Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park is behind picket lines on Wednesday as the union representing Metro Vancouver's outside workers escalates job action. The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees' Union announced the pickets in a statement Wednesday morning, with union president Jesse Medeiros stating that the escalation sends a message to Metro Vancouver because workers have been without a contract for 17 months and no talks are planned.
Union Demands and Metro Response
The key issues in the latest dispute include worker health and safety, contracting out, and recruitment and retention. Medeiros emphasized that the union is not stopping the public from entering the park but appreciates support from visitors urging elected municipal mayors and councillors to resume bargaining without preconditions. Metro spokeswoman Jillian Glover clarified that Queen Elizabeth Park is not operated by the regional district, though pickets are present at the neighbouring reservoir. She confirmed that all Metro parks remain open.
Job Action Locations
Unionized workers at the Little Mountain pump station and reservoir at the entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park have withdrawn from duty, along with those at the Kersland pump station in Vancouver and the Westburnco operations yard in New Westminster. Medeiros warned that unless Metro Vancouver management returns to negotiations and reaches a fair and reasonable contract, the union will be forced to further escalate job action, potentially leading to a full-scale strike.
Cost Overruns and Taxpayer Impact
Medeiros criticized Metro Vancouver management for missteps and cost overruns on major infrastructure projects, citing the North Shore wastewater treatment plant, where costs skyrocketed from $700 million to $3.86 billion. He argued that front-line workers and taxpayers are paying the price for management mistakes, with taxpayers potentially paying up to $700 extra per home for decades.
The union represents 700 members who operate and maintain regional services, including clean drinking water, sewer infrastructure, parks, ecological reserves, and Metro-run housing communities. Glover reiterated Metro Vancouver's commitment to reaching a fair agreement and readiness to return to bargaining, noting that the union has not agreed to appoint a mediator despite multiple offers.
