Company says Metro Vancouver HandyDART workers set to strike next week

The president of the union representing Metro Vancouver HandyDART workers has announced that preparations are in progress for a potential strike starting next week, and he believes TransLink, the transit operator, should intervene to prevent the job action.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, said on Thursday that plans for picket lines and a workers' rally are being made. The union is also coordinating essential transit services for those requiring medical treatments, including patients undergoing dialysis, cancer, and multiple sclerosis treatments.

McCann noted that essential travel accounts for about 18 to 20 percent of the service's trips, with the system handling over 6,000 trips daily, offering specialized door-to-door bus service for passengers unable to use regular transit.

Workers are set to begin picketing after the Labour Day long weekend.

"Hopefully, it doesn't come to that," McCann stated in an interview on Thursday. "TransLink should really be stepping in here. TransLink should never let it get to this point."

He explained that while TransLink contracts the service out to Transdev Canada, a for-profit company, "at the end of the day, TransLink is responsible for providing this service as well, and they should be held accountable."

In response, TransLink issued a statement saying that the workers are employed by Transdev, and "TransLink is not at the negotiating table."

TransLink's contract with Transdev Canada is set to expire in 2026, and the public transit operator indicated earlier this year that it was conducting a "delivery model review" of the service in preparation for the contract's end.

"With the current service contract coming to an end in 2026, there is an opportunity to assess potential changes to how custom transit is delivered," TransLink planners told the board of directors in May.

Transdev Canada expressed disappointment on Thursday that the union rejected its "last offer" after nine months of negotiations.

The company stated that its offer included a wage increase of more than 19 percent by January 2026 and a $1,500 retention bonus next year.

Transdev also said it proposed a fully employer-paid benefit plan and compensation "parity" with transit employees in the central Fraser Valley.

The company is now "finalizing strike preparations," according to Emily Watson, a senior vice-president at Transdev, who apologized for the "public impact" of the labour dispute.

McCann argued that the company's offer was insufficient, leading to its rejection by the union members.

"If it gave them what they wanted, they wouldn't have voted it down," McCann said. "At the end of the day, it's up to the members, and the members have spoken very clearly that the last offer was not good enough."