Tentative union deal averts Metro Vancouver transit strike during FIFA World Cup | Daily Hive

Tentative union deal averts Metro Vancouver public transit strike during FIFA World Cup

Canadian fans marching next to SkyTrain's Main Street-Science World Station, walking along Quebec Street to BC Place Stadium on June 18, 2026 for the FIFA World Cup match between Canada and Qatar. (TransLink)

The threat of a strike disrupting Metro Vancouver’s bus and SeaBus ferry services amid the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been averted.

On Monday afternoon, Unifor Locals 111 and 2200 announced they had reached a tentative collective agreement with TransLink operating subsidy Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC), covering more than 5,000 public transit workers — including bus drivers, mechanics, and SeaBus workers.

The deal was reached through negotiations between the joint bargaining committee and the employer, with the assistance of mediator Trevor Sones.

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The tentative agreement now heads to a membership ratification vote in the coming days. Until members have had an opportunity to review and vote on the deal, neither the union nor the employer will publicly disclose the agreement’s details.

“This tentative agreement reflects the strength and unity of our members across both locals, who stood together for a fair deal. Transit and SeaBus workers keep Metro Vancouver moving every day, and this agreement recognizes the essential work they do,” said Unifor Local 111 President Mike McMillan in a statement.

Scott Walters, president of Unifor Local 2200, added, “Our members came to the table with clear priorities and stayed united throughout this round. This agreement delivers for workers and we look forward to members reviewing it and making their decision.”

CMBC said the tentative agreement includes improvements to wages, working conditions, and benefits.

“With the assistance of mediator Trevor Sones, Coast Mountain Bus Company has reached a negotiated, tentative agreement with Unifor Locals 111 and 2200. This agreement includes improvements in wages, working conditions, and benefits,” said CMBC president and general manager Michael McDaniel.

“We thank the bargaining committees, Unifor members, and all CMBC employees for their efforts during the process. The agreement will go through a ratification process in the coming weeks before becoming final.”

In late May, union members overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action, giving Unifor the legal authority to issue a 72-hour strike notice if negotiations had broken down. While no strike notice had been filed and no strike date had been set, the vote heightened concerns about potential disruptions to bus and SeaBus services during a period when convenient, reliable, seamless, frequent, and high-capacity public transit services are crucial for the FIFA World Cup.

The labour dispute had first publicly emerged about three weeks before Vancouver began hosting FIFA World Cup matches, with TransLink implementing expanded public transit services during the FIFA World Cup period to accommodate the tournament’s specific transportation needs and handle the surge of crowds.

The City of Vancouver’s FIFA Vancouver Host Committee provided TransLink with about $22 million to enhance services and increase capacity during the FIFA World Cup.

Last Thursday, June 18, on the day of Canada’s historic FIFA World Cup win against Qatar at BC Place Stadium, TransLink recorded Metro Vancouver’s highest overall daily public transit ridership in more than six years — since early 2020, before the pandemic’s onset.

Moreover, for the first match held in Vancouver on Saturday, June 13, between Australia and Turkey, the public transit authority recorded the highest Saturday ridership for a BC Place Stadium event since the 2010 Winter Olympics.

translink no 11 fifa fan festival express bus skytrain renfrew station f

TransLink’s No. 11 FIFA Fan Festival Express bus at SkyTrain’s Renfrew Station. (Kenneth Chan)

translink pacific coliseum 11 fifa fan fest express bus

Wayfinding signage and queuing area for TransLink’s No. 11 FIFA Fan Festival Express bus at the Pacific Coliseum bus loop. (Kenneth Chan)

The previous three-year collective agreement for these 5,000 workers expired on March 31, 2026. According to the union, the negotiations for a new contract began on Feb. 2, 2026, but talks deteriorated after the employer refused to withdraw proposals the union says would weaken workplace protections and allow more contracting out of public transit work.

The last labour dispute of Metro Vancouver public transit workers occurred in late 2023 and culminated in early 2024, involving over 180 workers — employed in the key CMBC positions of transit managers and supervisors — under the separate union entity of CUPE Local 4500 walking off the job in late January 2024. As workers under different unions could not cross picket lines, the strike led to major bus service disruptions across the region and continued service uncertainty for weeks, and there was also a threat of labour action spilling into other unions representing SkyTrain and SeaBus workers as a measure of solidarity. However, with the help of mediation, a full strike-induced shutdown of all services was narrowly averted in early February 2024.

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