Metro Vancouver workers back on picket lines after talks break down

Unionized workers with Metro Vancouver Regional District picket at 75 Riverside Dr. in North Vancouver on Oct. 23, 2023.

Workers who operate wastewater plants, monitor air quality and perform other services for Metro Vancouver have returned to the picked lines after talks with their employer broke down.

Members of the Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees' Union were out picketing at four locations in North Vancouver and New Westminster on Monday, and moved onto an additional location in Surrey on Tuesday.

The GVRDEU, which represents about 670 workers, issued a preliminary strike notice in September, and members briefly picketed at wastewater facilities last week before entering into mediated talks with the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

The two sides returned to the bargaining table Friday, but their efforts to reach a deal were short-lived.

"Unfortunately, talks broke off as it became evident that the employer was not willing to provide us with the parity we seek compared to other member municipalities," reads a notice posted on the GVRDEU website Sunday. "We remain committed to our goal of achieving fair treatment for our membership."

The workers have been without a renewed collective agreement for more than 21 months, according to the GVRDEU, during which the union and regional district have met dozens of times.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District told CTV News that so far, there has been no impact to services, either essential or non-essential, including sewer treatment, regional planning, park services or affordable housing sites.

An essential services order is in place that ensures minimal unionized staffing at certain facilities, with exempt staff backfilling positions not filled by GVRDEU members during the job action.

"The ongoing job action will not cause any disruption to the essential services that we provide," Metro Vancouver spokesperson Sandra Jansen said in an email.

Jansen said the employer has abandoned all previously requested concessions from the union, including that the GVRDEU waive a "me too" clause for wage parity tying compensation to agreements with the City of Vancouver and CUPE 1004.

But she also acknowledged the region is facing challenges related to the "current economic climate."

"We value our staff and local taxpayers who must pay for any agreement we reach," Jansen said.

On Tuesday, CUPE issued a statement of support for the striking GVRDEU members – whose ranks include power engineers, technologists and tradespeople – calling their work "vital."

"Their work deserves fair compensation at a level that matches what municipal workers across the region have already negotiated, with increases that address the high cost of living in B.C.'s Lower Mainland," the statement read.