Metro Vancouver unions set strike deadline for Sunday
A 72-hour strike notice filed by regional district workers signals possible job action as early as 3:36 p.m. Sunday, affecting water and sewer services.
The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees Union has filed a 72-hour strike notice with the BC Labour Relations Board, with potential job action beginning Sunday at 3:36 p.m.
The union represents 600 members and 150 contract workers involved in critical operations—water, sewer, and infrastructure services—across Metro Vancouver. Union president Jesse Medeiros said talks last occurred on April 13, with no further sessions scheduled.
At the centre of the dispute are safety concerns, contracting-out practices, and recruitment challenges. The union membership voted almost 98 per cent in favour of authorizing job action back in March. The previous contract expired in December 2024, leaving negotiations stalled for nearly five months.
For Vancouver residents, a work stoppage could affect water delivery, wastewater treatment, and infrastructure maintenance across the region. The timing comes as the region heads into summer—a season when water demand peaks and infrastructure issues tend to surface.
This is the union's strongest signal yet that a deal isn't imminent.