Even though the City of Burnaby withdrew from the Greater Vancouver Regional District's labour relations bureau in 2010, the city still gets a vote on Metro Vancouver's labour relations service bylaw as a board member.
Burnaby council passed a motion consenting that the previous bylaw be withdrawn and a new bylaw approved.
At a recent council meeting, Burnaby city manager Bob Moncur explained the bureau's role and connection to the city, now that the city no longer uses its services to negotiate with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 23.
"All municipalities are connected to the labour relations bureau for so-called base services," he told council, adding these include a research library and materials, and investigations by an outside body.
Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan pointed out smaller municipalities still use its services to negotiate with unions.
The labour relations services offered by Metro Vancouver's bureau keep municipalities connected and informed about how to deal fairly with employees, he added.
"It's important for us to remain involved in the labour relations function," Coun. Sav Dhaliwal said. "So we can all make use of some of the analysis."
