Fraser Valley – The Transit dispute is now way past the 100 day mark.
The BC Labour Minister MLA Harry Baines had stated since this started March 20, that he wants both sides to negotiate a deal. His ministry does not want to impose a settlement.
This is why legendary mediator Vince Ready was brought in.
While there have been rumours that some form of statement would be made by the mediator, as of July 12, nothing.
On Saturday July 15, there is a free barbecue to support CUPE 561 members in the Fraser Valley, who have been on strike.
This will be at Central Community Park in Chilliwack from Noon to 2 PM.
On July 11, BC Transit released a statement hinting that the transit strike really doesn’t seem to have an end date:
BC Transit continues to notify its riders that CUPE Local 561 operating under First Transit has increased job action and ceased service in the Agassiz-Harrison, Central Fraser Valley, Chilliwack and Hope transit systems. This service suspension remains in place until further notice, and impacts customers in the communities of Abbotsford, Agassiz-Harrison, Chilliwack, Hope, Mission and customers using the Fraser Valley Express.
handyDART service for customers requiring transportation to renal dialysis, cancer treatment and multiple sclerosis appointments in Abbotsford and Mission has been deemed essential and continues to operate during this service disruption. All other pre-booked trips will be notified of cancellation.
BC Transit is closely monitoring the situation and sincerely apologizes to customers for the inconvenience caused by this matter. We understand the frustration felt by customers, and that the job action is difficult for everyone involved in the region.
BC Transit is the Provincial Crown Agency responsible for the delivery of transit services outside of Greater Vancouver. We contract the services of private operating companies to deliver these transit services. These companies hire and manage their own workforces.
The labour dispute is between BC Transit’s contractor – Transdev Canada – and their unionized employees. BC Transit will update customers as more information becomes available. We encourage customers to sign up to receive alerts at bctransit.com. Customers may also follow @BCTransit on Twitter for updates.
