CUPE Local 2269, 37955 Second Avenue, Squamish, BC (2026)

09/10/2026

The District’s recent announcement regarding reduced pool hours and the suspension of fall swimming lessons due to a shortage of lifeguards highlights the seriousness of its ongoing labour issues. It's important to remember the events that led to the present circumstances. In February 2025, the District laid off all of its lifeguards in a manner described by our members as disorganized and lacking care for the affected employees. In October 2025, the District entered into a labour dispute with its CUPE employees, which included locking out all Public Works and Municipal Hall CUPE employees, ultimately resulting in the closure of the pool again. After these events, many experienced lifeguards left the organization permanently.

Questions that could be asked include:

1. When was the last time the operating budget for the pool increased, including staffing of critical positions, and by how much?
2. How many pools in other communities are closed two days per week with no swimming lessons due to a lack of lifeguards?
3. What sort of recruitment and retention issues are the Rec Center and other work areas within the District facing?

We have dedicated CUPE employees working in our Rec Center who tell us that they have proposed practical solutions to the existing problems. They want the best for their community, but we're told that due to a lack of change morale is very low.

The operational impacts now being communicated to the public are significant. With the pool closed on Sundays and Mondays, limited weekend hours, and swimming lessons postponed, families, seniors, youth programs, and community groups will experience reduced access to the pool. Fully restoring operations will remain difficult without a stable team of experienced lifeguards who are able to support training, uphold safety standards, and deliver high‑quality services to the community.

This situation underscores the importance of constructive labour relations. Municipal councils should not be afraid to ask difficult questions about these and other matters. It is an integral part of their role.

09/07/2026

Candidates,

As you engage with residents and outline your vision for the District of Squamish, I want to provide an outline of the work that our Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local engages in and why it matters.

CUPE Local 2269 members represent approximately 250 workers who provide integral community services to residents, businesses, and visitors in Squamish including water and wastewater treatment, swimming lessons, children’s programs and camps, recreation services, facilities maintenance, parks and trails maintenance, bylaw and animal control, snow removal, emergency program administration, and administrative and operations support for the RCMP.

Our Local negotiates and enforces our collective agreement, addresses workplace issues through structured processes, and advocates for a safe, respectful, and accountable work environment. We provide our members with representation and support when concerns arise. We contribute to organizational stability by helping resolve issues, identifying systemic challenges, and ensuring that workplace policy, the collective agreement, and the law are applied consistently.

This should matter to council candidates because the quality of public services depends on the conditions under which public employees work. When workers have a meaningful voice, when their rights are respected, and when organizational culture supports transparency and accountability, the community benefits. Strong labour‑management relationships reduce turnover, improve service delivery, and build trust in public institutions.

We encourage you to understand the role that both CUPE and the International Association of Fire Fighters IAFF Local 2874 play in maintaining a healthy workplace and a strong public sector. If elected, your decisions will shape the environment our members work in every day. We are committed to constructive engagement, clear communication, and advocating firmly for the people who keep this community running.

If you would like further information about our structure, our advocacy priorities, or how we can help council to remain fully informed, I am happy to make myself available anytime.
I came to this work from a prior career in academic health research, having never been a unionized employee before. With a Public Health lens due to my prior work, I now understand the complexity and importance of Unions and would love to help you understand, too.

We look forward to working in partnership with you.

Sincerely,
Celeste Bickford

President | CUPE Local 2269

05/02/2026

Three Union officers from CUPE Local 2269 attended the CUPE BC convention this week and had the opportunity to hear from experts in various fields, including mental health and harm reduction. We participated in voting on resolutions which guide the work of CUPE BC in between conventions and networked with union leaders from across the province who are engaging in advocacy on similar issues to our own. We give thanks to CUPE BC and CUPE National for this important opportunity to connect, learn, and grow in our professional roles as advocates in challenging union positions.

04/27/2026

Day of Mourning Ceremony attended by Black Tusk Caledonia Pipes & Drums Band piper Devin Biln, District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford, Councillor Eric Andersen, Councillor John French, Sea to Sky School District Trustee Lisa Turpin, Province of British Columbia Wildfire Officer Marc Simpson, WorkSafeBC Officer Rhonda Langlois, CUPE Local 2269 President Celeste Bickford, Vancouver and District Labour Council President Stephen von Sychowski, ILWU Local 400 President Jason Woods, and Genevieve Cragg, the mother of Charley Cragg, 25, who lost his life on his first day of work on the tugboat Ingenika, which sank in 2021 due to operating in unsafe work conditions.

von Sychowski reminded those present that: "We have to remember that not all injuries are the same. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress theme for the Day of Mourning is Psychological Health & Safety. Too often psychological harm at work is ignored, minimized, or dismissed as just part of the job. Workers are facing burnout, chronic stress, harassment, violence, and other psychological harms caused by unsafe work. Psychosocial hazards such as excessive workloads, toxic workplace cultures, violence, and harassment must be treated with the same seriousness as physical hazards. Employers have a responsibility to collaborate with workers to identify and control psychological hazards in the workplace. No worker should have to sacrifice their health or their life to earn a living. That’s why today we mourn for the dead, but we fight for the living."

