Union members at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) have voted 87% in favour of job action, the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 378 (COPE 378) said this morning.
The union and ICBC have been bargaining since January 2011, after their collective agreement expired in 2010.
"The strength of this vote is a clear indication of the level of frustration felt by our members at ICBC," said COPE 378 vice-president Jeff Gillies.
"ICBC has refused to talk about the issues which are a top priority for our members: workload, wages and contracting out."
ICBC has applied to the Labour Relations Board for essential service designation, which the union opposes.
The union is now voicing concern about ICBC's announcement yesterday that it won't continue bargaining until a government review of ICBC is complete.
"The government appears to be setting the public up for a long, long strike while we wait for them to give ICBC a bargaining mandate," Gillies said.
The union said it will now "consider its options."
Gillies added that the union members' dispute is with government and ICBC, not drivers. He said that the union will take pains to avoid affecting the public "if forced into job action."
