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.

Metro Vancouver says in a statement that all parks remain open to the public during the union’s action, adding that essential park services are being maintained and that reservations won’t be impacted.

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.

Medeiros says the union does not want to inconvenience the public.

“(But) we cannot continue to work without a new contract and we urge them to tell their mayors and councillors to direct Metro Vancouver management to drop concessions and preconditions and negotiate a fair new agreement,” he says in a statement.

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

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.”

Metro Vancouver says residents won’t see changes in services such as drinking water, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, air quality monitoring, housing and access to regional parks.

It says it remains committed to reaching a “fair and reasonable agreement,” adding that it is prepared to return to mediated negotiations as soon as possible.

“Metro Vancouver has no preconditions to bargaining and is not asking the union for any concessions,” it says in its statement.

It says its offer includes a wage increase of more than 10 per cent over three years, which it calls consistent with other recently negotiated agreements in the region, and says it is higher than what several other public sector employers pay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press