Passengers board a TransLink bus at the Commercial-Broadway Station, in Vancouver, B.C., on Nov. 20, 2019.Rafal Gerszak/The Globe and Mail
Metro Vancouver transit users are facing another possible strike.
The union representing 900 SkyTrain workers in the region has issued 72-hour strike notice to its employer, the BC Rapid Transit Company.
CUPE 7000 says in a statement that no significant progress has been made on key issues, after four full days of mediation and more than 40 days of direct bargaining.
Michel Ladrak, president of the BC Rapid Transit Company, says in a statement that the union has not informed the company what form the job action might take, nor when it would occur.
The union says bargaining is continuing and it will release an update on Saturday about possible job action.
The notice comes the day after members of another union representing transit workers voted to ratify a tentative agreement, averting full-scale strike action.
Unifor members, including bus drivers and Seabus operators, agreed to a three-year collective agreement with Coast Mountain Bus Company that will see wage increases of up to three per cent.
CUPE 7000 represents SkyTrain attendants, control operators, administrators, maintenance and technical staff.
Tony Rebelo, president of the union, says in a statement that it’s committed to reaching a fair deal without any interruption of service.
“We will need to work very hard to reach a deal that addresses our concerns about wages, forced overtime, staffing levels and trades adjustment language, among other issues,” Mr. Rebelo says.
Mr. Ladrak says the company is disappointed by the strike notice but will continue bargaining through the weekend.
“We are hopeful and committed to reaching a fair deal without disrupting the valuable service we provide to the residents of this region,” he says.
Members of the union voted 96.8 per cent in favour of striking if a contract can’t be reached, on Nov. 21.
Canada Line and West Coast Express are not affected by these negotiations.
The previous contract expired on Aug. 31, 2019.
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