Metro Vancouver bus drivers refusing overtime Friday, 10% of system could be affected

Metro Vancouver transit users are being advised to check transit alerts Friday as bus driversrefuse overtime work, which could result intrip cancellations across the region.

It's the third day bus drivers have refused overtime this week meaning buses run less frequently as ongoing job action escalates toward a planned three-day shutdown starting next Wednesday.

Maintenance workers, mechanicsand SeaBus workers havebeen participating in an overtime ban since Nov. 1, which hasledto hundreds of trip cancellations.

Negotiations between Unifor, which represents 5,000 transit workers, and their employer, Coast Mountain Bus Company, broke off last week.

Unifor spokesperson Gavin McGarrigle said transit users will likely face more delays and cancellations as the job action continues.

"There is usually more overtime on a Friday so we will wait and see what it is. But we expect about 10per cent of the system to be impacted overall," McGarrigle said.

Passengers are advised to check TransLink's transit alerts for information on disruptions to their route.

McGarrigle saidthings are going to get worse if a deal isn't negotiated.

"If we don't have a deal by next Wednesday, we'll be moving to pull all the workers off the job Wednesday, Thursdayand Friday," he said.

Negotiations still off

The union and CMBChave failed to reachan agreement on wages, benefits and working conditions.

TransLink spokesperson Ben Murphy said the company is trying to get back to negotiations.

"Coast Mountain Bus Company has offered mediation to the union fourtimes and the union refuses to take part in that," Murphy said.

Unifor saidthe company is trying to deflect by calling for mediation when they are not seriously negotiating.

On Thursday, unionized SkyTrain workers also voted overwhelmingly in favour of job action. But so far, they have agreed to mediation with their employer, the B.C. Rapid Transit Company, beginning next week.

There is increasing pressure on the B.C. government to step in to settle the dispute, but is so far refusing to intervene.