VANCOUVER – The union that represents more than 600 HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver says they’ll go on strike on Aug. 26 if a tentative agreement with their employer can’t be reached.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 says if there’s no deal with Transdev, the multinational company contracted by TransLink to operate HandyDART services, workers will begin a “full work stoppage.”

The union says in a statement the deadline for a tentative agreement is 6 p.m. on Aug. 25.

It says contract negotiations with Transdev have been underway since November 2023, and union members voted 95 per cent in favour of authorizing strike action in June.

Union president Joe McCann says in the statement that escalating job actions began in July, including refusal to wear uniforms, collect fares or work overtime.

But he says Transdev refused to bargain and threatened “payroll disruptions” against workers who refused overtime.

The HandyDART service offers door-to-door transport for people with physical and cognitive disabilities, including the elderly, that prevent them from using other public transport.

TransLink says in an online advisory that if the strike goes ahead, service would continue for customers who use HandyDART for cancer, renal, and multiple sclerosis appointments, but all other trips would be cancelled.

The union says there’s a staffing shortage for HandyDART in Metro Vancouver due to poor compensation compared to other transit jobs, with HandyDART drivers in the Fraser Valley paid 16 per cent more than drivers in Metro Vancouver.

Neither TransLink nor Transdev immediately responded to a request for comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2024.