More SeaBus trips cut, bus cancellations loom, in Metro Vancouver transit strike

VANCOUVER – Commuters have been warned to expect some bus cancellations as job action by transit workers continues across Metro Vancouver, but SeaBus service connecting Vancouver and North Shore is already taking a hit.

Fourteen sailings have been cancelled and, for the first time, several busy pre-9 a.m. trips have been affected.

The cancellations are linked to an overtime ban affecting Unifor maintenance staff employed by Coast Mountain Bus Company, which manages Greater Vancouver transit on behalf of TransLink.

Unifor warns the overtime ban could soon be extended to transit drivers and SeaBus operators in a move that lead negotiator Gavin McGarrigle estimates could reduce service by as much as 15 per cent.

About 5,000 Unifor members launched job action Nov. 1, to back demands for improved wages, benefits and working conditions.

Talks broke off last Thursday, no new negotiations are scheduled and Premier John Horgan says there’s no role for the province to play at this point.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2019.