Workers for ICBC are banning overtime next week as the first step of targeted job action.
The employees, under the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union 378, haven’t had a pay increase since 2009. Earlier this year 87 per cent of members voted yes in a strike vote and on June 28 the union issued a 72-hour strike notice and said the overtime ban will begin Friday (July 6). Strike action was originally delayed because ICBC applied to the Labour Relations Board to have the workers declared as an essential service.
Jeff Gillies, vice-president of COPE 378, said in a press release the union will give at least 48 hours notice of future job action.
“We’re getting great feedback from members about what we can do that targets the government and ICBC, not drivers,” he said. “They’re giving huge dividends to government and pay increases to their lawyers and business partners but trying to freeze our wages and raise rates for drivers.”