metro vancouver worker dispute: union calls off full-scale strike
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metro vancouver's outside workers' union continues to cite cost overruns of the north shore wastewater management plant as evidence of metro vancouver mismanagement during its labour dispute.
francis georgian
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metro vancouver’s outside workers backed off a threatening “full-scale, indefinite strike” on tuesday despite the lack of a tentative agreement being reached during a final day of mediated talks with the regional district.
the president of the greater vancouver regional district employees’ union, jesse medeiros, had warned that monday was the last day of scheduled mediation with metro vancouver, after a series of targeted job actions in recent weeks.
progress in talks mediated by the b.c. labour relations board has been slow, said medeiros.
the talks “have not come close to meeting the concerns of members about health and safety, contracting out of bargaining unit work and recruitment and retention of skilled workers,” said medeiros.
“the full-scale strike and current job action is temporarily on pause while the union’s bargaining committee reports back to the membership in seeking a mandate,” the union head said in an update early tuesday.
“because we are still trying to reach a tentative agreement with metro vancouver that we can take back to our members, the full-scale strike is on hold with the hope that further progress can be made.”
on monday, the union had warned it was time to escalate job action.
“our members are angry, tired and ready to go to the picket lines for as long as necessary to get a new, fair collective agreement.”
medeiros again referred to metro vancouver boosting management salaries and benefits by 69 per cent between 2019 and 2024 and the huge cost overruns on the “disastrous” north shore wastewater treatment plant, which has skyrocketed from an estimated $700 million to $3.8 billion, as evidence of metro mismanagement.
metro vancouver and acciona, the former contractor for the wastewater treatment plant, recently concluded litigation that resulted in acciona paying metro vancouver $235 million. metro has launched an independent review of the project, with findings expected to be released in 2027.
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“no one watching metro vancouver for the past few years can have any confidence that it can solve these problems by itself — it needs skilled, trained and dedicated workers like our members to right the ship,” said medeiros.
medeiros urged the metro board and specifically chair mike hurley, burnaby’s mayor, to “step up and tell management negotiators to get a deal monday or face the consequences.”
the union set up new picket lines on monday at the annacis island, lulu island and northwest langley wastewater treatment plants, and at metro’s head office in metrotower iii in burnaby. unionized outside workers are also withdrawn from service at several other metro vancouver facilities and regional parks, except those designated as essential service workers.
metro vancouver said contingency plans were in place in case there had been a full strike tuesday.
“essential services will continue without disruption under our essential services agreement with the gvrdeu,” said amanda mccuaig, metro’s director of external relations. “this includes critical services such as drinking water, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, air quality monitoring, regional parks access and housing.”
mccuaig said the employer’s offer includes wage hikes of more than 10 per cent over three years, consistent with other negotiated agreements in the region and more than other recent public sector deals.
the union represents over 750 workers in regional services such as water, sewer, air, parks and housing communities.
with files from david carrigg
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