Announcements Archives - BCPS Employees for Freedom Society

Vancouver Dec 1 to 12: Class Action Certification Hearing

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:47:37 +0000

Representative Plaintiffs

Class Action Law Suit for B.C. Public Servants and
Health Care Workers Continues in Vancouver

Victoria, BC – The certification hearing for two class action law suits launched on behalf of civil servants and health care workers harmed by the provincial COVID-19 vaccine mandates, continues December 1 to 12 in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver (800 Smithe Street). Part 1 of the certification hearing was held April 28 to May 2, 2025 in Victoria.

Jason Baldwin, a former unionized employee of the BC Public Service fired for not complying with the Province’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, filed the class action law suit as representative plaintiff on behalf of the approximately 30,000 provincial employees who are union members of the BCGEU (BC General Employees Union) or PEA (Professional Employees Association).

Terminated and former unionized B.C. health care workers Jed Ferguson and Terri Perepolkin filed a class action law suit as representative plaintiffs on behalf of the thousands of health care workers and ambulance paramedics harmed by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s COVID-19 vaccination orders.

The representative plaintiffs are members of the BCPS Employees for Freedom Society and United Health Care Workers of BC Society, respectively. Both societies were formed to support medical privacy and bodily autonomy.

“Many people think the COVID era has passed, but for people like me who lost their jobs, or homes, or whose families and friendships were torn apart by this, it’s not over,’ said Jason Baldwin. “Especially for a vaccine that was never a vaccine, and didn’t stop transmission of the virus or vaccinated people from getting sick.”

“If you support medical privacy and bodily autonomy in B.C., you must watch this case,” said Jed Ferguson. “Dr. Henry’s ill-conceived COVID-19 vaccine policy hurt many healthcare workers, and forced thousands out of their professions. At a time when health care is in crisis, the personal and public impacts are simply staggering.”

Plaintiffs for both actions have engaged Umar Sheikh of Sheikh Law in Victoria, B.C., to represent them.

For more about the class action cases BCPSEF and UHCWBC are supporting, read Certification Hearing Part 1 (April-May 2025) or visit:

• www.bcpsforfreedom.com/legalaction
• www.unitedtogether.ca

About BCPSEF

We are a diverse group of public servants standing together for medical privacy and bodily autonomy for all British Columbians. For more about us, see our About page.

We invite everyone who supports our cause to join with us to protect and advance the rights and freedoms of all British Columbians.

To become a member, please visit our membership page. To support our legal campaign, please visit our donation page.

The post Vancouver Dec 1 to 12: Class Action Certification Hearing appeared first on BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

MEDIA RELEASE: COVID-19 Class Action Certification Hearing to Continue

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Fri, 23 May 2025 14:00:10 +0000

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2025

VICTORIA, BC – More time is needed to hear arguments in the certification hearing for two class action law suits launched on behalf of public servants and healthcare workers who claim they were harmed by their employers’ COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

The two law suits were filed by representative plaintiff Jason Baldwin on behalf of thousands of unionized BC Public Service employees harmed by the B.C. Government’s 2021-2023 proof of COVID-19 vaccination mandate, and by representative plaintiffs Jed Ferguson and Terri Perepolkin on behalf of thousands of health care workers and ambulance-service paramedics harmed by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s COVID-19 vaccination orders. All three plaintiffs were fired from their jobs because of the mandates, despite having exemplary service records.

The application for certification is being heard by Judge Emily Burke in BC Supreme Court and was scheduled to run from April 28 to May 1. The hearing concluded before the plaintiffs’ counsel completed oral submissions. Counsel for both the plaintiffs and defendants agree another ten days are needed to hear all arguments; arrangements are being made for new court dates to be scheduled toward the end of 2025 in either Victoria or Vancouver.

“It was fabulous to finally have our day in court, but disappointing justice takes so long,” said representative plaintiff Terri Perepolkin. “COVID-19 vaccines didn’t prevent illness or transmission, and should never have been a condition of employment.”

