Fraser Valley transit strike: No labour talks scheduled, union says

A transit strike in B.C.’s Fraser Valley continues Tuesday, and there doesn’t appear to be an end to it any time soon.

Unionized transit drivers halted work beginning on Monday as part of an ongoing labour dispute. All but a few services are suspended in places like Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Agassiz, Harrison and Hope.

Read More: B.C. Fraser Valley bus services suspended

Liam McNeill, a spokesperson for CUPE, says there are a couple of issues that haven’t been addressed in labour talks.

“Our drivers are paid 32 per cent less than other drivers in the region, and they don’t have a pension, and since the employer refuses to address those issues at the table, it’s led to a withdrawal of services,” he told OMNI News.

“If they want to deal with the issues — the wage disparity and the pension and the working conditions — we’re always ready to meet with them about those issues.”

McNeill adds there doesn’t appear to be an appetite for labour talks from the employer, First Transit, which is a contractor of BC Transit.

“There’s no date scheduled to meet with the employer. Our picket line is going to remain up until we do get a deal. But so far, the employer hasn’t reached out to us,” he said.

The labour dispute has been ongoing for nearly a year, with the issues at hand first being discussed in the spring of last year. In early February, the union announced drivers would stop collecting fares as its first form of job action.

Earlier this month, the union temporarily resumed service as negotiations continued before the full-service suspension that began on Monday.

-With files from OMNI News, Emily Marsten, Hana Mae Nassar and Kurtis Doering