Metro Vancouver bus and SeaBus strike averted as workers approve new deal
Metro Vancouver public transit riders will avoid a shutdown of TransLink bus and SeaBus services this week, after unionized workers with TransLink subsidiary Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) approved a new contract.
The agreement received 68 per cent support in a vote by members of Unifor Locals 111 and 2200, according an announcement by the union this evening. Its approval cancels the strike deadline and brings all job action to an end. The threat of job action first began just before the FIFA World Cup.
Members of the union previously rejected two tentative deals hammered out between CMBC and Unifor leadership, with this latest third vote on a new tentative agreement ending the impasse.
In its escalation of job action, the union banned members from wearing uniforms and suspended the practice of bus drivers giving up their breaks to make up lost time.
According to Unifor, working conditions for bus drivers were a major focus of the negotiations, with running time, recovery time, and electronic service sheets among their central concerns.
The deal addresses those issues through a new Letter of Understanding — a written agreement with a direct process for resolving failures to comply. If either the employer or the union does not follow its terms, the matter goes straight to the mediator for resolution.
“Transit operators told us running time and recovery time had to be fixed, and this agreement puts real enforcement behind that language,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle.
“Riders across Metro Vancouver can count on their service and our members can get back to the work they are proud of.”
The two union locals under Unifor represent different parts of CMBC’s workforce. Local 111 represents bus drivers, while Local 2200 covers skilled trades, service, and SeaBus workers. Altogether, both locals combined represent over 5,000 workers employed by CMBC.
The previous three-year collective agreement for these workers expired on March 31, 2026.
“Coast Mountain Bus Company is pleased that Unifor Locals 111 and 2200 have voted in favour of ratifying the proposed collective agreement, avoiding a shutdown of bus and SeaBus services in Metro Vancouver,” reads a statement by CMBC this evening reacting to the union’s vote result.
“Once approved by the Coast Mountain Bus Company Board of Directors, the agreement will be officially ratified. We thank mediator Trevor Sones, the bargaining committees, Unifor members, and all CMBC employees for their efforts throughout this process.”