B.C. Public Service Workers Enter Mediation After 7 Weeks on Strike

After seven weeks of picketing across the province, 34,000 striking public service workers represented by the B.C. General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) have agreed to enter mediation with the provincial government.

BCGEU president Paul Finch said the union remains committed to finding a resolution but emphasized that job action will continue during mediation.

“We’re committed to exploring every option to achieve a fair and respectful agreement for our members,” Finch said Friday.

The decision follows a government request on Thursday. Mediation will be led by well-known mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers.

“Mediation represents a next step toward resolving this dispute in a way that respects the vital work our members do every day,” Finch added.

The union’s wage proposal calls for a 4% annual increase over two years. Any tentative deal emerging from mediation will be non-binding and subject to a membership vote.

Roughly 25,000 members have been actively striking since September 2, affecting government offices, liquor distribution centres, and Service B.C. locations. Restaurants, bars, and small businesses have faced supply delays and service slowdowns.

“The strike is having an impact on the public, businesses and employees,” the province said in a statement. “Government is committed to reaching a fair agreement that works for everyone.”

The Professional Employees Association, which represents engineers, geoscientists, and mining inspectors, also joined picket lines this week, although essential operations remain staffed.

Both sides say mediation will begin as soon as possible, marking the first significant step toward ending the public-service strike that has disrupted key provincial services for nearly two months.

‘We Are the Land,’ Sleydo’ Tells Court at Wet’suwet’en Blockade Sentencing

A Wet’suwet’en leader convicted of criminal contempt for blocking work on the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline told a B.C. Supreme Court judge that her people’s connection to the land “has never been ceded or surrendered.”

“Our ancestors said, we are the land, and the land is us. Our laws flow from the land — we are nothing without it,” said Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), wing chief of the Gidimt’en Clan, during closing remarks Thursday in Smithers, B.C.

Sleydo’, along with Shaylynn Sampson and Corey Jocko, was found guilty last year of criminal contempt for violating a 2019 injunction prohibiting interference with CGL pipeline construction. The blockade in November 2021 halted work and trapped pipeline workers and RCMP officers for several days.

Justice Michael Tammen is expected to deliver sentencing on Friday following two days of arguments.

Crown Seeks Jail, Defence Cites Rights Violations

Crown prosecutor Paul Battin urged the court to impose jail sentences of 30, 25, and 20 days respectively for Sleydo’, Jocko, and Sampson, arguing the penalty is necessary to “preserve the rule of law.”

“This sentencing is about how these contemners acted and how their actions undermine the court’s authority,” Battin said.

Defence lawyer Frances Mahon countered that further jail time would deepen injustice after the court found RCMP violated the defendants’ Charter rights during their arrests.

Earlier this year, Justice Tammen ruled that Section 7 rights — life, liberty, and security of person — were breached, citing racist comments by officers who compared the Indigenous women, marked with red handprints symbolizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), to “orcs” from The Lord of the Rings.

“What does it say to Canadians that victims of this hideous racism may still be sent to jail?” Mahon asked, calling for time served or community-based sentencing instead.

History and Land Rights at the Forefront

Mahon argued that the case cannot be separated from the unresolved land title of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, referencing the 1997 Delgamuukw decision and the 2020 memorandum of understanding between hereditary chiefs and federal and provincial governments — agreements still lacking meaningful implementation.

“We’re not talking about beliefs,” Mahon said. “We’re talking about a specific history where Wet’suwet’en title remains unextinguished.”

Battin maintained that personal or cultural beliefs cannot justify disobeying a court order.

The defence is seeking time served or a conditional sentence with 100 to 150 hours of community service if further punishment is deemed necessary.

The 670-kilometre CGL pipeline, which runs from northeastern B.C. to the LNG Canada terminal in Kitimat, has since been completed and began exports in June 2025.

Canada Post Strike Delays Voter Cards and Ballots Across Canada

A nationwide postal disruption is forcing elections officials across Alberta, Quebec, Yukon, and Nunavut to scramble for ways to deliver voter cards and mail-in ballots, as the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) begins rotating strikes.

Although some mail is moving again, the slowdown came too late for Canada Post to deliver critical election materials on time. Municipal and territorial election officials are now relying on couriers, volunteers, and even bailiffs to ensure residents receive their voting information before election day.

In Quebec, where voter registration rules are stricter than in most provinces, the impact has been especially severe. Voters must confirm their details before election day, usually through cards mailed by Elections Quebec. To meet deadlines, municipalities hired private couriers or community groups to hand-deliver registration cards.

“It’s been a lot of gymnastics,” said Charles-Hervé Aka, returning officer for Chelsea, Quebec, which paid for private delivery. Nearby Gatineau spent up to $6 per door to get cards out.

In the territories, officials in Yukon and Nunavut arranged land and air transport to move ballots to remote communities. Elections Yukon also introduced a “vote anywhere” option to keep access open for its Nov. 3 vote.

Alberta’s cities of Edmonton and Calgary have couriered mail-in ballots and asked voters to return them in person or pay for courier service. Some municipalities have dropped mailed voter cards entirely, asking residents to check polling information online.

Experts say the disruption could depress turnout.

“Direct mail remains one of the most effective ways to mobilize voters,” said Holly Ann Garnett of the Electoral Integrity Project, noting that voter cards help people understand where and how to vote.

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) has called for election documents to be declared “essential mail”, ensuring they are always delivered during postal disputes.

Neither Canada Post nor CUPW has committed to that change. The two sides remain locked in a labour dispute nearly a year old.