PEA 2026 Budget Response

Dear PEA members,

The BC Government has announced a plan to reduce the broader public sector, including 2,500 jobs in the public service over the next three years, alongside tighter hiring controls and limited voluntary retirement incentives for excluded employees.

As you know, the PEA is still in bargaining, and we are pushing for a tentative agreement that will include strong employment security language for our members. We have already signed off on language renewing MOA 10, which provides for no layoff of PEA members with regular status as of April 1, 2025.

The Government’s 2026 budget messaging on infrastructure delivery and permitting does not align with its Look West: Jobs and Prosperity for a Stronger BC and Canada commitments. They want to pace infrastructure projects more carefully to manage costs while also promising faster delivery and shorter authorization timelines. Cutting public service capacity makes these targets harder to achieve and will result in greater delays and an even higher reliance on costly contractors.

Permitting cannot be sped up without more professionals or lower-quality oversight, and there should never be shortcuts when it comes to reviewing safety and environmental impacts.

All of this comes on top of serious recruitment and retention challenges, with professional positions already sitting vacant across the public service.

As we head into negotiations next week, the PEA will continue lobbying ministers. They need to know that a reduction in the number of professionals will have real consequences for British Columbians. Most importantly, if the government wants to deliver on its commitments, the first step is reaching a fair collective agreement. We are prepared to fight for this outcome.

We will keep you updated as negotiations resume.

In solidarity,

Melissa Moroz
Executive Director