-

CUPE 561 bus drivers at First Transit vote 98 per cent in favour of job action

ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a strike vote completed over the weekend, CUPE 561 members who work as bus drivers for First Transit in the Fraser Valley have voted 98 per cent in favour of job action.

The strike vote was held after the parties reached impasse at the negotiating table. The two sides are far apart on wages, benefits, and working conditions, says CUPE 561 President Jane Gibbons.

“We need to significantly narrow the gap with other drivers in the Lower Mainland, and that’s why we have taken this step,” says Gibbons. “Our members and their families have been pushed to the limit, and they need a lift.”

Gibbons adds that there are no immediate plans for job action at this time, with the parties returning to the table on January 17.

“We know how important transit services are to the communities we serve, and we are hopeful that a fair deal can be reached at the table without service interruptions,” she says.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents 213 members in a sub local of CUPE 561 who work for First Transit (formerly First Canada). First Transit is a private, for-profit and foreign-owned sub-contractor of BC Transit that provides transit service throughout the Fraser Valley, extending to Burnaby. The membership includes drivers, utility workers, bus washers and mechanics. Drivers operate transit buses that include HandyDART.

COPE491

Contacts

Dan Gawthrop
CUPE Communications Representative
email: dgawthrop@cupe.ca

Industry:

CUPE 561

Release Versions
English

Contacts

Dan Gawthrop
CUPE Communications Representative
email: dgawthrop@cupe.ca

More News From CUPE 561

“Stop the cuts at Bruyere Health:” CUPE to present worker-community petition to hospital management at rally on September 10

OTTAWA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The workers at Bruyere Health have found strong community support in their campaign to stop the degradation of care at their hospital, where 55 frontline jobs are being axed. Over the past few weeks, 1,400 people have signed a petition imploring hospital management to “Stop the Cuts.” On September 10, CUPE 4540 leaders will be holding a rally and presenting a blown-up version of the petition to management. In March, the hospital announced it will be eliminating 9 regist...

UNIONS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER 

EDMONTON, AB--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Attacks on working people over the last year show us that Albertans need strong unions now more than ever,” says CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal. “The annual celebration of Labour Day across Alberta gives us the opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate the working folks who make our province run. “A one-day strike at WestJet last month was enough to show what united workers can achieve. Corporations continue to unfairly rake in record profits on the backs of wo...

“Make a real offer, or pick an arbitrator” - CUPE holds province-wide day of action to call out delays in negotiations with Extendicare

Markham, ON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For months, 8 CUPE locals representing over 1100 Long-Term Care workers across Ontario have been kept waiting for a fair contract. Where other workers would have been able to go on strike to force the employer back to the table, these workers are denied that right under the Hospital Labour Disputes Arbitration Act (HLDAA), forcing them into a long and drawn-out process to get a fair contract. CUPE’s Extendicare Central Table last heard from their employer on June 2...
Back to Newsroom