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VANCOUVER—Coast Mountain Bus Company’s (CMBC) refusal to find a solution in the ongoing negotiations with transit supervisors resulted in two days of lost wages for transit operators and maintenance staff.
“I have been very clear with our members: they are not going to pay the price for CMBC’s inability to get their house in order,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “We encourage CMBC to get back to the bargaining table and find a solution before further disruptions occur.”
Transit supervisors represented by CUPE 4500 are negotiating a new contract with CMBC and legal job action resulted in a system-wide bus service shutdown on January 22 and 23, 2024.
“Unifor members are not on strike, but the employer took steps that prevented transit operators and maintenance staff from doing their job for two days,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “Coast Mountain has mishandled negotiations and the effects are snowballing. The employer must reach a fair contract with supervisors and ensure no Unifor members are financially penalized.”
Unifor Local 111 represents more than 4,000 transit operators. Local 2200 represents 1,100 workers in the trades, support, and SeaBus operations. Their collective agreements expire in 2026.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
