Metro Vancouver transit workers vote in favour of strike ahead of FIFA World Cup | Daily Hive

Metro Vancouver public transit workers vote in favour of strike ahead of FIFA World Cup

CUPE 4500 strike outside TransLink's Burnaby Transit Centre bus depot on Jan. 22, 2024. (Daniel Chai/Daily Hive)

The threat of reduced Metro Vancouver public transit bus and SeaBus services has escalated significantly after unionized workers at TransLink’s operating subsidiary, Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC), voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.

The vote was carried out on Tuesday, with the members of Unifor Local 111 and Unifor Local 2200 — together representing over 5,000 workers — voting 99 per cent in favour, according to Unifor’s announcement this morning. Last week, Unifor first publicly announced it would seek a strike mandate from its members

“A 99 per cent strike mandate is a clear message these workers are together and resolute about the challenges they face. They keep Metro Vancouver moving every single day, and they deserve a contract that reflects their value, their skill, and the cost of living in the region. CMBC needs to take this vote seriously,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National president, in a statement today.

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Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor western regional director, added,” CMBC has been told exactly where their workers stand. Transit workers are not asking for the world. They are asking for a fair contract that keeps pace with the cost of living in one of the most expensive cities in the country. The sooner the employer recognizes that, the sooner we get a deal.”

This vote now gives union leadership the ability to issue a 72-hour strike notice as the next step in the labour dispute escalation process. However, it should be emphasized that no strike date has been set, and Unifor has not filed a strike notice at this time.

This labour unrest comes just over two weeks before Vancouver begins its role as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Over the five-week tournament period, which officially kicks off on Thursday, June 11, TransLink is planning major public transit service increases to help move residents, fans, spectators, and visitors efficiently and safely throughout the region. These public transit services are highly crucial to the local success of the tournament.

Negotiations between both sides are expected to resume on Monday, June 1.

Unifor Local 111 represents over 4,000 CMBC bus drivers, while Local 2200 represents more than 1,100 skilled trades and service workers with the bus fleet and SeaBus workers. Together, the two entities represent over 5,000 public transit workers across Metro Vancouver.

The previous three-year collective agreement for these 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.

In response to an inquiry by Daily Hive Urbanized, CMBC says it is striving for a fair negotiated settlement and that services are operating normally at this time.

“Coast Mountain Bus Company acknowledges the results of the vote held by Unifor Local 111 and Local 2200. CMBC remains committed to reaching a fair negotiated settlement. Bus and SeaBus service continue to operate as normal,” states CMBC.

“CMBC and Unifor have upcoming negotiation dates scheduled. As negotiations are ongoing, CMBC will not be commenting further at this time in order to support good-faith bargaining.”

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.

Meanwhile, in the labour unrest of other major regional-level services, a strike of unionized workers with Metro Vancouver Regional Districts is currently underway.

Greater Vancouver Regional District Employees’ Union represents hundreds of workers at water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, and other utilities, facilities, and operations. Labour disruptions began this past Monday, and escalated today to 700 workers temporarily walking off the job and establishing picket lines at five operations centres and works yards.

The regional district previously told Daily Hive Urbanized that essential services — especially the continued operation of clean drinking water and sewage treatment facilities — would continue even in the event of a strike. According to the regional district, B.C. Labour Relations Board recently completed an essential services ruling, determining which operations and staffing levels must be maintained during any potential strike action.

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