Members of the B.C. Government & Service Employees' Union (BCGEU) working for Protrans BC, the operator of the Canada Line, have announced that they will not proceed with strike action as they continue to negotiate into the evening.
This morning, TransLink cautioned public transit users in Metro Vancouver that a service disruption was possible Monday afternoon on the Canada Line. The BCGEU was in a legal strike position as of 4 p.m. today, but talks are scheduled into the evening and the union is holding off on job action while negotiations continue.
This move follows four days of mediation last week and several months of negotiations in which no significant progress was made on three main issues: wage parity, improved sick leave and contract length.
A 72-hour strike notice was issued Friday.
"This dispute is about frontline workers fighting for the respect and support they deserve."
For the past year, the BCGEU says Canada Line employees have made extraordinary efforts on the front lines to keep transit running during the COVID-19 pandemic. These members are asking for their hard work to be recognized through wage parity with other SkyTrain workers and improvements to sick leave because as the pandemic has boldly highlighted, everyone's health and well-being depends on workers being able to stay home when they are sick.
"This dispute is about frontline workers fighting for the respect and support they deserve," says BCGEU president Stephanie Smith.
"The bottom line is our members are demanding fair compensation, meaningful sick benefits, and basic respect from their employer for the vital services they've provided to our communities, especially during the pandemic."
In November, Canada Line workers voted 98 per cent in favour of strike action. These members have been working without a contract since December 31, 2019 and have been bargaining since February 2020 for a fair agreement.
The BCGEU represents about 180 workers at the Canada Line which is privately operated by Protrans BC Operations Ltd. and owned by the multinational SNC-Lavalin.
In 2015, Canada Line union members voted in favour of strike action, but they were able to reach an agreement with ProTrans BC before the deadline.
More to come...
--With files from Lindsay William-Ross and the Canadian Press.
