All 25 Fraser Valley Regional Library branches are closed as of tomorrow morning following a lockout of more than 300 unionized library workers. The closure affects nearly 810,000 people across the region who rely on library services.

FVRL issued 72-hour lockout notice to CUPE Local 1698 on Tuesday, with the lockout taking effect Friday morning. The closure shuts down libraries from Abbotsford to Hope to White Rock and will remain in effect until further notice, cutting off access to in-person services including children's programming, literacy support, and community outreach.

The two sides have been negotiating since June 2025, including with the assistance of a Labour Relations Board mediator. FVRL says it offered wage increases totalling 9.25 per cent over three years—4 per cent for 2025, 3 per cent for 2026, and 2.25 per cent for 2027—along with other improvements for staff. But the parties remain at an impasse over the length of the contract.

Last week, the union proposed accepting all aspects of the employer's offer except the three-year term, suggesting a two-year agreement instead. FVRL rejected that proposal and countered with a revised three-year offer redistributing the same 9.25 per cent total across the years (3.25 per cent, 3 per cent, and 3 per cent). The union rejected that counter.

Natalie Fouquette, communications officer for CUPE Local 1698 and a member of the bargaining committee, says the union was willing to accept everything except the three-year term because the proposed third-year wage increase falls below what comparable workers have negotiated.

"Our two-year proposal was a compromise that addressed that concern, would not have cost the library more than its existing offer, and would have allowed both sides to conclude bargaining," Fouquette said.

She says the $3.1 million gap cited by FVRL reflects the union's earlier proposal, not the compromise position proposed last week. "Our two-year proposal would not cost the library any more than what they had already put on the table, which is why we believe there is a viable path to settlement."

CUPE 1698 president Laurie Dyck called the lockout an "unprovoked attack on library workers and the communities we serve." In a statement, Dyck said CEO Scott Hargrove and the library's board of directors "have chosen to escalate this dispute instead of sitting down to negotiate a fair agreement."

In its statement, FVRL said no bargaining has taken place since November and the union has not accepted invitations to reconsider mediation. The library says it has been "open to resuming mediation if the union is prepared to work within the monetary framework of our final offer."

FVRL board chair Councillor Mike Hayes of Pitt Meadows and CEO Scott Hargrove said in a joint statement that the library "remains committed to reaching a renewed agreement" but could not "reasonably see other available options for us to conclude an agreement at this stage."

The library says its wage offer is "in line with known and projected inflation" and "met or exceeded wage increases being offered by our comparators." FVRL also said the union's two-year proposal last week "was a significant reversal from bargaining table discussions where a three-year agreement had been proposed by both parties" and that a two-year agreement "was not possible because FVRL would be forced to bargain a new agreement with a new board unfamiliar with FVRL bargaining."

Fouquette says the union is prepared to return to mediation. "We have made it clear that we are prepared to return to mediation to conclude bargaining and avoid a disruption to services," she said. "For this to succeed the employer must be willing to engage in those discussions."

FVRL did not respond to questions from the Fraser Valley Current in time for publication.

While libraries are closed, FVRL is urging customers to use digital resources including ebooks, audiobooks, and other services available through fvrl.ca. Pre-recorded library programs are available on the library's YouTube channel.

All book drops are unavailable during the closure. Customers who have borrowed books and other physical materials should keep them until libraries reopen. FVRL no longer charges late fees, so there will be no fines on items kept past their due date.

Library cards are available through the website for Fraser Valley residents who don't currently have one and want to access digital resources.