Fraser Valley buses to be parked for another 3 days over labour dispute

Bus service in B.C.'s Fraser Valley will be suspended again from Thursday to Saturday as a labour dispute drags on between drivers and their employer.

In a statement, B.C. Transit said buses in Abbotsford, Agassiz-Harrison, Chilliwack, Hope and Mission will remain parked for three days as drivers walk off the job, as will the Fraser Valley Express from Abbotsford to Lougheed Station.

The stoppage will affect more than 10,000 commuters in one of the province's most populated regions for the second time in three weeks, from parents to workers to students.

"It's going to be difficult ... it's a waste of money," said Ramanpreet Kaur, who said she'll have to pay $140 for a round-trip Uber between Abbotsford and Coquitlam to get to class without the bus.

"The government should care about this. I think the bus drivers are right."

B.C. Transit's contractor, First Transit, runs the buses in the Fraser Valley on behalf of the Crown agency. First Transit is embroiled in a labour dispute with CUPE Local 561, which represents bus drivers and other workers.

Drivers and other workers are seeking better pay, working conditions and benefits.

"B.C. Transit is closely monitoring the situation and sincerely apologizes to customers for the inconvenience caused by this matter," the agency said in a statement.

"We understand the frustration felt by customers, and that the job action is difficult for everyone involved in the region."

HandyDART service will not be impacted, B.C. Transit added.

Talks next week

Abbotsford bus driver Elizabeth Roux explained the three main issues in the strike.

For the first — compensation — she said Fraser Valley drivers are making 32 per cent less than drivers in neighbouring communities.

The second issue is working conditions. Roux said some drivers are working 14- or 15-hour days, while the union has also said many work long hours of standby time for which they receive less than $3 per hour.

The final issue is to have workers offered pensions.

"I've been here 12 years and I'd like to stay another 20," Roux said. "But when all is said and done, I'm not going to retire with anything if something doesn't change."

Roux said she and her co-workers have never had to suspend service over a contract fight before, but there is optimism a new deal could be reached soon.

She said the plan is for talks to resume next week. If those fail, however, a full walk-out will commence again on March 20.

The union has 213 members, including drivers, utility workers, bus washers and mechanics.

First Transit has called the work stoppage "unfortunate." An earlier statement said it is committed to the collective bargaining process and lines of communication remain open.

"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," the statement read.

"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."

B.C. Transit said the Central Fraser Valley and Chilliwack transit systems see roughly 13,000 boardings every weekday, not including HandyDART or Hope and Agassiz-Mission ridership.