Fraser Valley buses to be parked for 3 days over labour dispute

Tue, March 7, 2023

Fraser Valley transit workers will leave their vehicles idle for three days this week as they continue to fight for a new labour agreement. (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

B.C. Transit says Fraser Valley bus service will be suspended from Thursday to Saturday as a labour dispute drags on.

In a statement, B.C. Transit said buses in Abbotsford, Agassiz-Harrison, Chilliwack, Hope and Mission will remain parked for the three days.

The Fraser Valley Express from Abbotsford to Lougheed Station will not run either.

B.C. Transit's contractor, First Transit, runs the buses in the Fraser Valley on behalf of the Crown agency. First Transit is embroiled in a labour dispute with CUPE Local 561, which represents bus drivers and other workers.

Ben Nelms/CBC

"B.C. Transit is closely monitoring the situation and sincerely apologizes to customers for the inconvenience caused by this matter," the agency said in a statement.

"We understand the frustration felt by customers, and that the job action is difficult for everyone involved in the region."

HandyDART service will not be impacted, B.C. Transit added.

The service suspension will be the second in three weeks as drivers and other workers seek better pay, working conditions and benefits.

Talks next week

Abbotsford bus driver Elizabeth Roux explained the three main issues in the strike.

For the first, which is compensation, she says Fraser Valley drivers are making 32 per cent less than drivers in neighbouring communities

The second issues is working conditions. Roux says some drivers are working 14 or 15-hour days, while the union has also said many work long hours of standby time for which they receive less than $3 per hour.

The final issue is to have workers offered pensions.

"I've been here 12 years and I'd like to stay another 20," Roux said. "But when all is said and done, I'm not going to retire with anything if something doesn't change."

Roux said she and her co-workers have never had to suspend service over a contract fight before but says there is optimism after three years without one, a new deal could be reached soon.

She says the plan is for talks to resume next week. If those fail, however, a full walk-out will commence again on March 20.

The union has 213 members, including drivers, utility workers, bus washers and mechanics.

First Transit, in a statement received after the story was first published, called the work stoppage "unfortunate." It said it is committed to the collective bargaining process and lines of communication remain open.

"First Transit presented CUPE Local 561 with an offer that would see significant wage increases on par with trends across the province, as well as structural improvements to enhance reliability of service," the statement read.

"First Transit feels strongly that its offer balances the needs of all stakeholders in the Fraser Valley's transit system with our desire to ensure we are able to continue to attract and retain skilled and talented workers."

B.C. Transit says the Central Fraser Valley and Chilliwack transit systems see roughly 13,000 boardings every weekday, not including HandyDART or Hope and Agassiz-Mission ridership.