“Informed consent is the law,” said representative plaintiff Jason Baldwin. “The 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate caused a lot of harm. I’m just one of many public servants who want to hold our employer accountable for what they did to us.”

The representative plaintiffs for both actions have engaged Umar Sheikh of Sheikh Law to represent them.

The representative plaintiffs are members of the BCPS Employees for Freedom Society (BCPSEF) and United Health Care Workers of BC Society (UHCWBC), respectively. BCPSEF was formed to support medical privacy and bodily autonomy for civil servants and all British Columbians. UHCWBC was formed with similar objectives. Both Societies are supporting the plaintiffs by helping raise awareness and funds to cover their legal costs.

www.bcpsforfreedom.com/legalaction
www.unitedtogether.ca

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PRESS KIT: Class Action Law Suit

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 17:07:55 +0000

BCPS Employees for Freedom & United Health Care Workers of B.C.
Class Action Law Suit Press Kit

Contact: media@bcpsforfreedom.com

ABOUT BCPSEF AND UHCWBC

BCPS Employees for Freedom: The BCPS Employees for Freedom Society is a volunteer-run, registered not-for-profit society in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. We are a diverse group of public servants who stand together for medical privacy and bodily autonomy to protect our colleagues, families, the communities we serve and future generations. We believe in defending ourselves and others against medical coercion and discrimination. We champion understanding, inclusivity and freedom of choice. We are vaccinated and unvaccinated, union and non-union, management and staff, new employees and veteran professionals, currently active as well as retired and fired.

https://bcpsforfreedom.com/

United Health Care Workers of B.C.: United Health Care Workers of B.C. is a volunteer-run, registered not-for-profit society in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was formed to protect the interests of health care workers who were employed at the time of and affected by the Acute Care Provincial Health Officer Order issued on October 14, 2021, or the Residential Care Order issued on October 8, 2021, that required health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to remain employed.

https://unitedtogether.ca/

ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION LAW SUITS

Two class action law suits have been launched on behalf of unionized BC provincial public servants, and unionized healthcare workers, respectively, in an attempt to hold government accountable for what the plaintiffs claim were unlawful COVID-19 vaccination mandates enacted for employees of the BC Public Service and healthcare workers across B.C.

The first step in the legal process is a certification hearing at which a judge receives evidence and then decides whether or not the class action will be certified, meaning whether or not it can proceed to the next stage in the legal process (i.e., typically a trial) and how the class will be defined (i.e., who it will include).

ABOUT THE CLASS ACTION CERTIFICATION HEARING

The certification hearing for the two class action law suits will be held April 28 to May 2, 2025 in B.C. Supreme Court in Victoria, B.C.
If needed, the hearing will be extended additional days.
The certification of the two actions will be heard together, through a process called joiner, due to the similarities of the legal issues to be decided.
The hearing starts at 9:00 a.m. and is open to the public.

ABOUT THE REPRESENTATIVE PLAINTIFFS

Representing Civil Servants

Jason Baldwin: BCPSEF Vice President Jason Baldwin is the representative plaintiff in a class action law suit filed in October 2023 on behalf of all unionized BC Public Service (BCPS) employees harmed by the B.C. Government’s 2021-2023 proof of COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

Mr. Baldwin was an employee of the British Columbia Public Service (“BCPS”) and served as a Compliance Analyst 2 for the Ministry of Finance (“MOF”). He had been an employee of the BCPS since 2015 and maintained an exemplary and unblemished record until he was put on leave without pay on January 10, 2022, and then fired effective October 5, 2022.

BCPSEF is supporting the class action by raising awareness and funds to help cover the costs of litigation.

Representing Health Care Workers

Jed Ferguson and Terri Perepolkin: UHCWBC Jed Ferguson, president, and vice president Terri Perepolkin, are the representative plaintiffs in a class action law suit filed in October 2023 on behalf of healthcare workers harmed by Public Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s orders that required COVID-19 vaccination to remain employed.

