Province appoints special mediator following 72-hour strike notice by 911 operators

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — British Columbia has appointed a special mediator following a strike notice issued by Emergency Communications Professionals on June 5th.

British Columbia’s Minister of Labour, Jennifer Whiteside, has appointed special mediator Vince Ready, as negotiations continue between Emergency Communications Professionals and E-Comm 911, according to a June 6th, 2026, release from the Emergency Communications Professionals of BC. 

“We want to thank the government for recognizing the urgency of this situation and its assistance in appointing the special mediator, and we are ready to move forward with this process,” said CUPE 8911 president Donald Grant.

The release said CUPE 8911 looks forward to working with Ready, who it said has “extensive knowledge and experience dealing with complex contract negotiations.”

CUPE 8911 represents over 700 Emergency Communications Professionals in British Columbia, including 911 operators, call takers, dispatchers and IT and support professionals employed by E-Comm.

In a May strike vote, 95 per cent of CUPE 8911 members voted in favour of a strike, prompting the issuance of a strike notice. 

CUPE 8911 and its employer, E-Comm, will work alongside Ready for up to 10 days, and the union will not proceed with the planned job action at this time, the June 6th release said.

In a June 5th, 2026 press release, the Emergency Communications Professionals of BC said over 700 emergency communications professionals were set to be “in a legal strike position” at 3:29 p.m. on June 8th, 2026. 

The release said the strike notice comes after negotiations failed to develop an agreement which addressed staffing and retention challenges affecting BC’s emergency communications system.

“British Columbians expect that when they call 911, they’ll get the help they need quickly,” said Grant. “But right now, the people who answer those calls are being pushed to their breaking point.”

“Public safety is too important to keep postponing solutions,” Grant said in the June 5th release. 

E-Comm 9-1-1 and CUPE 8911 have been engaged in negotiations for over 20 days since November 2025. 

Negotiation topics include fair wages, safe staffing levels and improved health and wellness supports.