Last ditch effort could avert West Vancouver bus strike Monday

Mediated talks will resume in a last-ditch effort to avert a looming bus strike in West Vancouver that could cut public transit service to BC Ferries' Horseshoe Bay Terminal.

District spokesman Jeff McDonald confirmed Friday morning a new round of negotiations with a mediator has been scheduled for Sunday.

"It is positive that the union has agreed to sit down in a mediated session," said McDonald. "We are very concerned about the possibility of a full strike."

But union spokesman Bill Tieleman said if the meeting Sunday is not productive a full strike planned for Monday would go ahead.

"We are willing to negotiate, but if the district is coming to say, 'Here is our previous offer. There is nothing more,' then we'll be out of the meeting quite early and back to job action," he said. 

"That will mean no buses on Monday."

If the union does strike Monday, it remains unclear if would be extended or if it would just be a one-day strike, he said.

The union has been in a legal strike position as of last Sunday. Already this past week an overtime ban led to the cancellation of dozens of trips each day on the West Vancouver service.

Along with about a dozen suburban routes in the Blue Bus system, West Vancouver operates the main express bus service, the 257 route, which connects Metro Vancouver's public transit system to the BC Ferries terminal at Horseshoe Bay.

Greyhound and Tofino Bus also run buses about four times a day from the Vancouver bus station that connect with the ferries.

The union's contract with the District of West Vancouver expired on March 31, 2016 and negotiations began in May.