In 2016, unifor Locals 111 and 2200 voted 98 percent to give the union a strike mandate. At the time, the union said transit operators received $30.91 an hour, which was lower than the national average. In 2018, TransLink recorded an 8% increase in entries into the bus system. The union claimed that between 2016 and 2018, “overcrowded bus trips” increased by 36 percent. “Strikes are powerful tools – they disrupt employers` operations, they push the public to stand up for workers` rights and they create solidarity – but they cost money,” Stephanie Smith, president of bcgeu, said earlier this week. “This loan will help Unite Here Local 40 members afford to stay on strike for as long as it takes to secure collective agreements that give them the security, stability and fair compensation they deserve.” Unifor`s historic new collective agreement with the Ford Motor Company didn`t just justify a typical economic deal with the three Detroit cars “This contract offers improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions for our members, which reflect the difficult tasks they perform every day to move hundreds of thousands of drivers through the heavy traffic at Metro Vancouver.” Sutherland said. “We are very pleased that Unifor members voted strongly in favour of the agreement and we can now work hard to improve transit services throughout the region. Learn about what`s happening at Unifor and how the union is improving the lives of all workers in Canada. Subscribe to our Uniforum E-Newsletter. “System congestion impacts breaks and recovery time between trips as drivers struggle to maintain service,” Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western`s regional director, said in a statement.
“The end result is overloaded drivers, and it`s a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed around the table.” “There is a very competitive labour market for skilled workers and this contract will help keep them on the coastal mountain and keep transit moving,” says Elworthy. “Company Town, an independent documentary about the struggle to save the General Motors assembly plant and thousands of jobs, is airing on CBC Television Another union, MoveUP, represents the operations, planning and management staff of the Coast Mountain Bus Company. The contract expired on March 31. On Thursday, October 10, workers at the Coast Mountain Bus Company voted 99 per cent to give their Unifor union a strike mandate. For more information: Gavin McGarrigle Cell (778) 668-6455 or Steve Sutherland 604-519-1110 Number 2288 or Joe Elworthy 604-520-1122 or Bill Tieleman, West Star Communications, Cell 778-896-0964. Unifor has since separated from the Canadian Labour Party Congress. As a result, it cannot expect to receive as much support from other unions as the public experienced during the hotel workers` strike in Vancouver. The most recent contract on the Unifor Local 2200 site shows that transit operators with two years of experience receive 32.61 $US per hour. Mechanics, mechanics, electricians, body workers, farebox maintenance mechanics, electronics engineers, welders, tire workers and painters who have completed four years of training receive $40.09 per hour. And the contract has no concessions, says Unifor Local 111 president Steve Sutherland, who represents transit operators. VANCOUVER – More than 4,700 transportation operators, mechanics, maintenance and SeaBus employees at Metro Vancouver voted 82 per cent tonight to ratify a new three-year contract with the Coast Mountain Bus Company, with wage increases and shift bonuses, as well as improved working conditions and benefits for members.
Meanwhile, BCGEU Unite Here Local 40 has provided a $3 million loan to help hotel employees….