Canada Line talks resume after strike deadline passes

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Another round of bargaining talks gets underway Tuesday morning to try to avert a potential shut down of the Canada Line.

Despite a 4 p.m. strike deadline passing Monday, job action has not gone ahead, as negotiations continued through the evening between the union representing the workers and Protrans, the company that operates the Canada Line.

BCGEU President Stephanie Smith says negotiations are moving forward.

“I mean, we’ve had two marathon sessions over the last couple of days, we’ve taken a bit of a break overnight to get some reset and try and recharge,” she tells NEWS 1130.

@bcgeu #CanadaLine members had a late night at the bargaining table & talks resume at 9am. #StillTalking #Solidarity #BCLab #BCPoli

— Stephanie Smith (@steph_smith303) February 2, 2021

“I mean, we’ve had two marathon sessions over the last couple of days, we’ve taken a bit of a break overnight to get some reset and try and recharge,” she tells NEWS 1130.

“As long as we’re at the table, it is positive. It means that talks are continuing and we’re making some progress,” Smith adds.

Smith says if talks do break down, the travelling public should have enough time to adjust their travel schedules before picket lines would go up.

We’re continuing to bargain with the Canada Line operator into this evening with hopes of averting job action. More information as it becomes available https://t.co/dSjL3WiDNt

— BCGEU (@bcgeu) February 2, 2021

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith says any strike would require additional steps to ensure everyone is safe.

The union and employer are trying to hammer out a new contract through a mediator, with wage parity and sick leave as the main bargaining points.

“Having done a number of these sorts of rounds of bargaining myself, I know that things can change really, really quickly. Details really matter and hopefully we’re coming into the home stretch. But at this point, it’s about the fairness for our membership and they’re prepared to do whatever is necessary to get a deal that they deserve,” Smith says.

Canada Line workers have been without a contract since late-2019 and have been bargaining for a new one since February 2020. According to Smith, they make about three per cent less than SkyTrain workers.

TransLink said on Monday that is was preparing for potential service disruptions on the Canada Line and that Coast Mountain Bus Company could increase service on existing routes if necessary.

Good morning! Our Twitter Desk and Customer Contact Centre is now open. Canada Line negotiations between Protrans and it's employees are ongoing. We do not expect impacts to service and are hopeful an agreement will be reached. Stay tuned for updates & follow @TransLinkNews. ^RR

— TransLink BC (@TransLink) February 2, 2021