Metro Van bus, SeaBus strike begins

A 48-hour strike stalling bus and SeaBus services in Metro Vancouver has begun.

TransLink confirmed just after 3 a.m. that services were affected “due to ongoing job action at CMBC by CUPE 4500.”

The Canada Line, Expo and Millennium SkyTrain Lines, West Coast Express, HandyDART, West Vancouver Blue Bus, Bowen Island Community Shuttles, and Langley Community Shuttles are not affected. 

“Customers should arrange alternate travel plans if they typically rely on bus and SeaBus to get around,” TransLink said in a statement Monday morning.

The union, which represents about 180 transit supervisors at the Coast Mountain Bus Company, announced on Thursday that it would be “withdrawing all services” beginning Jan. 22 for two days if an agreement with the employer had not been reached.

Mediated talks had been underway all weekend. 

A statement from Coast Mountain Bus Company says the union rejected a deal that would have included improvements to overtime pay and benefits.

“Unfortunately, the union again refused the improved offer. This is unacceptable and unreasonable,” CMBC President Michael McDaniel said in a statement Monday morning.

“Disruption to customers could end immediately if the union accepted the reasonable offer that is on the table. We remain willing to join the union at the table and urge them to accept this reasonable offer.”

The Leader Spirit has reached out to the union for comment.

Meanwhile, bus and SeaBus users are being recommended to sign up for alerts specific to their routes to ensure they can get where they need to amid the escalation in job action.

CMBC says TransLink will inform transit users of “impacts to service as they are known.”

Previously, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBoT) warned that the then-potential bus strike would have a detrimental effect on small and medium businesses.

“We’re hearing from our members that they’re significantly concerned and we are certainly expressing that on their behalf, both to the government and to TransLink, to see if they can come together to find a resolution that would be fair to all the parties,” GVBoT President and CEO Bridgitte Anderson told The Leader Spirit.