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 

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.

• Notice of Civil Claim (PDF)
• Reply Submission of the Plaintiffs (PDF)

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.

• Notice of Civil Claim (PDF)
• Reply Submission of the Plaintiffs (PDF)

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

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:

• https://bcpsforfreedom.com
• https://unitedtogether.ca