Transit services in B.C.'s Lower Mainland face potential disruption as the union representing 180 transit supervisors threatens a 48-hour work stoppage. CUPE Local 4500, representing supervisors, engineers, maintenance, and communication workers, issued the ultimatum to Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC), a subsidiary of TransLink, the Metro Vancouver transit authority.
The primary concerns raised by the union include addressing wages and workload. The union spokesperson, Liam O'Neill, expressed regret over the potential disruptions passengers may face but emphasized the lack of options unless CMBC addresses the wage and workload issues seriously.
The previous collective agreement between the union and the company, covering nearly 6,000 employees, including mostly bus drivers, expired in October 2022.
If the 180 workers proceed with the strike, it would result in a complete suspension of bus services and the SeaBus for the specified two-day period. The union had already stopped accepting overtime after the expiration of their 72-hour strike notice earlier this month.
In response, Coast Mountain Bus Company President Michael McDaniel noted that the company had offered the union the same wage proposal extended to thousands of other TransLink employees. He expressed disappointment at the union's threat to disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of daily commuters over a wage dispute.
Coast Mountain, in its statement, outlined the demands and offers. According to TransLink, CUPE 4500 is requesting a wage increase ranging from 20 to 25 percent for the represented positions.
However, the union clarified that it never demanded a 25 percent across-the-board wage increase but rather seeks wage parity. O'Neill highlighted that the additional annual cost for the proposed wage increase is a fraction of Coast Mountain's 2024 budget for wages, salaries, and benefits.
Mediation attempts failed, and negotiations ceased in early January, leading to the union's issuance of a 72-hour strike notice on Jan. 3. As an initial job action, the union imposed a ban on overtime starting on Jan. 6. The ongoing dispute raises concerns about potential major impacts on transit services, possibly resulting in a full shutdown of the SeaBus and bus system if picket lines are established.
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