Sardis Library. (Image Credit: Mike Vanden Bosch)

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Labour negotiations

Libraries in Chilliwack, Abbotsford could be locked out this week

Mar 4, 2026 | 7:00 AM

ABBOTSFORD/CHILLIWACK – The union representing more than 300 library workers in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and elsewhere says the Fraser Valley Regional Library has issued a 72-hour lockout notice to its members.

According to a statement Tuesday (Mar. 3) from CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) 1698 based in the Fraser Valley, the FVRL’s lockout notice means children, families, and community members who rely on their local libraries will lose access to critical services and supports if the labour impasse moves into a lockout phase.

“This is an unprovoked attack on library workers and the communities we serve,” said Laurie Dyck, president of CUPE 1698. “CEO Scott Hargrove and the Library’s Board of Directors have chosen to escalate this dispute instead of sitting down to negotiate a fair agreement. They are threatening to suspend library services in an effort to force workers to accept a contract that falls short of regional standards. Their decision will hurt workers, families, and some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

CUPE says negotiations commenced in June 2025. The parties have met on numerous occasions, including with the assistance of a mediator, to try and resolve bargaining. Dyck said the union was disappointed by the lockout notice, given that earlier this week it advised the employer it was prepared to accept all aspects of the employer’s offer except for the three-year term, proposing a shorter agreement as a path to settlement.

CUPE claims FVRL rejected that proposal and instead countered with a revised offer that is lower than agreements already reached by other workers in the region.

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“We have put forward a reasonable solution to settle this dispute,” said Dyck. “Our members want to be at work serving their communities. Choosing a lockout shuts down dialogue and shifts the consequences onto families who rely on their local libraries as community hubs. That’s a reckless decision and a display of poor leadership. There is still time for FVRL’s leadership to step back from escalation and choose a different path.”

CUPE 1698 represents more than 300 library workers work in circulation and information services, children’s and youth programming, community outreach, literacy support, and administrative operations that keep library branches up and running.