West Vancouver District Blue Bus union will escalate job action on Thursday September 8, and are asking riders to find alternative means of transportation for that day.
The union representing West Vancouver District’s Blue Bus drivers and mechanics says they decided to escalate after their employer refused to respond to an offer of binding arbitration to settle on a new contract.
Riders should plan for alternative transportation on September 8.
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 134 President Cornel Neagu says despite the union’s offer to accept binding arbitration, West Vancouver District declined to respond, forcing the union to step up job action to reach a new collective agreement.
“What else can we do now if West Vancouver won’t even respond to an offer of binding arbitration?” asked Neagu. “We are being forced to take increased job action by West Vancouver and unfortunately it will mean a serious transit service disruption on Thursday September 8.”
“We regret inconveniencing our valued riders but we simply have no choice anymore – West Vancouver District is provoking this dispute by refusing to bargain a fair contract and now not even accepting our offer of binding arbitration,” Neagu said. “We are fed up with their behaviour and we have no option except more job action until we get a contract.”
Neagu said the arbitration offer from the union came after his members dropped a request for washroom breaks and almost half its other bargaining positions – but West Vancouver District still would not meet basic fairness needs of the members.
Neagu added that wage parity for West Vancouver shuttle bus drivers with all other such drivers in Metro Vancouver, a mandatory 5 minutes recovery time at the end of each drivers’ route, reducing “split shifts” that leave drivers with up to four hours between the second part of their shifts and improvement of the current Long Term Disability plan are all critical to ATU Local 134.
“Our members see that only in West Vancouver are they treated poorly in their transit working conditions – the rest of Metro Vancouver drivers and mechanics have had these fair terms and conditions for years,” Neagu said.
“How is it we work in one of the most wealthy municipalities in Canada and yet we can’t get the same treatment as drivers and mechanics all over Metro Vancouver?” he asked. “Why are we the poor cousin when West Vancouver is the rich uncle?”
Neagu said that major West Vancouver unions, representing from municipal employees to firefighters to teachers, have pledged to support ATU Local 134 in its efforts to negotiate a new and fair contract.
ATU Local 134 has 150 members who operate and maintain West Vancouver’s Blue Bus system of 64 buses that transport about 18,000 passenger trips per day.
What is a “passenger trip’ ?