Contract talks collapse between union, Coast Mountain Bus Company - CBC.ca

Talks between the union representing 5,000 Coast Mountain Bus Company workers and their employer have broken down and workers plan to escalate job action in the form of a driver overtime ban starting on Friday and continuing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of next week.

Current job action involves drivers not wearing uniforms and an overtime ban for maintenance and SeaBus workers. The latter has resulted in delayed service on dozens of bus routes and the cancellation of 120 SeaBus sailings. 

Chief Unifor negotiator Gavin McGarrigle said the two sides had made some progress on working condition but none on wages and benefits.

"They are still rejecting any comparison with the Toronto transit system, even though Coast Mountain Bus Company executives and TransLink executives are more than happy to look at the Toronto  transit system for comparison," he said.

Unifor members began limited job action on Nov. 1. Both sides have said the additional job action by bus drivers will have between a 10 to 15 per cent impact on the system.

'We need a deal that's realistic'

CMBC president Michael McDaniel said he's disappointed an agreement couldn't be reached, describing the transit company's latest proposal as generous.

"This enhanced proposal directly focuses on working conditions. This is the exact issue the union has asked us to improve," McDaniel said in a news release.

"Wage demands over and above the increases we have already offered will come at the expense of services for customers. We need a deal that's realistic."

According to CMBC, the most recent offer includes a guarantee of at least 40 minutes of recovery time for each shift, and clarifies that drivers are allowed to use the washroom whenever necessary.

The offer also includes pay increases of $6,100 annually on the top wage for drivers over the next four years, and $10,000 for skilled trades. That would bring the top annual wages to $69,900 for drivers and $88,000 for skilled trades.

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November 15, 2019 at 02:50AM