Mr. Ferguson was an employee of Island Health at Cumberland Regional Hospital Laundry and had worked as a Laundry Worker (LW1). Ferguson had been an employee of Island Health since June 2015 and maintained an exemplary and unblemished record until he was put on leave without pay on October 26, 2021, and then fired effective November 18, 2021.

Ms Perepolkin was an employee with Interior Health at Vernon Jubilee Hospital and worked as a Laboratory Technologist since 2004. She maintained an exemplary and unblemished record until she was placed on leave without pay on October 26, 2021, and fired effective November 18, 2021.

UHCWBC is supporting the class action by raising awareness and funds to help cover the costs of litigation.

CLASS ACTION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

BCPS Employees for Freedom

Website: https://bcpsforfreedom.com
Email: media@bcpsforfreedom.com
X: https://x.com/bcpsef
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bcpsemployeesforfreedom6902
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCPSforFreedom

United Health Care Workers of B.C.

Website: https://unitedtogether.ca
Email: unitedhealthcareworkersBC@proton.me
X: https://x.com/uhcwbc

RELATED MEDIA RELEASES

April 18, 2025: B.C. Public Servant and Health Care Worker Class Action Certification Hearing Starts April 28
January 16, 2025: B.C. Public Servant & Health Care Worker Class Action Lawsuits to Seek Certification Together
November 8, 2024: Certification Dates for Class Action Hearing

PHOTOS

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MEDIA RELEASE: B.C. Public Servant and Health Care Worker Class Action Certification Hearing Starts April 28

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 13:56:04 +0000

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2025

VICTORIA, BC – Provincial civil servants and healthcare workers who were harmed by COVID-19 vaccine mandates will have their day in court starting Monday April 28 when the certification hearing for two class action law suits begins. The hearing will be held in BC Supreme Court in Victoria and is expected to run until Friday May 2. The hearing is open to the public and will start at 9 a.m. daily.

The two law suits were launched by representative plaintiff Jason Baldwin on behalf of thousands of unionized BC Public Service employees harmed by the B.C. Government’s 2021-2023 proof of COVID-19 vaccination mandate, and by representative plaintiffs Jed Ferguson and Terri Perepolkin on behalf of thousands of health care workers and ambulance-service paramedics harmed by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s COVID-19 vaccination orders. All three plaintiffs were fired from their jobs over the mandates.

“In British Columbia, we have the right to informed consent and freedom from coercion or force in making our own medical decisions. That didn’t happen, whether we were unionized government employees or not. That was unlawful and I think the government needs to be held accountable,” said plaintiff Jason Baldwin.

“We were told the COVID-19 vaccines were ‘reasonable’ and necessary to create safe workplaces, but there is competing evidence on the effectiveness and safety and necessity of the vaccines, not to mention the whole issue of informed consent” said plaintiff Jed Ferguson. “This is a complex matter and just one aspect of our position that needs to be heard in court.”

The representative plaintiffs are members of the BCPS Employees for Freedom Society (BCPSEF) and United Health Care Workers of BC Society (UHCWBC), respectively. BCPSEF was formed to support medical privacy and bodily autonomy for civil servants and all British Columbians. The Societies are supporting the plaintiffs by helping raise awareness and funds to cover their legal costs.

The representative plaintiffs for both actions have engaged Umar Sheikh of Sheikh Law to represent them.

To learn more about BCPSEF and UHCWBC, visit:

The post MEDIA RELEASE: B.C. Public Servant and Health Care Worker Class Action Certification Hearing Starts April 28 appeared first on BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

Two Donors Offer to Match up to $30,000K for Class Action Lawsuit

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 18:00:40 +0000

BCPSEF is THRILLED to announce TWO anonymous donors have offered to match all class action donations received between January 1, 2025 and February 24, 2025.

Donor #1 is a BCPSEF member who has generously offered to match donations up to $5,000K.
Donor #2 is a member of the public who has generously offered to match donations up to $25,000K.

