Abbotsford/Fraser Valley (with files from CUPE 1698/Black Press) – MARCH 5 UPDATE – Black Press is reporting that on Thursday March 5, FVRL announced that management put forward a new bargaining proposal to the union on Wednesday, and the CUPE local has tentatively accepted. The deal will have to be ratified by the union membership. If approved, the deal is a four-year contract which will give library workers wage increase of four per cent in 2025, three per cent in 2026, three per cent in 2027, and three per cent in 2028.
MARCH 3 ORIGINAL STORY – In a CUPE media release on March 3: The Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) has issued 72-hour lockout notice to CUPE 1698 members who provide library services across the region. If the employer proceeds with a lockout, children, families, and community members who rely on their local libraries will lose access to critical services and supports.
NOTE – As of 4PM March 3, FVRL had not posted a statement to their social media.
“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.”
Negotiations opened 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.
FVRL rejected that proposal and instead countered with a revised offer that is lower than agreements already reached by other workers in the region.
CUPE 1698 represents more than 300 library workers who deliver vital services across the Fraser Valley, including circulation and information services, children’s and youth programming, community outreach, literacy support, and administrative operations that keep library branches running.
