ICBC's office workers voted 87 per cent in favour of job action on Tuesday.
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia's collective agreement with the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union, Local 378, expired in 2010. The two parties have been in negotiations since January 2011.
The main issues are wages, employees' workload, job security and the corporation's practice of contracting work out, according to the union's vice-president, Jeff Gillies,
"The strength of this vote is a clear indication of the level of frustration felt by our members at ICBC," he said in a phone interview Wednesday.
ICBC made an essential service application to the B.C. Labour Relations Board on April 19.
"Members of the public will suffer irreparable harm without an essential services designation as strike action affects their safety, ability to receive income, disability payments, rehabilitation services and their eligibility to obtain and continue employment," the application states. "Further, without an essential service designation, a strike would result in serious financial impact on a significant number of individuals and businesses within the province."
The corporation wants claims, insurance and driver licensing services declared essential.
The union is meeting with the Labour Relations Board to discuss which services might be considered essential and what job action could be permitted.
The union is not likely to engage in a full-scale strike in the near future, according to Gillies, but is considering its options for job action.
COPE 378's head office is located in Burnaby.
