Sardis Library. (Image Credit: Mike Vanden Bosch)

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Labour negotiations

UPDATE: FVRL reaches tentative deal with CUPE workers at libraries in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, elsewhere

Mar 4, 2026 | 7:00 AM

UPDATE, 12:20 P.M. THURSDAY: The Fraser Valley Regional Library announced Thursday morning (Mar. 5) that a lockout has been averted after reaching a tentative agreement with the union representing over 300 library workers at over 20 FVRL branches.

According to a statement from the library system, CUPE 1698 members have tentatively accepted the terms of a new labour deal that features a 13 per cent wage increase over four years.

The tentative deal, while still subject to a vote from unionized members and the FVRL board, grants members a four per cent pay increase in 2025, and three per cent boosts in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Original story:

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.

Restaurant Closure

Langley sports bar shuts doors after more than a decade in service

16h ago

Draft Policy

AbbyPD seeks public feedback on police response to service complaints

17h ago

Air quality is being monitored after a barge fire in Surrey, B.C.

17h ago

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.

“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.