The union representing bus drivers in the Fraser Valley, CUPE Local 561, began its strike Thursday, halting most services.
“You want to have a driver out there who’s not tired, that’s doing their job, who’s happy to be there. Where right now, (drivers) are doing 14 hours of work for eight hours of pay, it is getting a bit much,” said Jane Gibbons, CUPE Local 561’s president.
“You want to have a better, healthier driver. That’s what we’re working on.”
Transit riders in the Fraser Valley will be affected in the Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Hope, and Agassiz-Harrison regions.
According to BC Transit, the handyDART service will remain at full capacity.
“The labour dispute is between our contractor, First Transit, & their unionized staff,” BC Transit said in a Tweet.
The job action is the latest escalation in an ongoing contract dispute and is expected to last until Saturday.
“While disruptions to the service aren’t ideal, and it’s affecting a lot of people we transport, and care about — we love our jobs, and the public supports us,” said Elizabeth Roux, a First Transit bus driver.
“We’ve had a lot of members understand why we’re doing what we need to do. It’s been really positive out there on the picket lines and our interactions with the public.”
The union has listed the reasons for the strike as low wages, poor working conditions and the lack of a pension.
First Transit sent Global News a statement ahead of the planned job action on Thursday.
“While it is unfortunate that members of CUPE 561 are choosing to withdraw service once more from customers in the Fraser Valley, First Transit reiterates its commitment to the collective bargaining process and continuing constructive negotiations,” a company spokesperson said by email.
“Last week, First Transit presented CUPE Local 561 with an offer that would see significant wage increases on par with trends across the province, as well as structural improvements to enhance reliability of service.
“First Transit feels strongly that its offer balances the needs of all stakeholders in the Fraser Valley’s transit system with our desire to ensure we are able to continue to attract and retain skilled and talented workers. Our lines of communication remain open, and we are hopeful that we can reach a negotiated solution that prevents further service interruptions.”
— with files from Global News’ Catherine Garrett
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