A Metro spokeswoman, Jillian Glover, said Queen Elizabeth Park isn’t operated by the regional district, though there are pickets at the neighbouring reservoir. She said all Metro parks are open.

Said Medeiros: “We are not stopping the public from entering, but we appreciate it if they can support our members and tell their elected municipal mayors and councillors to resume bargaining without preconditions.”

Unionized workers at the Little Mountain pump station and reservoir at the entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park have withdrawn from duty there, as have those at the Kersland pump station in Vancouver and the Westburnco operations yard in New Westminster.

“Unless Metro Vancouver management returns to negotiations and reaches a fair and reasonable new contract with our bargaining committee, we will be forced to further escalate our job action up to and including a full-scale strike,” said Medeiros.

“We have seen Metro Vancouver management make repeated errors that have cost taxpayers billions of dollars — including at the North Shore wastewater treatment plant, where costs skyrocketed from $700 million to $3.86 billion,” Medeiros said. “Front-line workers are paying the price for management mistakes, and so are taxpayers who will pay up to $700 extra per home for decades.”

The union represents 700 members who operate and maintain regional services by providing clean drinking water, sewer and other infrastructure, as well as stewardship of parks, ecological reserves and Metro-run housing communities.

“Metro Vancouver remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement and is ready to return to the bargaining table as soon as possible,” Glover said. “We have continued to engage in good faith and have offered multiple dates we are available to resume bargaining. We have also repeatedly requested the appointment of a mediator; to date, the union has not agreed.”