Bus drivers and their union are threatening to “escalate job action” against their employer in West Vancouver.
Widely regarded as the Blue Bus union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 134 has issued a warning to the West Vancouver District that the union and bus drivers may take further job action on Sept. 7.
“We want to give West Vancouver District some time to get back to the bargaining table and resolve the unfair differences our drivers face compared to all other drivers in Metro Vancouver,” said Cornel Neagu, ATU Local 134’s president.
Neagu said the union has sent the employer a counter-offer to consider after failed talks.
West Vancouver said it received the proposal and views it as a “positive development.”
“The district is committed to resolving as many items as possible and minimizing impacts on the public,” West Vancouver District staff said in a release.
“However, there are costs associated with the union’s proposal and the district needs to ensure we are fiscally responsible managers of the public purse while ensuring our employees are given a fair overall deal.”
The union is already on a working strike, implementing an overtime ban and a uniform ban, which began on July 23.
“The district is committed to ensuring operators have sufficient recovery time … and increasing shuttle driver’s wages,” said district staff.
The district said the overtime ban has on average reduced services by 13 per cent on weekends and 10 per cent on weekdays.
The union has previously threatened that the entire union could “walk off the job at any time.”
Comments