Mission will join other municipalities impacted by the Fraser Valley transit strike in writing a letter to Minister of Labour Harry Bains to bring in a mediator to help resolve the dispute.
“While I understand the plight of both sides, I’m concerned that no dialogue is occurring. That, to me, is never a good thing,” Mission Mayor Paul Horn said.
“I don’t want to get in the middle of it, I don’t want to negotiate in public and I think that the best thing we can do is have folks sit down and get our system back on track — and have operators to be back in the vehicles making a living and working towards the future.”
Council voted unanimously in favour of sending the letter and waving the notice of motion to send it at the May 1 meeting, with Coun. Ken Herar absent for the vote.
The Fraser Valley Regional District and the City of Chilliwack have also requested the province’s help to step in and appoint a mediator to address the transit strike.
Regular bus services have been suspended in Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Harrison Hot Springs and Hope since March 20 because of the strike. CUPE 561 members began job action on Feb. 2 with drivers not collecting fares.
On April 18, Bains told Black Press in a scrum that neither party is “ready” for mediation.
“Mediation can’t help until they both agree they are ready for mediation,” Bains said.
The Surrey-Newton MLA says the labour board would be the destination for any mediation or talks about whether transit should be considered an essential service.
– With files from
Jessica Peters
@dillon_white
dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
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