On July 6 transit workers in the Cowichan Valley rejected the recommendations of the province鈥檚 mediator to end their long labour dispute.
The strike has gone on for more than 21 weeks, making it the longest transit strike in B.C.鈥檚 history.
The strikers, who are members of the Unifor union, have been arguing for pay close to that of their counterparts in Victoria, as well as improved access to washroom facilities, designated breaks and more, and the non-binding recommendations from the mediator didn鈥檛 meet their requirements, according bus driver Doug Drummond.
Drummond, from Lake Cowichan, said the union members overwhelmingly rejected the recommendations, with the 44 strikers from Unifor Local 114, which represents transit operators, cleaners, and mechanics, voting 85 per cent against it, and the eight HandyDART operators, who are members of Unifor Local 333, voting 100 per cent to turn the recommendations down.
鈥淭ransit workers [in the Cowichan Valley] have consistently been undervalued, deprived of pensions and had poorer working conditions than workers in other areas in B.C. where local or provincial governments fully manage the systems,鈥� he said.
鈥淲age gaps for similar work have been increasing and like most workers post-COVID, we find affordability to be a major issue. Increases related to the rate of inflation have not kept up. We are fed up with worsening service levels, like cancelled runs, and the hurt and disruption this lengthy strike has caused.鈥�
On June 4, the union and Transdev Canada, the workers鈥� employer, agreed to jointly apply to the province's labour minister for the appointment of a mediator from the Labour Relations Board of B.C. to try to end the labour dispute that started on Feb. 8.
The mediator issued his recommendations on June 30.
A tentative agreement was reached between the union and Transdev in April, but the workers overwhelmingly rejected it because the wage gap in the agreement between them and transit workers in Victoria was deemed unacceptable.
The Citizen has reached out to Transdev for comment.
Drummond said the model of organization for transit in the Cowichan Valley doesn鈥檛 work.
鈥淪ince 1979, many transit systems in B.C. have had private contractors manage labour,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese private companies suppress wages and benefits and don't make working conditions better.鈥�
