Transit workers in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley launch strike in labour dispute

Courtesy of BC Transit

VANCOUVER — Transit workers in British Columbia’s Cowichan Valley have launched strike action, shutting down services in the area after talks with their employer broke down.

In a statement, Unifor — whose local chapters 114 and 333 combine to represent 52 transit staff and HandyDART operators in the Cowichan Valley — says it has been bargaining with employer Transdev Canada since spring 2024.

Unifor says the work stoppage will impact “conventional and HandyDART transit” in the Cowichan Valley but not medically necessary travel.

In a written response, Transdev says it is “dedicated to finding a solution to this impasse” in what the company describes as “a temporary suspension of transit services.”

In a separate statement, BC Transit says Transdev has indicated that service is shut down across the Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System, but confirmed that HandyDart services for essential needs such as “appointments related to renal dialysis, cancer treatment and multiple sclerosis” will continue.

BC Transit says the strike also shuts down the inter-regional Cowichan-Victoria Express and Shawnigan Lake-Victoria Express services.

In a statement on Facebook, the Regional District of Nanaimo says while its own transit service to and from the Cowichan Valley will not be affected by the strike, there will be no local fixed-route transit service within the valley and there will be “no ability to travel to and from Victoria” with the suspension of the express routes to the B.C. capital.

“The labour dispute is between BC Transit’s contractor — Transdev Canada — and their unionized employees,” the BC Transit statement says. “Our organization is closely monitoring the situation and sincerely apologizes to customers for the inconvenience caused by this matter.”

Transdev is contracted by BC Transit to provide transit services in the Cowichan Valley, and the provincial Crown agency says the company and other private operators have the responsibility to “hire and manage their own workforces.”

Unifor says the dispute revolves around working conditions, wages and pensions.

The membership voted unanimously to authorize strike action in November, and Unifor says members had already started refusing to wear uniforms in late January as negotiations stalled.

“Bus drivers need to be protected, particularly when it comes to breaks and accessing safe and clean washrooms while on shift,” Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle says in a statement.

“We’re going to continue fighting until Transdev addresses this.”

Transdev Western Canada Senior Vice President Emily Watson says in a response that the employer met with the union on Friday in an effort to avoid the work stoppage.

“While we had productive dialogue on many items, the parties remain far apart,” Watson says. “Our priority remains to reach a fair contract that balances the needs of our employees, Cowichan Valley transit riders, and taxpayers.

“We sincerely apologize to the community for the inconvenience of this collective bargaining dispute.”

The latest job action comes after a multi-week strike by Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART workers in a separate labour dispute also involving Transdev last September.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2025.