The two matching offers are NOT mutually exclusive. If BCPSEF receives $5K in donations by the deadline, Donor #1 will match that amount, and the $10K total can be included in the donation match for the $25K offer.

BCPSEF is humbled by these generous offers and hope that our supporters will help us take advantage of them.

Donate today to participate in the collective effort to uphold and defend individual rights and freedoms through legal action.

About BCPSEF

We are a diverse group of public servants standing together for medical privacy and bodily autonomy for all British Columbians. For more about us, see our About page.

We invite everyone who supports our cause to join with us to protect and advance the rights and freedoms of all British Columbians.

To become a member, please visit our membership page. To support our legal campaign, please visit our donation page.

The post Two Donors Offer to Match up to $30,000K for Class Action Lawsuit appeared first on BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

MEDIA RELEASE: B.C. Public Servant & Health Care Worker Class Action Lawsuits to Seek Certification Together

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:00:36 +0000

For Immediate Release: January 16, 2025

VICTORIA – The certification hearing for two class action lawsuits, launched on behalf of civil servants and health care workers who were affected by the provincial COVID-19 vaccine mandates, will be held April 28 to May 2, 2025 in B.C. Supreme Court.

The representative plaintiffs for the lawsuits are members of the BCPS Employees for Freedom Society (BCPSEF) and United Health Care Workers of BC Society (UHCWBC), respectively.

BCPSEF member Jason Baldwin, a terminated, former unionized employee of the BC Public Service, filed a class action lawsuit as representative plaintiff on behalf of the approximately 30,000 provincial employees who are union members of the BCGEU (BC General Employees Union) or PEA (Professional Employees Association). Terminated and former unionized B.C. health care workers Jed Ferguson and Terri Perepolkin, both UHCWBC members, filed a class action lawsuit as representative plaintiffs on behalf of the thousands of health care workers and ambulance service paramedics affected by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate orders.

The certification of the two actions will be heard together in a process called joinder due to the similarities of the legal issues to be decided. If the two class actions are successful at certification, they may still be heard separately when they proceed to trial. The representative plaintiffs for both actions have engaged Umar Sheikh of Sheikh Law in Victoria, B.C., to represent them.

“A similar lawsuit filed by federal civil servants, who claim their Charter rights were violated by the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates, will proceed after a motion by the federal government to dismiss it,” said Jason Baldwin. “That makes me cautiously optimistic for my case.”

“As we all know, B.C’s health care system is in crisis. We need as many qualified health care professionals as we can get. If government supports ‘bodily autonomy,’ it can’t just be some things but not others. Letting people make their own decisions about their health care will not only bring B.C. health care workers back to their professions, it will encourage others to consider health care careers,“ said Terri Perepolkin.

BCPSEF was formed to support medical privacy and bodily autonomy for all Peoples in British Columbia. Learn more about BCPSEF and UHCWBC and the class action cases they are supporting:

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The New Westminster Times – BC Covid Mandates Spark Class Action Litigation

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:00:52 +0000

The New Westminster Times: BC Covid Mandates Spark Class Action Litigation

Authored by Philip Davidson, BCPSEF President
July 30, 2024

You might have heard last week that the B.C. government, four years after the start of COVID-19, declared an end to its public health emergency and vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. Your reaction to the news, depending on your perspective, might have ranged from, “Good, it’s outrageous how long that took,” to, “What a reckless decision, I can’t believe they’re putting our health at risk like that.” Or maybe it was a shrug. COVID? Is that still a thing?

Last Friday’s announcement by B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and Minister of Health, Adrian Dix, seems to bookend one of the most divisive periods in B.C.’s history, as seen by the range of public reaction to it. But is it really over? The division, that is.

You might think that a social calamity like COVID-19 would not create such bitter division. Natural disasters, wars, and plagues are times when leaders typically unite their people to confront a great challenge or defeat a common enemy. It seemed like this would be the case early on in B.C. too, as people celebrated frontline workers from the safety of their balconies and porches, and respectfully obeyed social and economic restrictions imposed by the government.

