Transit strike in Fraser Valley may soon end as company accepts mediated deal

Two days after union leadership said it would recommend the deal's adoption, the company that runs bus services in the Fraser Valley says it too will agree to the deal.

First Transit, the B.C. Transit contractor that operates public transit in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Hope and other surrounding communities, said it has reviewed recommendations from special mediator Vince Ready. It said it will agree to those recommendations if the union membership ratifies the deal.

"We are eager for the strike to end and for service to be promptly restored for our customers in the Fraser Valley," the company's statement read.

"We thank our customers for their patience and hope to see you onboard Fraser Valley Transit very soon."

CUPE 561, on Monday, said it would recommend its members accept the deal.

A ratification vote has not yet been held. A union spokesperson said the date for the vote is not yet known.

The job action is on its 122nd day and is one of the longest transit strikes in B.C. history. The Sea-to-Sky transit workers' strike in 2022 lasted a record-setting 136 days.

Drivers and other workers are seeking better pay and benefits as they, like many others, are dealing with growing costs of living. They are seeking pay closer to counterparts in Metro Vancouver.

Essential handyDART service — renal dialysis, cancer treatment and multiple sclerosis appointments — was deemed essential and unaffected by the strike.

The strike had an outsized impact on certain members of the Fraser Valley community, including students, who struggled to get to classes and exams.

Well-known labour mediator Vince Ready — who also helped bring the Sea-to-Sky strike to an end — became involved in negotiations in June.