911 Mediator Steps In as Strike Deadline Looms
Minister appoints Vince Ready to help settle emergency dispatch labour dispute before Sunday strike.
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A special mediator has been brought in to help settle the labour dispute between B.C. emergency communications workers and their employer, with a strike set to begin Sunday at 3:29 p.m.
Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside appointed Vince Ready under the Labour Relations Code to work with CUPE Local 8911 and Emergency Communications for British Columbia. Ready will have 10 days to help the parties reach a deal.
The union, which represents more than 700 emergency communications professionals, requested the appointment and agreed to binding recommendations. "We want to thank the government for recognizing the urgency of this situation," said CUPE 8911 President Donald Grant. "We are ready to move forward with this process."
Whiteside urged both sides to work with Ready "with urgency and determination." The strike would affect 911 call dispatch across the province.