VANCOUVER — Job action by unionized Metro Vancouver outside workers could affect the dredging of Burrard Inlet to accommodate larger vessels.

The Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union says in a statement that its members are off the job and picket lines are up at two water main projects in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

The union says the projects need to be completed before dredging under the Second Narrows Ironworkers Memorial Bridge can take place in September.

The dredging would allow oil tankers with larger loads to operate through the waterway, a plan supported by the federal government.

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 and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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