A general provincial election is set for October 19, 2024. Our last provincial general election was unexpectedly held during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward almost four years and British Columbians are heading to the ballot box again. What will that mean for our members, and British Columbians more widely?

As most of us know,  B.C. has a provincial general election scheduled for October 19, 2024 – a little over four months away. Our last provincial general election was held—a bit unexpectedly—during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward almost four years and British Columbians are heading to the ballot box again.

A lot has happened in that time, particularly for BCPSEF members and our supporters. We’ve lived through events many of us never imagined we would, as Canadians, in our own country. For some people, nothing has changed. For others, the COVID years shifted the way we think about our world, our communities, our work, our health, and our rights.

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.