As time wore on, however, it would become apparent that the seeds of this division were sown by the B.C. government’s own response to COVID-19. Two-week lockdowns to “flatten the curve” that stretched on for months; six-feet “social distancing”, isolation and family/friend “bubbles”; arbitrary distinctions between “essential and non-essential” work; travel zones and restrictions within the province, small and independent business closures while big box stores remained full of shoppers; masks don’t help, then masks actually save lives and must be worn everywhere; early effective treatments for COVID-19 must be discouraged; we must get used to the “new normal”; we’re all excited and can’t wait for the vaccines so we can return to normal, and so on.

The rapid battery of COVID-19 policies implemented by the B.C. government was accompanied by a steady barrage of media that seemed to heighten the fear and anxiety of the public. Daily “case counts”, dire statistical modelling projections, stories of hospitals and the public healthcare system potentially being overrun, as well as the murky origins of the virus and uncertain prospects for those afflicted with the new disease had a profound impact on the minds of many British Columbians.

The psychological effect of all this became so overwhelming for some that it led to a powerful form of groupthink, or mass formation in the words of Belgian clinical psychologist, Mattias Desmet, as described in his 2022 book, The Psychology of Totalitarianism. Free-floating anxiety and a sense of helplessness in a population lead people to surrender their individuality and seek security and belonging in a larger group guided by an authoritative voice. This voice directs their anxiety to a particular object and provides strategies to deal with it. It also directs the group’s hostility and rage outward to those not within the group’s embrace. No amount of rational discourse from outside the group can dissuade its adherents from their purpose, until the mass formation wanes, releasing individuals to think for themselves.

The soft, dulcet intonations of Dr. Henry to “be kind, be calm, be safe,” and earnest entreaties of Health Minister Dix to “do the right thing” conveyed by passive, if not complicit, news media, provided the authoritative voice for many British Columbians to accept the B.C. government’s prescriptions for COVID-19. Those who questioned the measures delivered daily on live TV, or who had the temerity to seek a second opinion, were swiftly condemned as dangerous threats or “anti-science.” What’s more, they were deserving of societal punishment.

By the time COVID-19 vaccine passports and mandates were introduced in the fall of 2021, it was known that the vaccines did not prevent infection or transmission of the virus. But the public had been primed and assured that these measures were necessary to end the pandemic so we could all return to normal. Minority concerns about medical privacy, bodily autonomy, and informed consent, let alone the efficacy and safety of the new shots, were waived away. If people didn’t comply, they could face the consequences.

Groups like BCPS Employees for Freedom (BCPSEF) and United Health Care Workers of BC (UHCWBC) were founded at this time to stand in defence of the basic values that make us a free and democratic society. Thousands of experienced professionals in B.C.’s public service and healthcare system quit as result of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates, retiring early or seeking employment elsewhere. Thousands more remained and were subjected to forced leave without pay, medical coercion and/or workplace punishment for non-compliance. Those terminated were fired with “just cause” for “misconduct”, denied severance pay, and prevented from receiving Employment Insurance, to send a strong signal to others that resistance was futile. Never before in B.C. have mass terminations been carried out with such prejudice. B.C. labour unions, traditional supporters of the NDP government, abandoned their members to vindictive punishment by public sector employers.

BCPSEF and UHCWBC recognize that accountability and deterrence are required to ensure this never happens again. The mandates were unnecessary, overbroad, arbitrary and grossly disproportionate. No British Columbian deserves to have their employment contract or collective agreement violated with impunity through the unilateral imposition of new terms and conditions absent negotiation or consideration, or to be punished and denied compensation for standing up for their medical privacy and bodily autonomy.

