Fraser Valley bus service coming to indefinite stop due to strike
Bus service in the Fraser Valley will come to an indefinite halt Monday, as transit workers escalate job action.
According to BC Transit, service will be suspended in Abbotsford, Agassiz-Harrison, Chilliwack, Hope, and Mission. The Fraser Valley Express, which runs between Lougheed SkyTrain station in Burnaby to Abbotsford and Chilliwack will also cease to operate.
HandyDart service for people who need transportation to dialysis, cancer treatment, and multiple sclerosis appointments has been deemed essential and will continue.
"BC Transit is closely monitoring the situation and sincerely apologizes to customers for the inconvenience caused by this matter, a statement released Friday said.
"We understand the frustration felt by customers, and that the job action is difficult for everyone involved in the region."
The service disruption comes as CUPE Local 561, the union representing drivers and other workers and their employer First Transit remain locked in a dispute.
"It's three things that we're fighting for. It's fair wages; our members receive far less than others in the region and we're fighting for a pension," said Liam O'Neill, CUPE National Representative.
He went on to say they are also looking for improved working conditions.
On Sunday, American-based First Transit, who is the contractor for BC Transit, wrote in an email to CTV News that its proposal was a wage increase of up to 16 per cent over five years.
"Conventional drivers could be above $32 per hour in 2024," a statement said.
"This wage proposal, if taken, would mean that members of CUPE Local 561 will have seen wage increases in aggregate of approximately 20 per cent since 2017."
First Transit also says the proposal included 15 additional full-time operator positions with benefits packages.
Communication between the two sides has stalled in recent days. According to First Transit, it is willing to listen but says it is preparing for escalating strike action.
As of Sunday evening, no deal had been reached.
The transit disruption will impact roughly 13,000 boardings per day, according to BC Transit.
The City of Abbotsford released a statement on Sunday about the job action where they are calling on the two sides to find an agreement soon as thousands will be left stranded or forced to pay far more for alternatives just to get around.
"The City of Abbotsford is encouraging both parties to bring a resolution to this issue immediately as it is adversely affecting our residents that have no other affordable options," a spokesperson wrote.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.