Two Lower Mainland municipalities have struck deals with their unions and a third says a deal is nearly complete.

But no deal is in the works for Vancouver and its three striking unions, as the dispute over who can pick up garbage after major fireworks displays escalates.

Delta and Burnaby came to agreements with their unionized civic workers on Monday.

The two communities say they're following the lead of Richmond, which reached agreements with its unions last week.

Burnaby Coun. Peatro Calendino said the tentative deal made with CUPE Local 23 Monday night was expected.

"In Burnaby, I think we were going to get a deal anyway regardless of the stubbornness of Vancouver," said Calendino.

Burnaby council and the union are expected to ratify the deal later this week.

Terms of the tentative deal will not be released until union members have voted on it.

The City of Delta and the Delta Police Board also reached a tentative agreement with CUPE Local 454 on Monday, but the terms aren't being released.

Delta council approved the tentative deal late Monday night, while the 800 Delta workers will hold a ratification vote on Wednesday.

Surrey may also be close to a deal, according to Mayor Diane Watts.

"We have a very good working relationship with our union and we negotiate directly with them. And we're going along quite well and we'll be reaching an agreement very quickly," Watts said Monday night.

Talks are also scheduled to resume early this week between the District of North Vancouver and about 800 city workers, as well as recreation commission employees, both represented by CUPE Local 389.

Still on strike

Meanwhile in Vancouver, three CUPE locals, representing inside, outside and library workers, remain on strike.

CUPE Local 391, which represents library workers who went on strike July 26, is scheduled to go into negotiations with the city on Wednesday.

But there are no talks planned between the City of Vancouver and the two locals representing the outside and inside workers. Outside workers began their job action on July 19, while inside workers went on strike July 23.

Over the weekend, talks between the city and CUPE Local 15, which represents 3,500 inside workers, collapsed.

Representatives for 1,800 striking outside workers and the City of Vancouver are expected to meet Tuesday morning but not to bargain.

Instead, they will appear before the Labour Relations Board to air a dispute over who can pick up trash after events like the annual Celebration of Light fireworks festival.

CUPE 1004 has argued that exempt city staff are doing the work of striking employees when they shouldn't be.

Board to hear issue

But city spokesperson Jerry Dobrovolny disagrees. On Monday, he said the city already reduced the number of staff picking up trash after Saturday's fireworks because the municipality knew it was an issue for the union.

The Labour Relations Board is expected to hear the issue at 9:30 a.m. PT Tuesday.

Union officials said the deals in Richmond, Delta and Burnaby were reached outside of the regional bargaining process controlled by the Greater Vancouver Regional Districts Labour Relations Bureau.

"What is happening here does not surprise me," said CUPE BC president Barry O’Neill.

"The moment city councils and bargainers get fed up with the bureau and decide to negotiate directly with CUPE workers, we have deals springing up. To me, this spells the beginning of the end of the GVRD Labour Relations Bureau."

The City of Vancouver remains committed to the GVRD Labour Relations Bureau bargaining process.