Bus and SeaBus service could be suspended for 48 hours if job action escalates: union

Coast Mountain Bus supervisors are warning that if a collective agreement is not reached before Monday, union members will withdraw all services that morning.

This means that as of 3 a.m. on Jan. 22, there would be no bus service and no SeaBus service for 48 hours in the Lower Mainland.

“CUPE 4500 has been waiting over four weeks for Coast Mountain to respond to our latest proposal. Our patience for Coast Mountain to take bargaining and our issues seriously has been exhausted,” CUPE 4500 spokesperson Liam O’Neill said at a press conference Thursday in Burnaby.

“Our members deserve a fair deal.”

1:17 How a potential transit strike could impact Lower Mainland commuters

More than 180 transit supervisors are without a contract and instituted an overtime ban on Jan. 6.

“We regret the disruptions passengers will be experiencing, but we are out of options,” O’Neill said.

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“Unless Coast Mountain commits to ensure transit supervisors get the same wages as others doing similar work, and take our workload issues seriously, we are left with no choice.”

1:17 How a potential transit strike could impact Lower Mainland commuters

In an emailed statement, Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) president Michael McDaniel decried the union’s tactics.

“It’s disappointing that the union representing approximately 180 transit supervisors is threatening to disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who depend on the bus and SeaBus each day over a wage dispute,” he said.

“We urge the union to immediately end their job action and return to the bargaining table with realistic expectations.”

According to CMBC, it has offered the CUPE 4500 supervisors the same wage that has already been agreed to by all other unions that represent its employees.

“The union has demanded 25 per cent wage increases for Transit Supervisors over three years,” McDaniel said.

“Simply put, it is unreasonable for this group of supervisors to demand nearly double the increase that all other CMBC unions have accepted.”