That is why we are supporting class action litigation initiated by our members to hold the B.C. government accountable. We expect the government to delay and fight this action every step of the way, as their total power over employment and workers in B.C. is one they surely intend to use in the future, unless they are stopped. The likelihood that they use this power again, however, depends on their ability to maintain their grip on the public mind and British Columbians’ susceptibility to induced panic, fear, and division.

As Desmet describes it, all mass formations follow trajectories that lead to their collapse. What hastens their demise is the existence of a small group of people who persistently speak the truth, disturbing the hypnotic effect of the voice that induces the masses into groupthink. Eventually, individuals within the group awaken to reckon with what has happened.

BCPSEF and UHCWBC are groups with such a mission. We are B.C. public servants and healthcare workers, both current and former, who care about this province and its people. While there is still significant division on this subject, British Columbians have already shown encouraging signs that they are seeking accountability for what happened during COVID-19. You can hasten this process by supporting our members’ legal action to hold the B.C. government accountable and prevent the anti-worker and anti-democratic excesses of the COVID era from happening again.

Visit bcpsforfreedom.com and unitedtogether.ca for more information and to donate.

Philip Davidson is President of the BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

About BCPSEF

BCPS Employees for Freedom is a registered not-for-profit society in the Province of British Columbia. We are a diverse group of public servants who stand together for medical privacy and bodily autonomy to protect our colleagues, families, the communities we serve and future generations. Read more About us.

We are leading a legal campaign to bring about accountability and justice for the B.C. government’s proof of COVID-19 vaccination mandate for BC Public Service employees that resulted in hundreds of unnecessary wrongful terminations, thousands of early retirements, and the violation of 38,000 public servants’ medical privacy and bodily autonomy. We hold regular member meetings and advocate on behalf of current and former public servants of municipal, provincial and federal government organizations, and publicly funded non-governmental organizations, in British Columbia.

We invite everyone who supports our cause to join with us to protect and advance the rights and freedoms of all British Columbians.

To become a member, please visit our membership page. To support our legal campaign, please visit our donation page.

The post The New Westminster Times – BC Covid Mandates Spark Class Action Litigation appeared first on BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

The Canadian Independent: B.C. Purolator employees and owner-operators win victory in Covid-19 vaccine mandate arbitration ruling

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 18:00:56 +0000

Members of Teamsters Local Union No. 31 in Prince George, B.C filed several grievances against Purolator over its Covid-19 vaccination policy on January 10, 2022.

As outlined in the summary of the ruling’s background, the union was not contesting the initial effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing infection during the summer and fall of 2021. Instead, they put forth the argument that the efficacy had markedly diminished by the emergence of the Omicron variant in early 2022.

Arbitrator Nicholas Glass says in his ruling that after reviewing expert evidence the “argument that unvaccinated workers once infected were more infectious than vaccinated workers once infected” was found “to be inconclusive” and that “It did not amount to a valid reason for the mandate.”

The ruling orders Purolator to compensate hourly paid employees for their losses, including any lost wages and benefits, between July 1, 2022, and their first day of work following May 1, 2023.

Additionally, the ruling instructs Purolator to compensate owner-operators for their losses starting from the first date they incurred revenue loss due to being denied the use of a vaccinated relief driver.

The post The Canadian Independent: B.C. Purolator employees and owner-operators win victory in Covid-19 vaccine mandate arbitration ruling appeared first on BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

Times Colonist: B.C. drops COVID vaccine requirement for government workers

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:01:11 +0000

Today the BC Public Service finally rescinded its proof of COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all public service workers as of April 3, although it will remain for people working in health-care facilities.

In November 2021, the province made having two doses of vaccination against COVID-19 a condition of employment for B.C. public service employees. People who wouldn’t get vaccinated or wouldn’t disclose their vaccination status were put on unpaid leave.

The 36,000-member-strong public service includes everyone from administrative workers to corrections officers, wildfire fighters, and liquor and cannabis retail staff. A total of 314 employees were terminated for non-compliance, while another 236 are on unpaid leave or have — or are seeking — an approved accommodation. Those on administrative leave due to non-compliance will be allowed to return, according to the province. The move comes as the public service struggles to hire enough people to fill job openings.

