TransLink bus workers issue 72-hour strike notice

TransLink's CMBC bus workers issue 72-hour strike notice

R5 Hastings RapidBus buses parked outside Burrard Station. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

There could be disruptions to Metro Vancouver’s bus services as early as the morning of Saturday, January 6.

The union representing 180 bus operations supervisors — employees of TransLink subsidiary Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) — has provided a 72-hour strike notice, effective 8 am on Wednesday.

The notice was served by Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4500 late Tuesday evening after what the union describes was a “long day of mediation with no progress.” Veteran mediator Vince Ready is assisting with reaching an agreement between both sides.

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If job action goes ahead starting at 8 am on Saturday, it will begin with an overtime ban, which the union says will “affect all operations” on TransLink’s CMBC system across Metro Vancouver.

“While we are disappointed with the lack of movement today and have served strike notice, we are still available to meet and negotiate a fair collective agreement that avoids service disruptions. We hope the employer shows the same willingness,” said CUPE 4500 President Chris Gindhu in a statement this evening.

The union is at odds with working conditions, compensation, and CMBC’s “measures to address unmanageable workloads.” This also comes at a time when TransLink is looking to retain and hire many more workers for its ambitious bus service expansion plans over the coming years.

This past Monday, TransLink launched its sixth RapidBus route — the R6 RapidBus running between SkyTrain Scott Road Station and Newton bus exchange, serving Surrey and Delta.

Union members voted 100% in favour of job action on December 12. These union members are employed in roles such as transit supervisors, maintenance supervisors, service supervisors, tire person supervisors, TComm supervisors, field service trainers, engineers, and warranty administrators, as well as supervisors for the parts department, body shop, trolley overhead, and fare box.

Their collective agreement expired at the end of 2022, and bargaining did not begin until mid-October 2023, according to the union.

“We regard job action as the last resort in our effort to reach a fair deal, but we don’t see an alternative. To date, Coast Mountain has been unwilling to address our key issues,” continues Gindhu’s statement.

In response, CMBC says it offered the union the same general wage increase that was already agreed to by all other CMBC employees last year.

“This offer is consistent with other public sector settlements in British Columbia. We urge the union to return to the bargaining table to finalize a deal. We do not anticipate the union’s planned overtime ban to impact transit services at this time,” said CMBC general manager Michael McDaniel in a statement to Daily Hive Urbanized.

These CMBC supervisors under CUPE 4500 are separate from the vast majority of CMBC workers under Unifor Local 111 and Unifor Local 2200. Unifor Local 111 represents over 4,000 bus drivers, while Unifor Local 2200 represents 1,100 workers in the trades, support, and within SeaBus operations.

Both Unifor unions were responsible for the last strike impacting TransLink services in Fall 2019.

In April 2023, Unifor Local 111 and Unifor Local 2200 reached a three-year agreement with CMBC. This separate contract for bus drivers and other CMBC workers will expire in March 2026. Over the life of the contract, these other CMBC workers will receive a wage increase between 11.25% and 12.5%, along with other benefits.

Then in July 2023, CUPE 7000, representing over 1,000 workers on SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium lines, reached a five-year agreement with TransLink subsidiary BC Rapid Transit Company (BCRTC). The contract will expire in August 2028.

Additionally, workers on SkyTrain’s Canada Line, which is separately privately operated by SNC Lavalin’s Protrans BC division, just saw their four-year contract expire at the end of December 2023. Nearly 200 Canada Line workers are represented by the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU).

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