Transit strike update: 'Special mediator' to oversee 6-day negotiation process

B.C.'s minister of labour has appointed veteran negotiator Vince Ready as a "special mediator" in the ongoing dispute that shut down bus and SeaBus service in Metro Vancouver earlier this week.

Ready was already working with the parties, but Labour Minister Harry Bains' appointment formalizes his role.

As special mediator, Ready will have up to six days to work with the parties to secure a resolution to their collective bargaining dispute.

"If a settlement cannot be reached within this timeline, he will issue non-binding recommendations on Feb. 2, 2024, with both parties having five days to either accept or reject the recommendations," Bains said in a statement.

The dispute between CUPE 4500 – which represents about 180 transit supervisors – and Coast Mountain Bus Company – the company TransLink contracts to operate most of its buses – has been ongoing for months.

Earlier this week, the union set up picket lines for 48 hours, shutting down bus and SeaBus service across the region and causing chaos for commuters on Monday and Tuesday.

Service resumed at 3 a.m. Wednesday, but the union has said further strike actions are possible, and has a hearing before the Labour Relations Board on Monday to determine whether it is allowed to picket SkyTrain stations in the future.

"Not having transit service is a huge challenge for the hundreds of thousands of people who rely on it," said Bains in his statement.

"Ready is a highly regarded mediator in the labour relations community, with a long and distinguished record of settling disputes. With his appointment, the parties have all the tools they need to reach an agreement, and I thank them for agreeing to work with him to end this dispute."

Parties welcome appointment

CMBC shared a statement from its president and general manager Michael McDaniel shortly after Ready's appointment was announced.

McDaniel said his company welcomes Ready's appointment and hopes CUPE 4500 will not resume any strike action during the mediation process.

"This is good news for the hundreds of thousands of people who have had their lives disrupted this week," McDaniel said. "CMBC is committed to working closely with the special mediator in the coming days."

In its own statement, CUPE 4500 also welcomed Ready's appointment, while renewing its criticisms of both its employer and TransLink.

"We are prepared to continue our work with Mr. Ready," said union spokesperson Liam O'Neill in the statement.

"If anyone can help us reach a deal, it’s him. But for this process to be successful, Coast Mountain and TransLink are going to need to show some willingness to find common ground. Their past conduct in mediation leaves us skeptical.”

Further escalation possible Feb. 3

Union members have been without a contract since the end of 2022. They began strike actions with an overtime ban on Jan. 6.

The overtime ban will remain in place during mediation, but no further strike escalation will take place until after Ready releases his recommendations, the union said Wednesday.

"We’re committed to working with the special mediator," said O'Neill. "We hope his recommendations might show us a path to a fair collective agreement. If not, CUPE 4500 members will be left with no choice but to take the next step. If we don’t have a tentative agreement by 12:01 a.m. Feb. 3, CUPE 4500 members will be withdrawing services for 72 hours."

If a deal isn't reached and the LRB allows it, that three-day strike will shut down all transit in the region, including SkyTrain, the union said.

"If the option is open to CUPE 4500, we will be picketing SkyTrain operations in addition to Coast Mountain," O'Neill said. "We are running out of options with Coast Mountain and TransLink. CUPE 4500 members have been more than patient, and the union has done all it can to get the fair deal our members deserve."

Wages a sticking point

CMBC has accused the union of making "unreasonable" and "unrealistic" demands regarding wages, saying it has offered raises in line with what its other unionized employees agreed to last year.

The employer said the union has demanded a 25-per-cent pay increase over three years, though the union has said it's not requesting that raise across the board.

"Some of our members are getting paid far less than other TransLink workers doing the same jobs,” CUPE 4500 said in a statement last week.

CMBC has publicly disputed that position, saying the union's transit supervisors are not actually doing the same work as the employees with whom they're seeking pay parity.

"The union is asserting that CMBC transit supervisors should be paid the same as SkyTrain field supervisors," CMBC said last week. "While both roles are important to ensuring the transit system moves smoothly, they are incomparable."

The company says SkyTrain field supervisors manage approximately 30 employees each and are responsible for hiring and firing. CMBC asserts that its transit supervisors do not directly manage employees and do not have hiring or firing responsibilities.

O’Neill said the wage increase CUPE 4500 is seeking accounts for less than 0.05 per cent of CMBC’s annual budget for wages and salaries.