Metro Vancouver transit workers begin job action
Posted August 18, 2026 8:39 am.
Last Updated August 18, 2026 8:40 am.
After strike notice was issued on Thursday last week, the union representing Coast Mountain Bus Company workers says members began job action Monday in the form of a uniform ban.
This means that members will report to their regular shifts out of uniform. Transit riders won’t see much of an impact, as bus and SeaBus operations will continue with no change to schedules, routes, or service levels — something the union explains was a strategic move.
“We’re sending a message without impacting runs, without impacting people’s daily lives, that all is not well at transit,” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western regional director.
“If riders don’t want to see things get worse, we need them to reach out to Coast Mountain Bus Company, tell them to do better on working conditions.”
McGarrible says the passengers are the union members’ greatest allies.
“They’re the ones, every day, that see what the operators have to go through on those runs, that see them trying to take breaks, that see them dealing with all the various things that come during the day,” he said.
“So we know the passengers are with us.”
Bargaining began back in February, with staff pointing to cost of living pressures, health and safety, and dignity in retirement as their core priorities. However, they have yet to reach an agreement for the union’s more than 5,000 transit workers.
“We’ve been at the table for weeks and weeks on end. We reached a tentative agreement, brought it back to our membership, and they continued to tell us that although they appreciated the gains, there were issues about working conditions that needed to be resolved,” McGarrigle said.
“We went back to the table, we got a second deal, and that was rejected as well. Clearly through those two meetings, our members have said they’re fed up. They’re fed up with not getting enough recovery time, with not getting enough break time.”
The union says members are prepared to return to the table well before the notice period ends.
Meanwhile, BC Transit workers in Victoria, represented by Local 333, are also taking part in a uniform ban that started Monday. As well, the Victoria Transit Riders Union held a rally in front of the BC Transit office to stand in solidarity with those taking part in job action.
