BURST
Metro Vancouver’s outside workers are threatening a “full-scale, indefinite strike” starting Tuesday morning if the final day of mediated talks with the regional district doesn’t lead to a new contract.
The president of the Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union, Jesse Medeiros, said Monday is the final 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 had little progress, 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.
“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.
“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.”
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 has 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 Unionized outside workers are also withdrawn from service at several other Metro Vancouver facilities and regional parks, except those designated as essential service workers.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 there are contingency plans in place in case there is a full strike.
“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.