Kelowna

Photo: John O'Connor

Striking ICBC employees in Kelowna and across the province are calling on the province to negotiate a long-overdue contract that will include a cost-of-living increase.

ICBC claims, regional, and drivers services staff formed picket lines at locations in Kelowna today as part of a one-day protest of failed contract negotiations since July 2010, when their previous four-year contract expired.

"We believe the government should step forward, and they simply aren't," said Carina Newman, job steward for Cope 378 at the Springfield ICBC centre.

She cites a Labour Relations Board ruling in July that the Insurance Corporation was negotiating in bad faith with its union.

Newman says the union's top priority is to negotiate a cost-of-living increase as well as maternity leave top up. "Most public contract centres have maternity leave incentives, but not this one."

Employees began picketing at around 6:30 this morning, leaving centres open with minimal staff and only essential services available to customers.

"It certainly wasn't a very quiet morning, but a very supportive one," said Newman.