Unionized workers who look after regional parks like Grouse Mountain walk off job

The union representing workers who operate and maintain regional services in Metro Vancouver says it is now considering a full-blown strike.

The announcement from the Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union comes as part of escalating job actions, which on Sunday included news that union members responsible for taking care of parks were walking off the job.

The union says the workers responsible for 25 popular regional parks such as Grouse Mountain and Capilano Regional Parks in North Vancouver are on strike indefinitely.

Union president Jesse Medeiros says the parks will be without the workers who fix trails, collect garbage and provide immediate first aid for injuries, among other duties.

Medeiros says a full-scale, indefinite strike by all its regional services members is possible if the union does not see “significant movement toward a new, reasonable collective agreement.”

The union represents about 700 workers operating various regional services such as park and wastewater facilities and it says it has been without a new contract for 18 months.

A statement from the union says that 15 staff deemed essential by the Labour Relations Board will perform services at the regional parks now part of the strike.