04/27/2026

Day of Mourning Ceremony attended by Black Tusk Caledonia Pipes & Drums Band piper Devin Biln, District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford, Councillor Eric Andersen, Councillor John French, Sea to Sky School District Trustee Lisa Turpin, Province of British Columbia Wildfire Officer Marc Simpson, WorkSafeBC Officer Rhonda Langlois, CUPE Local 2269 President Celeste Bickford, Vancouver and District Labour Council President Stephen von Sychowski, ILWU Local 400 President Jason Woods, and Genevieve Cragg, the mother of Charley Cragg, 25, who lost his life on his first day of work on the tugboat Ingenika, which sank in 2021 due to operating in unsafe work conditions.

von Sychowski reminded those present that: "We have to remember that not all injuries are the same. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress theme for the Day of Mourning is Psychological Health & Safety. Too often psychological harm at work is ignored, minimized, or dismissed as just part of the job. Workers are facing burnout, chronic stress, harassment, violence, and other psychological harms caused by unsafe work. Psychosocial hazards such as excessive workloads, toxic workplace cultures, violence, and harassment must be treated with the same seriousness as physical hazards. Employers have a responsibility to collaborate with workers to identify and control psychological hazards in the workplace. No worker should have to sacrifice their health or their life to earn a living. That’s why today we mourn for the dead, but we fight for the living."

04/27/2026

Today's event was attended by Black Tusk Caledonia Pipes & Drums Band piper Devin Biln, District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford, Councillor Eric Andersen, Councillor John French, Sea to Sky School District Trustee Lisa Turpin, Province of British Columbia Wildfire Officer Marc Simpson, WorkSafeBC Officer Rhonda Langlois, CUPE Local 2269 President Celeste Bickford, Vancouver and District Labour Council President Stephen von Sychowski, President ILWU Local 400 Jason Woods, and Genevieve Cragg, the mother of Charley Cragg, 25, who lost his life on his first day of work on the tugboat Ingenika, which sank in 2021 due to operating unsafe working conditions (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kitimat-tugboat-accident-anniversary-vigil-9.7083074).

Sychowski reminded those present that: "We have to remember that not all injuries are the same. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress theme for the Day of Mourning is Psychological Health & Safety. Too often psychological harm at work is ignored, minimized, or dismissed as just part of the job. Workers are facing burnout, chronic stress, harassment, violence, and other psychological harms caused by unsafe work. Psychosocial hazards such as excessive workloads, toxic workplace cultures, violence, and harassment must be treated with the same seriousness as physical hazards. Employers have a responsibility to collaborate with workers to identify and control psychological hazards in the workplace. No worker should have to sacrifice their health or their life to earn a living. That’s why today we mourn for the dead, but we fight for the living."

04/27/2026

Today's event was attended by Black Tusk Caledonia Pipes & Drums Band piper Devin Biln, District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford, Councillor Eric Andersen, Councillor John French, Sea to Sky School District Trustee Lisa Turpin, Province of British Columbia Wildfire Officer Marc Simpson, WorkSafeBC Officer Rhonda Langlois, CUPE Local 2269 President Celeste Bickford, Vancouver and District Labour Council President Stephen von Sychowski, President ILWU Local 400 Jason Woods, and Genevieve Cragg, the mother of Charley Cragg, 25, who lost his life on his first day of work on the tugboat Ingenika, which sank in 2021 due to operating unsafe working conditions (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kitimat-tugboat-accident-anniversary-vigil-9.7083074).

Sychowski reminded those present that: "We have to remember that not all injuries are the same. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress theme for the Day of Mourning is Psychological Health & Safety. Too often psychological harm at work is ignored, minimized, or dismissed as just part of the job. Workers are facing burnout, chronic stress, harassment, violence, and other psychological harms caused by unsafe work. Psychosocial hazards such as excessive workloads, toxic workplace cultures, violence, and harassment must be treated with the same seriousness as physical hazards. Employers have a responsibility to collaborate with workers to identify and control psychological hazards in the workplace. No worker should have to sacrifice their health or their life to earn a living. That’s why today we mourn for the dead, but we fight for the living."

04/26/2026

Today's Day of Mourning Ceremony was attended by Black Tusk Caledonia Pipes & Drums Band piper Devin Biln, District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford, Councillor Eric Andersen, Councillor John French, Sea to Sky School District Trustee Lisa Turpin, Province of British Columbia Wildfire Officer Marc Simpson, WorkSafeBC Officer Rhonda Langlois, CUPE Local 2269 President Celeste Bickford, Vancouver and District Labour Council President Stephen von Sychowski, President ILWU Local 400 Jason Woods, and Genevieve Cragg, the mother of Charley Cragg, 25, who lost his life on his first day of work on the tugboat Ingenika, which sank in 2021 due to operating under unsafe working conditions (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kitimat-tugboat-accident-anniversary-vigil-9.7083074).

Sychowski reminded those present that: "We have to remember that not all injuries are the same. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress theme for the Day of Mourning is Psychological Health & Safety. Too often psychological harm at work is ignored, minimized, or dismissed as just part of the job. Workers are facing burnout, chronic stress, harassment, violence, and other psychological harms caused by unsafe work. Psychosocial hazards such as excessive workloads, toxic workplace cultures, violence, and harassment must be treated with the same seriousness as physical hazards. Employers have a responsibility to collaborate with workers to identify and control psychological hazards in the workplace. No worker should have to sacrifice their health or their life to earn a living. That’s why today we mourn for the dead, but we fight for the living."

04/24/2026

Please join us for the Day of Mourning Ceremony at the Workers' Memorial Monument in downtown Squamish on Sunday, April 26 at 11 am. This event is an important opportunity to reflect on our shared commitment to workplace safety.

The National Day of Mourning honours workers who have died, been injured, or become ill due to workplace hazards and is recognized in nearly 100 countries.

WorkSafeBC and the Vancouver and District Labour Council will be in attendance, along with local unions and employers. We hope to see you there.

CUPE Local 2269

09/10/2026

09/07/2026

05/02/2026

04/27/2026

04/27/2026

04/27/2026

04/27/2026

04/26/2026

04/24/2026

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