VANCOUVER - Leaders of Vancouver's striking civic workers have shot down reports a vote is imminent on a mediator's recommendations because they haven't been tabled yet.
News reports citing an unidentified source claimed Vancouver city council could vote on a package this week, even as early as Tuesday.
"We still don't have a specific timeline but the mediator has not done his recommendations yet so there's no vote that would take place until the recommendations come from the mediator,'' said Jennifer Young, a spokeswoman for the city.
Canadian Union of Public Employees officials representing 5,000 striking inside and outside workers also quickly dashed the rumour Tuesday as the strike dragged into its 11th week.
Spokeswoman Diane Kalen issued a news release saying the story had "created confusion'' among CUPE members.
Keith Graham, chief negotiator for the inside workers' CUPE Local 15, said mediator Brian Foley, who came into the process Sept. 21, has not yet drafted his report based on union and city submissions.
Both sides have promised an immediate vote but Graham said the earliest Foley could make his non-binding recommendations is Thanksgiving Monday.
His comments were echoed by spokesmen for city librarians and outside workers.
"We hoped that it would come late this week and, if not, the beginning of next week,'' said Mike Jackson of CUPE 1004, representing outside workers.
Tensions have risen as the strike, predicted to last two or three weeks, has dragged into fall and with a much-anticipated brokered settlement still out of reach.
Outside workers began walking out July 19, followed a few days later by Vancouver's inside staff and librarians.
The city's surrounding suburbs settled their contracts weeks ago with little labour disruption. The sticking point in Vancouver appears to be contracting out of work.
Vancouver went through a 13-week strike in 1981 that saw garbage stockpiled on tennis courts.
More private garbage collection today has meant somewhat less impact. But non-union city supervisors have been kept busy trying to catch people illicitly dumping garbage in parks, back lanes and vacant lots and the city's rat population is said to have grown.
The strike has hit Vancouver's hot housing market with a freeze on building inspections and development permits.
The parks board was forced to cancel the popular Stanley Park ghost train and music lovers had to thread their way past chanting pickets to attend the Vancouver Symphony's first two concerts of the season at the city-run Orpheum Theatre.
A CUPE Local 15 member has been charged with assault after an apparent confrontation Saturday with a member of the orchestra.
Jackson said his local members are waiting in anticipation rather than frustration.
"It's probably the thought this week will seem like it'll drag on forever waiting for the recommendations to come down,'' he said.
Rather than live on strike pay, Jackson said many of his workers have found jobs elsewhere in British Columbia's strong labour market.
"It's not much of a financial burden for them,'' said Jackson, who said he is subsisting on his picket-line pay.
Jackson said a vote on Foley's recommendations could take place within two or three days of the mediator tabling his report.
