The Fraser Valley transit strike is over after 124 days.
CUPE 561 transit workers ratified a mediated settlement with First Transit on Friday (July 21) that puts an end to the strike.
“Picket lines are being taken down and the 213 transit workers will begin the return-to-work process,” a union news release reads.
Bus services in Abbotsford, Mission, Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope have been suspended since March 20 when transit workers went on strike.
According to the union, the two sides reached a six-year agreement that ends on March 31, 2026 and narrows the wage gap with other transit workers in the region.
The settlement also introduces a pension plan that takes effect next spring.
Vince Ready was appointed as a mediator of the dispute by the Ministry of Labour on June 8. He was initially given 10 days to secure a resolution but the deadline was extended.
“Ready’s recommendations were a fair compromise, providing us with a foundation for future rounds of bargaining,” CUPE 561 president Randy Kootte said in a news release. “By ratifying this memorandum of settlement, the members agree that this contract is a good start in addressing their concerns.”
Kootte says the union will do everything it can to quickly resume transit service in the Fraser Valley and will work with First Transit get buses running as soon as possible.
READ MORE: Fraser Valley transit union and employer both agree to tentative deal
dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
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