Three union chapters representing numerous transit workers in Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria have given 72-hour strike notices. Unifor announced that transit operators in Local 111 and skilled-trade workers in Local 2200 will initiate a uniform ban on Monday after serving a strike notice to the Coast Mountain Bus Company, with no service disruptions expected for riders. Additionally, B.C. Transit employees in Victoria, represented by Local 333, will join the uniform ban starting Monday.
In Greater Victoria, this action follows over a year of negotiations, with members overwhelmingly voting for a strike in May. Similarly, despite months of bargaining and mediation in Metro Vancouver, no resolution was reached.
Unifor’s western regional director, Gavin McGarrigle, stated that the decision to take this step was due to employers not addressing concerns regarding wages, privatization, and working conditions, including recovery time between trips. He emphasized that if the situation does not improve, the union may escalate their actions.
Both TransLink and the Coast Mountain Bus Company did not provide immediate comments on the strike notice. B.C. Transit, responsible for Victoria’s transit system, expressed disappointment over the notice, mentioning their commitment to negotiations while ensuring no impact on HandyDART service. They apologized for any inconvenience caused by the labor dispute.