Municipal services in Vancouver City Hall ground to a halt Monday and parents hunted for alternatives to keep their children entertained after 3,500 inside workers joined 1,800 outside workers in a massive civic strike.

Vancouver's inside workers set up picket lines at City Hall near 12th Avenue and Cambie Monday morning, halting most municipal services.
(CBC)

Members of CUPE Local 15, which represents 3,500 inside workers, set up picket lines at City Hall at 8 a.m., after they were in a legal position to take job action.

The outside workers walked off the job on Friday, shutting down all residential garbage collections and many other services.

The escalated job action targeted at Vancouver's community centres left some parents looking to find substitutes for city-run facilities for their children.

Central Library in downtown Vancouver, the largest branch of Vancouver Public Library, is so far maintaining regular opening hours.
(CBC)

Lucinda Atwood told CBC News she tried to explain to her two daughters why they couldn't visit Britannia library Monday, a trip her daughter, Tria, was really looking forward to.

"I think about the books. I like reading books," Tria said.

Marya Speton, who had swung by Britannia community centre earlier, said if the strike continues, many parents will be hit hard.

"I don't know how the parks will be affected, but I know the pools are going to be closed as well," Speton said. "Basically, if you have a child in the summertime, it'll be difficult to get around and find more things to do."

CUPE Local 391, which represents about 900 library staff who were in a legal position to take job action at 4 p.m. Monday, said it intends to hold rotating one-hour study sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

The union said it's not ready to hit the picket line yet and needs a few days to make sure everything goes according to plans.

CUPE Local 15 president Paul Faoro is blaming Mayor Sam Sullivan for no progress at the bargaining table.
(CBC)

Vancouver Public Library has 22 branches distributed across the city, but the Joe Fortes and Britannia branches in downtown and Vancouver East had already been closed Monday because they are attached to community centres picketed by outside workers.

CUPE Local 15 president Paul Faoro said he is trying to get the city back to the bargaining table this weekend.

"I can't believe Mayor [Sam] Sullivan would want this kind of strike under his watch as one of his legacies in an attempt to get re-elected next year. It's shocking! I'm putting a lot of the fault and emphasis on the mayor."

However, city spokesman Gerry Dobrovolny said Monday it's the union that hasn't been willing to negotiate.

He said the union's demands are unreasonable and the city just can't afford to meet them.

'Union negotiators have taken virtually none of their demands off the table.'— Gerry Dobrovolny

"Union negotiators have taken virtually none of their demands off the table and over the last several weeks have developed an unrealistic set of expectations in terms of the burden that Vancouver taxpayers should shoulder to fund their demands," Dobrovolny said.

Currently the services halted in Vancouver are:

• Residential garbage collection.
• Recycling and yard trimmings collection.
• Vancouver Landfill Delta.
• Vancouver South Transfer Station.
• Building inspections and permits.
• City-run day cares and day camps.
• Community centres.
• Outdoor swimming pools.
• Stanley Park miniature train and children's petting zoo.
• Queen Elizabeth and Orpheum theatres.
• Road, sewer and water main construction.
• Queen Elizabeth Park and Bloedel Conservatory.
• VanDusen Botanical Garden (Shaughnessy Restaurant is open).
• Golf courses at Langara, Fraserview and McCleery.
• Pitch and putt courses at Stanley Park, Queen Elizabeth Park and Rupert Park.
  

Services still open include:

• Private garbage collection for commercial properties and apartment buildings.
• Apartment recycling for Downtown, Kitsilano, West End, Fairview Slopes and Mount Pleasant.
• City lifeguards at public beaches.
• PNE Playland.
• Pay parking in parks in effect.
• In Stanley Park, the aquarium, horse drawn tours, gift shops, shuttle bus, tennis courts, seawall, concessions and all restaurants.
• All playing fields and washrooms in field houses.
• Burrard and Heather Marinas for current users with minimal services.
• Beach concessions.
• Emergency services.
• Carnegie Centre, which provides social services in the city's Downtown Eastside.
• Libraries.
• The Playhouse theatre.

North Vancouver also hit by municipal strike

Vancouver isn't the only city on the Lower Mainland facing labour strife: 800 recreation, inside and outside workers in the District of North Vancouver, members of CUPE Local 389, hit the picket lines at 6 a.m. Monday.

Currently the services halted in the District of North Vancouver are:

• Garbage collection and green-waste pickup.
• All recreation and community centres.
• Animal welfare shelter.
• Maplewood Farm.
• Ecology Centre.
• Recycling Drop-off Depot.
• Issuance of permits and licences.
• Planning and development applications.
• Filming applications.
• Electrical/plumbing/building inspections.
• Parks and facility maintenance.

Services still open include:

• District Hall.
• North Shore Recycling office.
• North Shore Transfer Station.
• All district libraries.
• Northlands Golf Course.
• Murdo Frazer Pitch 'n' Putt.