BCGEU statement on workplace bullying

This week the BCGEU was in the print and broadcast news talking about workplace bullying. 

Respect in the workplace is a cornerstone of our union's work and we take the issue of workplace bullying very seriously.

Over the years we have taken on the issue in numerous ways. We have run campaigns, negotiated collective agreement language into a number of agreements and held workshops to ensure that our members are knowledgeable about workplace bullying and misuse of authority and the steps they can take when they encounter bullying in the workplace.

We’ve taken the bullying issue to the bargaining table on many occasions. For instance, we negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding (#13) with the B.C. Government in 2010. The MOU, entitled Bullying in the Workplace, is contained in our 15th Master Agreement. The MOU outlines the process for handling bullying complaints in the B.C. Government. In this round of bargaining we’ve brought forward additional proposals that would strengthen the anti bullying language and the processes needed to address the issue.

Right now, the union is working to resolve a number of member complaints involving the public service. Twenty-three complaints involve misuse of authority, where a boss misuses authority and three involve worker-to-worker bullying. 

Bullying in the workplace is a difficult and complex issue that requires constant attention and a workplace culture that encourages our members to speak out. The premier has indicated bullying is a serious matter.


We’re working to get anti-bullying language into as many collective agreements as we can. Recently, anti-bullying language was negotiated into the collective agreement for component 17 members at BC Place (PAVCO).

In 2011, leading up to negotiations, component 17 decided it wanted to raise public and BCGEU member awareness and launched their Sea of Pink campaign. Members designed and distributed pink scarfs, stickers and pocket-sized information cards to educate members on ways to stand up against workplace bullying.

February 29, 2012 is Pink Shirt Day (anti-bullying awareness campaign). The BCGEU has updated its fact sheet about workplace bullying. It’s available here for you to download (pdf). 

Please take the time to learn more about bullying and how you can address it in your workplace.

Keep watching the BCGEU website for updates about our anti-bullying efforts and campaigns.