Striking Vancouver Island transit workers to vote on mediator recommendations this weekend

Transit workers who have been on strike for months in British Columbia's Cowichan Valley are scheduled to vote Sunday on a list of recommendations issued by a provincially-appointed mediator. 

The strike, which began on Feb. 8 and is the longest transit contract dispute in the province's history, affects about 50 regular and HandyDART bus drivers, maintenance workers and cleaners in the region north of Victoria. 

Unifor, the union representing the workers, said the mediator delivered his report on Monday, and the workers were offered a copy on Tuesday. 

"They're disappointed," Unifor national representative Gavin Davies told CBC News.

"They don't feel that the recommendations went far enough."

Cowichan Valley commuters frustrated as transit strike drags on

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Stranded transit riders in B.C.'s Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island are expressing their frustrations as the local transit strike nears the four-month mark. As Claire Palmer reports, riders want to see service resume immediately.

Weeks to get rolling

Davies said the workers' primary issues are wages, breaks, and bathroom access for drivers. But he emphasized that the vote will be the real test of how workers feel about the recommendations. 

If the workers ratify the recommendations, Davies said, it could still take two or three weeks before buses get rolling because they would need to be recertified as commercial vehicles.

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If the workers vote against the recommendations, Davies said, the workers could go to binding arbitration or be mandated to return to work by the province. 

The employer and transit operator Transdev, a private company contracted by B.C. Transit, told CBC News in a written statement that it "remains committed to reaching a sustainable resolution and resuming reliable service for our riders and the Cowichan Valley community."

45 kilometres of coverage

The strike has created challenges for many people in the region of about 90,000 residents. The Cowichan Valley transit system covers more than 45 kilometres, north to south.

Service providers and elected officials have said it's the community's most vulnerable who are bearing the brunt of the strike. 

Negotiators for Unifor locals 114 and 333 reached a deal with Transdev in April, but it was voted down by members. 

In May, the mayor of North Cowichan said it was time for the province to step up and help end the transit strike in his region. 

On June 10, B.C. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside appointed a mediator, Dave Schaub, and called on both sides to work with him.