Although legally entitled to strike since Monday, community social service workers are still on the job as talks between the B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) and provincial employers continue.
After a May vote to set a strike mandate of 82 per cent, the union have been setting up essential service levels across the province to prepare for potential job action as of Aug. 8.
That vote came after more than 18 months of contract talks broke down March 30.
The union represents employees in 220 agencies across the province who work in child car, employment and housing support, specialized services for First Nations and immigrants, substance abuse and addiction-related services, support for women dealing with violence and more.
But as of yesterday, the union and the employer were re-engaged in closed-door negotiations, moving on from preliminary talks to more substantial issues, said BCGEU spokesperson Oliver Rohlfs.
"The fact they're still talking is encouraging," Rohlfs said. "This is pretty much the critical juncture."
Rohlfs said the key issues the union has gone in to the talks with revolve around job security, fair work practices and the constant "restructuring and bleeding of jobs due to sector underfunding."