Victoria lawyer Umar Sheikh of Sheikh Law, who represents about 600 public service workers who were affected by the proof-of-vaccination requirement, said while he is pleased the mandate has finally been dropped, “the lasting damage done by the mandate and the incredible delay in making this decision requires rectification.”

Sheikh said the province knew its mandate process was ineffectual at stopping the spread of COVID-19 and “despite this they continued to cause harm to hundreds of employees,” many of whom left the public service or were terminated and “bankrupted by the government’s decisions.” Sheikh says government workers who lost or left their jobs as a result of the vaccine mandate must be offered their jobs “with back pay and full restitution for the damages they have incurred.”

The BCPS Employees for Freedom Society continues their fight for B.C. public servants, abandoned by their union, BCGEU and abused by their employer, BC Public Service to ensure there is accountability, restitution and that this never happens again.

Sheikh said claims underway include a judicial review challenging the constitutionality of the mandate, wrongful-dismissal actions for non-union employees, and failure-to-represent actions against the B.C. General Employees’ Union with the B.C. Labour Relations Board.

> Read full Times Colonist article

According to the province, the requirement was always intended as a temporary measure to help protect employees and the people they serve. They maintain it was necessary and offer no apology, recourse or compensation for the untold harm caused to thousands of public servants.

The BCPS Employees for Freedom Society depend on donations to fund our efforts. We are grateful to and sincerely thank everyone who gives whatever amount they can. No amount is too small.

We invite everyone who supports our cause to join with us to protect and advance the rights and freedoms of all British Columbians.

Join the Conversation on Twitter

“The government knew early on in the mandate process that their decision was ineffectual at stopping the spread of COVID-19 and despite this they continued to cause harm to hundreds of employees, many of which chose to leave the public service or have been terminated and bankrupted by the government’s decisions.

Today we are seeing the impact of the government mandates translated into a critically reduced workforce and in turn a degradation of the public service.

Those who were impacted must be offered their jobs back with back pay and full restitution for the damages they have incurred. One can only hope that the same new science is applied to all sectors in British Columbia, especially healthcare in order to get back from the critical staffing levels caused by this government. These mandates have and continue to be “ego” over substance.

We look forward to continuing our numerous actions and challenges on behalf of thousands of clients in this Province.”

Join the conversation on Twitter

The post Times Colonist: B.C. drops COVID vaccine requirement for government workers appeared first on BCPS Employees for Freedom Society.

Look How Far We’ve Come!

BCPS for Freedom Action Team — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 03:39:57 +0000

As we approach the end of the year, the BCPS Employees for Freedom executive team would like to wish everyone an enjoyable and safe holiday season and give thanks for helping create the kind of impact that changes the world!

As a non-profit society, it is important to have a mindset of abundance. Taking the time to recognize your achievements allows you the chance to pinpoint exactly what worked so that you can repeat it in the future. Taking pride in your accomplishments by celebrating them—even the small ones—can boost your self-confidence and motivate you to achieve more. In fact, pride is one of a select group of emotions that produces success.

The society has done a TON of work over this past year and we’d like to share our successes and thank everyone who contributed to our cause.

Our success over the last year has come from people like you. We are grateful for you and your support of the BCPS Employees for Freedom Society. Thank you for walking this powerful journey with us!

We invite everyone who supports our cause to join with us to protect and advance the rights and freedoms of all British Columbians.

We wholeheartedly thank you and we are excited for 2023 and can’t wait to see how much more we can do together!

