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Transit strike escalation could last 72 hours and include almost all services: union

A 48-hour work stoppage is winding down for now, and normal transit service will resume Wednesday morning. But the dispute between Coast Mountain Bus Company and its supervisors is far from settled. And as Aaron McArthur reports, there could be more pain for commuters in the days and weeks ahead – Jan 24, 2024

The union representing transit workers in Metro Vancouver is warning commuters that strike action could escalate if a deal is not reached by 12:01 a.m. on Feb. 3.

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CUPE 4500, which represents more than 180 transit supervisors, said it welcomes the appointment of Vince Ready as a special mediator to reach a deal between the union and Coast Mountain Bus Company.

However, it says that if Ready’s recommendations don’t lead to a tentative agreement, transit supervisors will be withdrawing services.

CUPE 4500 has applied to the Labour Relations Board to be permitted to picket other transit locations, such as SkyTrain and West Coast Express.

That hearing is scheduled for Monday.

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If the Labour Board rules in its favour, CUPE 4500 said it intends to expand picketing sites to include other TransLink locations as part of this next strike escalation. This picketing will include SkyTrain stations and other operations.

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Only a few bus services would be unaffected by this strike.

“If the option is open to CUPE 4500, we will be picketing SkyTrain operations in addition to Coast Mountain. This will effectively shut down all buses, the SeaBus, and all SkyTrain lines for three days,” Liam O’Neill, spokesperson for CUPE 4500, said in a statement.

“We are running out of options with Coast Mountain and TransLink. CUPE 4500 members have been more than patient, and the union has done all it can to get the fair deal our members deserve.”

CUPE 4500 members have been on strike since Jan. 6, when they began an overtime ban. That escalated this week to a 48-hour shutdown of the Coast Mountain bus and SeaBus networks.

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The bus company said the union is demanding a 25 per cent pay rise and says that’s unreasonable, while the union says Coast Mountain tried to bully it in the negotiations.

— with files from Darrian Matassa-Fung

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