B.C. 911 call-takers could take job action after issuing 72-hour strike notice

The union representing 911 call-takers across B.C. has issued 72-hour strike notice, saying they have been unable to reach a deal with their employer, and would be in a legal position to strike on Monday afternoon.

CUPE Local 8911, which represents over 700 call-takers and other workers employed by E-Comm (Emergency Communications for British Columbia Incorporated), issued the strike notice on Friday.

It came after a 95 per cent vote in favour of strike action last month, with the union saying that workers were being pushed "to their breaking point" and negotiations had reached an impasse.

In a statement, union president Donald Grant said that the time to address a "staffing crisis" in B.C.'s 911 system was now.

"We are calling on the Minister of Labour to recognize the urgency of this situation and appoint a special mediator to assist the parties in reaching an agreement to ensure we have a stable and reliable [911] service," he said.

Grant said that B.C. was entering one of the busiest periods of the year for emergency communications, with wildfire season in full swing and the potential for extreme weather.

The union statement says that it and the employer had negotiated for more than 20 days since bargaining began last November, and that strike action was a last resort.

Workers would be in a legal strike position as of 3:29 p.m. PT on Monday, according to the statement.

A spokesperson for E-Comm said that essential emergency communication services would not be interrupted in the event of a strike.

"While the strike notice has been issued, the parties are continuing negotiations over the weekend in an effort to reach an agreement," the spokesperson wrote in a statement.

"E-Comm fully supports the requested appointment of a Special Mediator to assist in reaching an agreement."

E-Comm is a non-profit organization that was initially founded in the 1990s to handle emergency incidents in the Lower Mainland.

Since then, that role has expanded to include dispatching services for 33 police agencies and 40 fire departments in B.C., while members answer 99 per cent of initial 911 calls across the province, according to the union.

E-Comm says its workers answered more than two million 911 calls in 2025.

The organization said that it has put forward a competitive offer to the union, which "aligns or exceeds many of the recently settled agreements within the public sector."

Last year, an independent review of E-Comm conducted by Ernst and Young concluded the province needed to better define the role it plays in the province's 911 system, including potentially taking responsibility for the sector.