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By Victor Kaisar

BCGEU Strike

Province reaches deal with BCGEU to classify meat inspectors as essential workers

Sep 12, 2025 | 9:41 AM

VICTORIA — The B.C. government has classified provincial meat inspectors as essential workers after ranchers and meat processors complained that an ongoing public service strike was threatening the industry.

Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham announced the move in a Thursday (Sept. 11) evening statement.

“Abattoirs play a critical role in supporting farmers and ranchers throughout B.C.,” she said. “I am very pleased that we have been able to successfully work with the BCGEU to have provincial meat inspectors classified as essential workers during this round of job action.”

At its meeting Thursday (Sept. 12), the Thompson Nicola Regional District (TNRD) board voted to ask the government to reinstate all meat inspectors who are currently on strike and to have the industry deemed an essential service.

The issue had been raised by Area “L” Director Doug Haughton, who said strike had impacted operations at three meat processing plants in the TNRD – Rangeland Meats on Knouff Lake Road, Kam Lake View Meats in Cherry Creek, and Rainer Meats in Darfield.

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“[It] means that people cannot take live animals to the plant to have them processed because at these plants, the animals must be inspected by a provincial meat inspector,” Haughton said

In a letter to the Province, BC Cattlemen’s Association director Paul Devick said ranchers “depend on the sale and processing of their product to maintain their operations,” adding slaughterhouses are often family-run businesses.

Devick also said a number of youth working in ranching were set to sell their beef projects at the upcoming BC Ag Expo in Barriere, scheduled for Sept. 19 to 22 in Barriere.

Haughton said the Provincial Winter Fair (PWF) in Kamloops, which is also scheduled for next weekend – Sept. 19 to 22 – was also impacted.

BCGEU president Paul Finch said earlier in the day Thursday that he only found out about the issue the day before. He agreed that these inspectors should be deemed an essential service, and blamed the government for not doing so earlier.

Speaking in the Logan Lake area Thursday, Premier David Eby said the province would ask the Labour Relations Board to deem meat inspectors and abattoirs as an essential service. He also said food supplies were not being interrupted as the “vast majority” of slaughterhouses in B.C. were federally inspected.

“I am grateful for the BCGEU’s collaboration and willingness to work with us to safeguard human health, support animal welfare and support the farmers and producers of this province,” Popham added in her statement.

– With files from The Canadian Press

This is a developing story, and more information will be provided once it’s available.