West Vancouver Blue Bus workers vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action

West Vancouver Blue Bus drivers, serviceman, and mechanics have issued a 72-hour strike notice after negotiations with the district fell apart.

Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 134, which represents the workers, says the vote was overwhelmingly in favour.

118 voted yes, while a single individual voted no, with 81 per cent of the membership turning out to vote.

Cornel Neagu, president of ATU Local 134, says West Vancouver has refused to negotiate with the union and workers were “fed up.”

“We want a new contract, not job action, but we will do whatever it takes to reach a new collective agreement that treats our members as fairly as all other transit operators in Metro Vancouver,” Neagu said.

“In order to give our riders notice, we are filing a 72-hour strike notice today and implementing an immediate overtime ban and uniform ban to start on Saturday, July 23rd at 1 p.m. and to continue until a new contract is reached,” he added.

Neagu says there is frustration with how workers are treated compared to other transit operations in the region.

“We drive the same buses, do the same difficult job, and need the same pay and the same breaks from safely driving our valued West Vancouver and North Shore riders,” Neagu said.

“We are not asking for anything more than what all other Metro Vancouver transit operators currently receive under their Coast Mountain Bus Company contract. Why is West Vancouver penalizing Blue Bus drivers?”

Here we go.#WestVan #NorthVan @VanVoices @SaveWestVan @CityNewsVAN @bcfed @amyjudd @BowinnMa @CanadianLabour @vancouverdlc @atu_canada @ATUComm @JanetBrown980 pic.twitter.com/x2BtdSZTZy

— ATU Local 134 (@ATU_134) July 20, 2022

In response, the District of West Vancouver released a statement, saying their offers to the union have been honest.

“The District has offered a fair deal, including significant wage increases in line with Coast Mountain Bus Company’s recent agreement, and measures to address the working condition concerns identified by the union,” said a statement.

The city also contested the union’s version of events, saying the union’s claims the district ended negotiations were unfounded, and said “the union requested a mediator, and it was the union which chose to end bargaining on June 15.”

They add that regular bus service will continue but the overtime ban will affect the number of buses available.

The Blue Bus system has 64 buses which carries about 18,000 passengers per day.