West Vancouver bus drivers vote in favour of strike action

West Vancouver bus drivers have voted in favour of strike action after a deal failed to be reached between the union and the district.

The Amalgamated Transit Union members voted to start an overtime ban on Saturday, July 23 at 1 p.m. followed by a uniform ban starting Monday, July 25 at 4 a.m.

The union said it is prepared to escalate to full strike action in the upcoming weeks if no deal is reached.

In a statement, the District of West Vancouver said it is “disappointed” to learn that the membership voted in favour of starting strike action.

“The District has offered a fair deal, including significant wage increases in line with Coast Mountain Bus Company’s recent agreement, and measures to address the working condition concerns identified by the union,” the district said in the statement.

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The ATU said it hopes a new contract can be reached without disruption of service.

The district said that regularly scheduled bus service will continue to move bus passengers between West Vancouver and downtown Vancouver, however, an overtime ban will impact the number of buses available.

West Vancouver bus drivers also went on strike in October 2016, after negotiations failed to produce a new contract.