BCPS Employees for Freedom Society Collective Impact 2022

BCPSEF, a group that came together on Telegram, has 700 members where we stay connected, share information and support each other:

- Held regular Telegram calls for all members
- 25+ meetings as a large group
- 31+ executive meetings
Started multiple Telegram channels including regional channels to enable people to more easily connect with others where they live
Organized regional in person picnics and potlucks across British Columbia

Hired lawyer Umar Sheikh ~ Thank you to Umar Sheikh and Sheikh Law for everything they are doing to support our fight:

Karmic retainer agreement created to continue our legal actions which allows us to pay what we can fundraise
Prospered from all the hard work of volunteers (past and present) with collection of member evidence, information, administration, communications and fundraising in support of the legal action and the continuous forward movement of our mission
Formed a Research and Analysis team (15+ volunteers)
- Sent out 22 Freedom of Information requests (several of which required following up information and privacy commissioner on several)
- Created a jurisdictional scan of provincial vaccine mandates across the country
- Collected, analyzed and graphed Covid data and related information
- Brought a motion forward at the PEA annual general meeting to survey all union members on the impacts of the Vaccine mandates – motion was passed

Became a registered not-for-profit Society!

Sent out the first Member newsletter
Registration for the Society opened in the fall of 2022 – we now have over 300 members!
Launched the Hardship Fund in December 2022 to help take care of one another per our Karmic Retainer Agreement

Fundraising efforts through multiple platforms raised a total of $160,000!

Includes receiving a $25,000 anonymous donation for our legal challenge!
BCPSEF Merchandise (buttons & flags) have raised $450.00!
Giving Tuesday raised upwards of $700.00!

Through multiple channels, educated the public and raised awareness of who we are and our fight standing for medical privacy and bodily autonomy:

Created a BCPS Employees for Freedom information pamphlet (printable/digital)
Started YouTube Channel, sharing Employee Story Videos
- 22 videos uploaded
- 16 employee story videos – thank you for sharing your stories!
- 18,668 views
Represented BCPSEF at multiple Peace Rallies across BC
Compiled and published a 1-Year Commemorative Video
Created open discourse and shared information and through Social Media:
- Instagram 1000+ followers
- Twitter 725+ followers with 483+ tweets
- YouTube 330+ subscribers
- Facebook 250+ likes

Media Coverage of our group’s efforts:

7 BCPSEF News Releases
Mainstream and alternative media news coverage
Media coverage re-uploaded to our YouTube channel
2 open letters to Lori Wanamaker (Oct. 28, 2021 & Feb. 6, 2022)
1 letter to Kevin Falcon

The Daily Hive – Group of BC public servants lobbying for removal of ‘unethical’ vaccine mandates 2022 02 07
The Vancouver Sun – Group calls for end of vaccine mandate for government workers 2022 02 07
Times Colonist – Unvaccinated public servants who face firing want mandate quashed 2022 02 08
True North – B.C. now firing government employees put on leave over COVID shots 2022 02 23
The Canadian Press – B.C. public servants launch court petition over vaccination status firings 2022 02 23
Times Colonist – Court petitioned to stop termination of B.C. public servants who didn’t comply with vaccine mandate 2022 02 24
Vision Times – British Columbia Firing Hundreds of Government Employees Unwilling to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 2022 02 24
Times Colonist – Nine B.C. public servants, facing firing, petition court to end vaccine mandate 2022 03 03
CFAX 1070 – Interview with Umar Sheikh 2022 03 04
Victoria News (Black Press Media) – B.C. public servants head to court around vaccine mandates that led to termination 2022 03 06
CTV News Vancouver Island – Umar Sheikh and Philip Davidson Interviewed 2022 03 19
Rebel News – Public servants set to fight British Columbia’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in court on Monday 2022 03 19
Rebel News – Umar Sheikh and Philip Davidson 2022 03 29
True North – B.C. Supreme Court refuses to stop province from firing unvaxxed employees 2022 04 02
Victoria Rumble Room – discussion Ft. Umar Sheikh 2022 05 06
Times Colonist – Public servants fighting COVID vaccine mandate go up against unions 2022 05 07
Liberty Talk Canada – Philip Davidson interview with Odessa Orlewicz 2022 06 03
Vancouver Sun – B.C. Liberal leader calls on province to end vaccine mandates 2022 06 17

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