Unionized workers with Metro Vancouver Regional District issue 72-hour strike notice | Daily Hive

Headquarters office of Metro Vancouver Regional District. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Metro Vancouver Regional District’s unionized outside workers issued a 72-hour strike notice on Thursday after contract negotiations with the regional district reached an impasse over workplace safety, contracting out protections and staffing concerns, setting the stage for potential job action as early as 3:36 p.m. this Sunday, May 24, 2026.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union (GVRDEU) said it filed strike notice with the B.C. Labour Relations Board after talks stalled following what the union described as the regional district’s refusal to continue negotiations unless the union accepted the employer’s latest offer.

Under provincial labour rules, the notice places workers in a legal strike position as of mid-afternoon Sunday.

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According to the union’s website, they represent over 600 workers and 150 contract workers employed by the regional district.

“Our members who serve the public every day are extremely frustrated that Metro Vancouver management has declared a bargaining impasse and refused further talks unless the union accepts the employer’s last position as a pre-condition to resume talks,” GVRDEU president Jesse Medeiros said in a statement.

“That’s capitulation, not negotiation, and our union strongly rejects that unfair approach.”

The union represents workers involved in regional services, including drinking water, wastewater systems, parks, ecological reserves and housing communities across Metro Vancouver.

According to the union, negotiations last took place on April 13, and no additional bargaining sessions are currently scheduled. Union members voted 97.8 per cent in favour of possible job action earlier this year.

The dispute centres largely on non-monetary issues, asserts the union, including demands for stronger health and safety language in the collective agreement, protections against contracting out bargaining-unit work and measures aimed at improving recruitment and retention.

In response to an inquiry by Daily Hive Urbanized, the regional district said it remains committed to negotiating a settlement and emphasized that essential services would continue even in the event of a strike.

Regardless of job action, there will be no disruption to the regional district’s critical region-wide bulk services like drinking water, sewage treatment, and garbage/solid waste collection and management. According to the regional district, B.C. Labour Relations Board recently completed an essential services ruling, determining which operations and staffing levels must be maintained during any potential strike action.

“Metro Vancouver remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable collective agreement with our GVRDEU employees,” the regional district said in a statement.

The employer shared that its current offer includes a general wage increase of more than 10 per cent over three years, including annual increases of 3.5 per cent in 2025, another 3.5 per cent in 2026, and three per cent in 2027, along with a one-time $0.25 hourly wage adjustment in April 2027.

The regional district noted its proposal is consistent with other recent agreements reached in the region, including one negotiated with Teamsters employees.

Earlier this week, just ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the union representing over 4,000 bus drivers and more than 1,100 bus mechanics and service workers and SeaBus workers — employed by TransLink subsidiary Coast Mountain Bus Company — announced they would seek a strike mandate from their members after bargaining talks stalled following months of negotiations.

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