picket line at grouse grind comes down as metro vancouver workers return to work
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picket lines have come down at the grouse grind after metro vancouver outdoor workers returned to work tuesday.
metro vancouver
picket lines have come down at the grouse grind after metro vancouver outdoor workers returned to work tuesday.
members of the greater vancouver regional district employees’ union had escalated job action to the grouse grind and two other parks in metro vancouver on monday, as their strike entered its third week.
late monday evening, the union issued a statement that said picket lines were coming down at the grouse grind, deas island regional park, and derby reach regional park as its members returned to work “and did not want to inconvenience the public in its dispute with metro vancouver management.”
“our members are front line workers who enjoy working at the grouse grind and the other popular regional parks — and they greatly appreciated the strong support from the public in their efforts to get a new collective agreement after 17 months,” said gvrdeu president jesse medeiros in a statement.
“we have returned to work for tuesday so people can enjoy these great parks.”
it’s unclear if the parties have agreed to return to the bargaining table.
the grouse grind and grouse mountain regional park had been operated on monday by a limited number of management staff performing work they do not normally carry out, medeiros said. park rangers, who patrol the parks and are members of the union, were expected to respect picket lines.
“our members will not stop anyone from using the grind or parks, but we advise the public to be extra careful and consider doing the grind or visiting the parks on another day when our members have returned to work,” madeiros had said on monday.
unionized operations staff at the lions gate wastewater treatment plant have also returned to work following job action.
on monday, metro vancouver said all regional parks remain open to the public. it assured residents they will experience no changes in essential services provided by the regional authority, including drinking water, wastewater treatment, and access to regional parks.
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the latest job action comes as metro vancouver and the union have not returned to the bargaining table following an impasse. previous job action have temporarily affected some of the region’s water filtration and treatment plants and other facilities.
the union says sticking points include worker safety, contracting out of bargaining-unit work, and recruitment and retention.
medeiros said the union was also frustrated with the regional authority’s “expensive blunders” that have cost taxpayers. this includes the north shore wastewater treatment plant, where costs have ballooned from $700 million to $3.86 billion. the project has been pushed back by a decade.
the union also said more than $800,000 in worksafebc fines have been levied against metro for violations of safety regulations in the last few years.
“these expensive and dangerous mistakes are coming at the expense of front-line workers who deliver needed services,” he said.
the union is calling on municipal politicians that make up metro vancouver’s board to order management back to the bargaining table without preconditions in order to avert a full-scale strike.
metro vancouver spokeswoman jillian glover said monday that metro has offered bargaining dates to the union, and requested the appointment of a mediator, but were turned down by the union.
“metro vancouver remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement and is ready to return to the bargaining table with the support of a mediator as soon as possible, with no preconditions,” said glover in an emailed response.
the union represents about 600 metro vancouver workers, along with 150 contract workers, who operate and maintain regional services including water, sewer, infrastructure, and parks.
with files from stephanie ip
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