Metro Vancouver union ramps up job action with full strike planned for Monday

People begin the Grouse Grind on Feb. 4. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

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The union representing Metro Vancouver outside workers said it plans to escalate its three-week job action to a full-scale strike on Monday.

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All non-essential workers will walk off the job Monday and rally outside Metro’s Burnaby headquarters in a bid to get a new contract, said the Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union.

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Union president Jesse Medeiros said the full-scale strike will be noticed by the public as workers will not be present at popular regional parks like Grouse Mountain, Derby Reach and Deas Island.

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Workers will also walk off the job at watersheds, wastewater treatment plants, operations yards, construction sites and other facilities.

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“Our members are angry and frustrated that after 17 months without a contract, Metro Vancouver management continue to ignore the concerns of the front-line workers who deliver important services across the region,” said Medeiros in a statement issued Friday.

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Starting Friday and continuing through the weekend, workers at regional parks will work only between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., said the union.

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It has also removed workers from other facilities, including the Coquitlam watershed, Coquitlam water treatment plant, Seymour watershed operations and security, and the Lower Seymour conservation reserve.

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The escalation comes days after picket lines went up temporarily at the Grouse Grind and Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park, where the Metro-operated Little Mountain pump station and reservoir are located.

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Medeiros said the union regrets the impact on the public but its members can no longer afford to wait indefinitely for a new collective agreement.

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In a statement Friday, Metro Vancouver said it is ready for mediator-assisted talks and has offered 10 dates for negotiations, which were declined by the union.

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“We want to reassure residents that essential services are continuing without disruption under our essential services agreement with the GVRDEU,” said Jillian Glover, a spokeswoman for the regional district.

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The union represents about 600 Metro workers, along with 150 contract workers, who operate and maintain regional services including water, sewer, infrastructure and parks.

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Sticking points between the union and Metro management include worker safety, contracting out of bargaining-unit work, and recruitment and retention. Metro said its latest offer includes a wage hike of more than 10 per cent over three years.

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