Central Vancouver Island transit strike ends after 48 days

Transit workers in the Comox Valley and Campbell River have voted to end their strike and return to work, 48 days after walking off the job. 

A tentative agreement between the union and the employer, Pacific Western (PW) Transit, was reached last week. 

The agreement was ratified in a vote on Thursday by 80 per cent of members, according to Gavin Davies, a national staff representative for Unifor.

Just over 70 workers employed by PW Transit on central Vancouver Island walked off the job on Dec. 15, calling for wage parity with transit workers in other parts of the province.

Unionized workers — including bus drivers, mechanics, cleaners and support staff — had their contract with PW Transit expire on March 31, and subsequently rejected multiple offers from the company.

PW Transit operates bus services in the region and is contracted by B.C. Transit, the provincial agency responsible for local transportation outside Metro Vancouver.

Last week, Davies told CBC News the tentative agreement addressed the concerns of its members "and then some."

Davies said there is no firm date for when services will resume in the region, but as part of an agreement with PW Transit, unionized mechanics would return to the job as early as Friday to ensure buses are in good working condition once service resumes.

More information on when transit services will return is expected to come in the next few days.

A statement from PW Transit said the company is excited to be able to bring services back online.

"We understand that this has been a difficult time for the riders who depend on transit, and we are working to get transit services up and running as soon as we can safely do so," a spokesperson wrote.