It鈥檚 been more than two months since the start of the transit strike in the Cowichan Valley, and workers have begun holding public demonstrations to highlight the labour dispute.
Strikers have held demonstrations in Lake Cowichan, Duncan and in front of BC Transit's headquarters in Victoria in recent days to express their frustrations with how little movement there has been by their employer, Transdev Canada, to end the dispute.
Transit driver Bill Tucker was joined by about a dozen other strikers in front of the offices of the Cowichan Valley Regional District in Duncan on April 9.
He said Transdev has not changed its offer to its Cowichan Valley workers in eight months of talks, including a number of rounds of mediated negotiations, and the demonstrations are an effort to kick-start some actions that could resolve the labour dispute.
鈥淲e find it frustrating that we make 50 per cent less in pay and benefits than other bus drivers in Victoria,鈥� Tucker said.
鈥淓ven if we get everything that we鈥檙e asking for, we would still be making 25 per cent less than the Victoria drivers. Most of us are older people and we鈥檙e also concerned about the lack of access to clean washrooms and designated breaks for drivers.鈥�
The strike involves Unifor Local 114, which represents 44 members in the Cowichan Valley who work as transit operators, cleaners and mechanics, and Unifor Local 333, which represents eight HandyDART operators in the region.
Both the union and company had been participating in mediated negotiations on March 27 to 29, and April 6 to 8 with more talks scheduled for April 16 to 17, but many union members think that Transdev is in no hurry to end the strike anytime soon.
鈥淭here has been three or four labour disputes between Transdev and its workers on Vancouver Island recently that have gone on for a long time,鈥� Tucker said.
Unifor spokesman Gavin McGarrigle said it's shameful that the residents of the Cowichan Valley have been left without transit services for more than two months, and the workers have been without paycheques for the same amount of time.
He said the union has begun targeting the CVRD and BC Transit and holding protests in front of their buildings in an effort to make them accountable for the actions of their contracted transit operator, Transdev.
"Having private contractors providing transit services is the root cause of these labour problems," McGarrigle said.
In a previous statement, Transdev said it remains committed to reaching a fair and balanced collective agreement with its Unifor workers in the Cowichan Valley.
The statement said that since February 2024, the company has engaged in extensive bargaining discussions, including multiple negotiation sessions with the union to work toward a resolution that supports its employees while ensuring the continued sustainability of transit services.
鈥淎s of March 7, we have put forward a competitive wage offer that exceeds projected inflation and aligns with recent agreements in similar regions,鈥� said Emily Watson, Transdev鈥檚 senior vice president for western Canada.
鈥淎dditionally, we have proposed enhancements to benefits, vacation entitlements, and other working conditions to recognize the contributions of our employees.鈥�
