The union representing West Vancouver’s Blue Bus drivers and mechanics have served 72-hour strike notice after receiving a vote 100% in favour of job action from its members.
But both the District of West Vancouver and the union are assuring passengers the buses will keep rolling over the Labour Day weekend.
That’s because the two sides in the labour dispute have also agreed to mediated talks and that no job action can start until at least 24 hours after the mediator decides the two sides are too far apart to continue. No dates have been confirmed yet, but talks aren’t expected to begin until Tuesday at the earliest.
“My concern right now is reassuring riders there isn’t going to be a strike this weekend,” said Donna Powers, spokeswoman for the District of West Vancouver.
Despite the Wednesday vote in favour of job action, representatives for both the municipality and the union said they remain hopeful a negotiated settlement can be reached without a strike.
Mediator Grant McArthur was appointed Monday by the Labour Relations Board following a joint request by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 134 and the District of West Vancouver.
The contract for about 134 bus drivers and mechanics who operate buses in West Vancouver expired at the end of March. The union rejected the last offer from the district Aug. 24. That offer included a wage increase identical to the settlement reached between Coast Mountain Bus Company – the largest operational arm of TransLink – and its workers, said Powers.
A spokesman for the union said issues in the contract dispute involve concessions being sought in working conditions and benefits.
The District of West Vancouver operates the local Blue Bus system under contract to TransLink. The Blue Bus system has an annual budget of about $16 million and provides more than seven million passenger trips per year on 11 main bus routes, including buses to downtown Vancouver, the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, Capilano University and Lions Gate Hospital.
