressures.
British Columbia’s public sector includes more than 593,000 workers, with about 452,000 unionized employees covered by collective or negotiated compensation agreements.
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