PRESS KIT: Class Action Law Suit

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

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