Comox Valley And Campbell River Transit Workers Prepare For Strike Action

PWTransit has issued a statement on a potential transit strike in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.

Unifor Local 114 said earlier this week its members are ready to walk off the job at the start of the service day tomorrow, having rejected the latest company offer on a new contract earlier this month.

"The biggest thing here is that this is not taken lightly by these workers," said Gavin Davies, Unifor national staff representative.

"It's not just a knee-jerk reaction."

The company says it understands “that many residents will be negatively impacted by the disruption to transit services, especially leading into the holiday season.”

However, the release says that PWT and the Union have settled on an essential services agreement, which will enable the continued use of HandyDART service for customers with medical and other critical appointments.

The release says the company believes it has taken every measure to come to an agreement at the bargaining table and avoid a strike situation, but, unfortunately, can’t offer a timeline for a return to regular bus service after today.