PAN PAN means just that: an urgency with no immediate danger to anyone's life or the craft's airworthiness.
Given the circumstances, flying to Vancouver was hardly inconsistent: finding the most suitable close airfield instead of the closest suitable field was probably a relatively straightforward choice.
The recording I have posted shows that the flight deck crew had a solid understanding of the nature of the emergency. The pilot even communicated on frequency that "there is no urgent need [for emergency vehicles] really".
This was an unfortunate event, not a labor action, as far as I can tell.