Fraser Valley bus drivers give strike notice, could stop collecting fares Thursday

The union representing transit bus drivers in B.C.’s Fraser Valley has given a 72-hour strike notice and could stop collecting fares starting Thursday.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees Britsh Columbia (CUPE 561) served the strike notice to First Transit, the contracted company that operates B.C. Transit services in Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and the surrounding region.

The union says it will be in a legal strike position as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, at which point drivers will stop collecting fares.

This comes as the union says the two parties have been discussing the issue for nearly a year, beginning in the Spring of 2022.

A statement says two days of full service withdrawal, excluding HandyDART services, are scheduled for Feb. 27 and 28, with “further escalation anticipated in the weeks to follow if a deal cannot be reached.”

The group is asking for better pay, as the union says members make 32 per cent less than transit workers across the Lower Mainland.

“People see BC Transit on the side of our busses and think our members are getting the same wages as other BC Transit workers — we are not,” CUPE 561 President Jane Gibbons said.

“Our members make significantly less than transit workers across the Lower Mainland, with no pension plan and long hours of standby time for which they receive less than $3 per hour.”

Gibbons says transit workers in the Fraser Valley should be paid equally to other operators.

“Our members are seeking a fair deal, one that pays them what other transit operators are currently being paid. It doesn’t make any sense that those in the Fraser Valley should be asked to do the same job for less than everyone else,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons adds the group is trying to make things go as smoothly as possible, with as few interruptions to service as possible.

“We are committed to continuing negotiations and trying our level best to avoid disruptions to the public we serve. We have delayed full withdrawal of service to give residents ample notice, and in the hopes that First Transit will return to the table with a renewed approach.”