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VANCOUVER – Contract talks between Unifor and Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC) have broken off, and the union is now moving to secure a strike mandate from transit workers, after the employer refused to withdraw a series of concessions on contracting out, workplace safety, worker dignity and union rights.
“Transit workers keep Metro Vancouver moving every single day, and they deserve an employer that comes to the table ready to bargain in good faith,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Instead, Coast Mountain Bus Company is demanding concessions that would chip away at workplace safety, strip dignity from the job and undermine the basic rights of the union. That is not how you reach a fair deal.”
Unifor Locals 111 and 2200 began negotiations with Coast Mountain Bus Company on February 2, 2026. Bargaining has now stalled after the employer hardened its position and refused to withdraw its concession demands.
“The members of Locals 111 and 2200 have bargained in good faith for months, and they are ready to keep working for a fair deal,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “But Coast Mountain Bus Company needs to understand that attacks on safety, on dignity and on the union itself will not be accepted. These workers move hundreds of thousands of people every day, and they have earned a contract that respects that responsibility.”
The employer's demands reach into nearly every part of the job. Some proposals would leave workers taking breaks without reliable access to potable water or working washrooms, while others would weaken hard-won health and safety protections, including limits on excessive shift lengths for operators and standards for first aid coverage. Unifor is also resisting efforts to contract out skilled trades work and to let supervisors absorb bargaining unit jobs, which the union says threaten the quality and security of good public transit work.
“The people who run this region’s buses and SeaBus deserve respect, not concessions. Unifor will not stop until Locals 111 and 2200 have an agreement that protects their safety, their dignity and their union,” said Payne.
Unifor remains committed to reaching a fair agreement and is calling on Coast Mountain Bus Company to return to the table with a serious, good-faith mandate.
Unifor Local 111 represents Transit Operators, while Local 2200 represents Skilled Trades, Service and SeaBus workers. Together, the two locals represent over 5000 transit workers across Metro Vancouver and negotiate with CMBC through a joint bargaining committee. The previous collective agreement expired March 31, 2026.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
For media inquiries please contact Unifor Communications Representative Hamid Osman at @email or 647-448-2823 (cell).
