Transit users woke up to some dreadful news Monday morning. After talks broke down between Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC), an operating subsidiary of TransLink, and CUPE 4500, a 48-hour strike has shut down bus and SeaBus services across Metro Vancouver.
CUPE represents more than 180 Lower Mainland transit workers and says the strike escalation came after the two sides were “unable to reach a tentative agreement”.
“Without a settlement in place, CUPE 4500 members will be withdrawing all services from Coast Mountain Bus Company at 3:00 a.m. PT, Monday, January 22 for 48-hours,” reads a statement from CUPE 4500.
“With the help of our mediator, CUPE 4500 put in an honest effort to find some common ground with Coast Mountain. But we are still not near where we need to be in addressing our key issues,” says Liam O’Neill, spokesperson for CUPE 4500. “For a fair settlement, CUPE 4500 members need wage discrepancies closed between them and other TransLink supervisors, and we need to tackle critical workload issues.”
Buses stopped running at 1am and members started to strike at 3am.
“The strike by CMBC’s union has resulted in a complete shutdown of CMBC bus and SeaBus services. These services are expected to resume on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. Customers should arrange alternate travel plans if they typically rely on bus and SeaBus to get around,” reads a statement on TransLink’s website.
SkyTrain services, West Coast Express, HandyDART, West Vancouver Blue Bus, Bowen Island Community Shuttles, and Langley Community Shuttles are not affected by the strike.
Coast Mountain Bus Company President Michael McDaniel says the union rejected an offer that included better overtime and benefits.
“CMBC offered increased overtime pay, improved benefits, and committed to hiring more supervisors,” said President Michael McDaniel in a statement.
TransLink adds that they will keep customers informed “on the latest developments as they happen”.