Kelowna, B.C., transit riders may have noticed it’s a little harder to catch a bus lately.
BC Transit announced it was reducing service by around 15 per cent at the start of January due to a labour shortage.
“We were a little disappointed but understandably they are having a hard time attracting qualified experienced drivers,” said Al Peressini, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1722.
The union represents transit staff in Kelowna and Merritt.
It blames the shortage of workers on compensation, benefits and working conditions.
Peressini said drivers in Kelowna are hired as casual workers to start.
The union said wages in Kelowna start at almost $24 and alleges its drivers in Kelowna are being treated differently than BC Transit operators in Victoria.
“I would like to see a fair living wage with pensions, good benefits for all employees like they receive in Victoria,” Peressini said.
BC Transit said starting wages in both cities are the same.
“In Kelowna, drivers with First Transit start at $23.82/hr, but following probation it increases to $25.30/hr. This aligns directly with the salary structure in the first year for new drivers in Victoria. After three years in Kelowna pay can increase to nearly $30/hr,” BC Transit said.
However, wages do diverge at higher seniority levels.
The union has been encouraging drivers to follow BC Transit’s vaccine mandate, but says that also played a small role.
“It did a little bit I believe…there is seven full time drivers currently off on unpaid leave,” the union president said.
In total, BC Transit said 17 employees in Kelowna, including drivers and other workers, are on leave without pay due to the mandatory vaccine policy.
Neither BC Transit nor the Kelowna operating company, First Transit, made anyone available for an interview on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Crown corporation said many customer-facing organizations are experiencing a labour shortage and it, along with First Transit, is working hard to hire more drivers.
“Like all of BC Transit’s operating partners, First Transit is responsible for their own hiring, training and operations. There is currently no shortage of available work due to the ongoing labour shortage and the impacts of COVID-19 on employee wellness. No previous transit experience is needed, anyone with a valid Class 5 license was welcome to apply and First Transit provides free training to obtain a commercial license,” BC Transit said in a statement.
Thirty people showed up at a recent recruitment day and other applicants will be going through training in the coming weeks, BC Transit said.
Meanwhile, the local transit union in Kelowna and employer are getting set to start contract negotiations.