Blue Bus transit workers have voted in favor of starting strike action. The Union said it is prepared for a full scale strike if no agreement is reached.
“We remain hopeful that new contract will be reached without disruption of service but the obstruction has continually been a failure to bargain by District of West Vancouver,” the ATU Local 134 said. “District of West Vancouver is responsible for this strike and whatever happens in the next week.”
West Vancouver’s Blue Bus conventional drivers, community shuttle drivers, servicemen and mechanics have voted overwhelmingly 99% in favour of taking strike action – if necessary – after West Vancouver District repeatedly failed to bargain a new collective agreement.
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 134 President Cornel Neagu said members are completely frustrated that West Vancouver District and its elected Council have refused to negotiate on the key items of breaks for drivers and wage parity for community shuttle drivers to match conditions all other Metro Vancouver drivers have long received.
“We want a new contract, not job action, but we will do whatever it takes to reach a new collective agreement that treats our members as fairly as all other transit operators in Metro Vancouver,” Neagu said. “We will file 72-hour strike notice today and then implement an immediate overtime ban and uniform ban to start on Saturday July 23rd at 1 p.m. indefinitely until a new contract is reached.”
The District of West Vancouver said it is disappointed to learn that the ATU membership representing Blue Bus employees have voted in favour of commencing strike action. The District says it has offered a fair deal, including significant wage increases in line with Coast Mountain Bus Company’s recent agreement, and measures to address the working condition concerns identified by the union.
The District says it also proposed a wage increase above the 3% to address the wage gap between Blue Bus Community Bus drivers and Coast Mountain Bus Company Community Bus drivers, as well as language to address the union’s scheduling concerns. The proposed contract is for a period of one year, which would allow employees to receive wage increases immediately and address remaining concerns within a short time frame.
John says
Why do I get the feeling that this is just a start of a trend. The middle class, the average working person, and the rest of us every day people are now going to be paying the price for all that free money thrown around. Not to mention all the Covid lockdowns, etc., and not getting all that Canadian energy out to a world market the right way (While we beg Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela to increase their output).
Now -put your mask back on and shut up and do what you’re told!
J Baxter says
I hope this strike will be resolved quickly. Both my teenage kids use transit daily to get to work and play. My family owns two cars but use our electric bikes and transit as much as time/convenience permits. This strike will affect us. As for the previous comment about “middle class… average working person” – is that a joke? Really, what the heck does that mean? Hello… aren’t we all average working people? Working people, it turns out, are just like “US”! All I know for sure is that fifty years ago, when my parents were just starting out in Ambleside, my dad took the bus downtown to his law firm every day. We only had one old rusty Volvo back then, and while taking the bus might have been what you call “average worker” style, now, and for the future, smart AND wealthy people take the bus to dinner downtown. Don’t hate on the bus.
Milica Dedovic says
I hope this strike will be resolved quickly. I take this transit to work, school, and church. I am only a learners driver. I do not have license yet. This strike will effect me again. We already had a one day strike back in October 2016. We do not nee another strike.
Erak Sinclaire says
“The District says it has offered a fair deal”
In the past the District offered 0.07% and 1.3%. This is a fair deal?
Hey North Shore Daily Post, ask that District representative [you never named] what they received for a raise. I’ll guarantee you it is no where near 1.3%. The District employee’s salaries are public information. How about a little leg-work on that reporting.
I don’t understand why you would name the President of the ATU134 and not the District representative you interviewed. There is also no author to this story named. “Staff report” is not a name. Reporters are now unnamed? District is unnamed? Union is named?
Everyone knows what happened to the economy and prices in the last two years. The District should be embarrassed to not care for it’s employees come contract time. The Mayor should take note that the C.O.O. is running a abusive District management style. There is no reason to cheat the people who have chosen to spend their lives working for you!
Behave yourselves and try to be a contributor to humanity instead of it’s sewage system.