The Fraser Valley transit strike ends after 124 days.
CUPE 561 transit workers approved a mediated settlement with First Transit on Friday (July 21) ending the strike.
“Picket lines have been removed and 213 transit workers will begin the process of returning to work,” a union news release said.
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 will begin next spring.
Vince Ready was appointed mediator of the dispute by the Ministry of Labor on June 8. He was initially given 10 days to reach a resolution but the deadline was extended.
“Ready’s recommendations are a fair compromise, which gives us a foundation for future rounds of bargaining,” CUPE 561 president Randy Kootte said in a news release. “By approving this memorandum of settlement, members agree that this contract is a good start in addressing their concerns.”
Kootte said the union will do everything it can to quickly resume transit service in the Fraser Valley and will work with First Transit to get buses running as soon as possible.
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dillon.white@missioncityrecord.com
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