Metro Vancouver workers picket projects linked to planned harbour dredging

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Metro Vancouver regional district says in a statement that there’s a chance the project schedules will be affected if picketing continued for an extended period, and it’s available for additional mediated bargaining to work toward a settlement.

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Outside workers and the regional district have been without a contract for 19 months, and the dispute has already triggered a number of job actions, including picketing and strike action in non-essential positions.

Union president Jesse Medeiros says the group “is not interested in stopping major federal, provincial or municipal projects” but workers have not been able to reach a deal with Metro Vancouver.

“Until we negotiate and ratify a new contract, this union will escalate job action, including shutting down projects like Burrard Inlet dredging,” he says.

Metro Vancouver says it’s working with its contractors and using exempt staff to mitigate any possible delays on the projects.

Mediated bargaining between the two sides wrapped up on July 22, and the district says it has offered a 10 per cent wage increase over three years, similar to other recent settlements, including with its Teamsters union.

A spokeswoman for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said in an email that it was aware of the job action but added it is “too early to speculate on any potential impacts to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Second Narrows dredging works, which are currently in the pre-construction phase.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2026.

The Canadian Press