99 per cent of Metro Vancouver bus, SeaBus workers vote in favour of strike mandate

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Thousands of bus drivers and SeaBus operators, and maintenance workers in Metro Vancouver are one step closer to walking off the job.

The union voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate, after a day-long vote Thursday. Members of Unifor locals 111 and 2200 have been without a contract since Mar. 31.

Transit users won’t be immediately impacted, as negotiations are set to resume next week.

“There is still an opportunity for Coast Mountain to do the right thing and to come back to negotiations with an offer that addresses the outstanding issues,” says Mike Smith, Unifor Local 2200 President.

Negotiations of a new collective agreement broke down Oct. 3 and union leaders say concerns over benefits and wages have not been addressed.

Another key issue is working conditions, which the union reports have worsened due to an increase in ridership.

“The system overload is impacting breaks and recovery time in between trips as drivers struggle to maintain service,” says Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “The end result is overworked drivers and that’s a serious safety issue that must be dealt with at the table.”

The union has said it will provide 72 hours notice if they decide to take job action.

“The possibility of a strike is not taken lightly by the workers,” says Balbir Mann, Unifor Local 111 President. “We will continue to negotiate in good faith but we are prepared to take action if it proves necessary to obtain a fair contract that will allow our members to continue to deliver award-winning service to the public.”

In 2016, the union similarly voted in favour of a strike, but a contract was negotiated before major disruptions to service could occur.

Any walkout would be the first in Metro Vancouver since a four-month transit strike in 2001 was ended by provincial legislation.

-With files from Alison Bailey and the Canadian Press.