Cowichan Valley Transit Workers Reject Binding Arbitration, Ongoing Labour Dispute Enters Record-Breaking Length

Strategic Insights -

The 52 Unifor union members working at Transdev Canada in the Cowichan Valley have rejected going to binding arbitration to end the six-month-long labour dispute, with a vote of approximately 63 per cent against it. The decision has left the community without a reliable public-transit service, impacting thousands of people each week. Despite efforts from Transdev, the union members are concerned that their core issues, including wages, breaks, and working conditions, would not be properly addressed through binding arbitration.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 52 Unifor union members working at Transdev Canada rejected binding arbitration to end the labour dispute, with a vote of approximately 63 per cent against it.
  • The union members are concerned that their core issues, including wages, breaks, and working conditions, would not be properly addressed through binding arbitration.
  • The proposed wage increases of 16.42 per cent over four years for conventional bus drivers and 18.85 per cent for HandyDART drivers, as well as pension enhancements and improvements in working conditions, were rejected by the union.
  • Unifor spokesman Gavin Davies stated that the wage gap between Cowichan Valley transit workers and those in Victoria and Nanaimo would continue to widen if the recommendations of the mediator were accepted.
  • The union remains ready to return to negotiations and continues to call for reform of B.C.'s broken provincial transit structure, which creates systemic inequities across the system.

Statistics:

  • The labour dispute in the Cowichan Valley has lasted for six months, making it the longest transit strike in the history of B.C.
  • Approximately 63 per cent of Unifor union members voted against going to binding arbitration to end the labour dispute.
  • The proposed wage increases were 16.42 per cent over four years for conventional bus drivers and 18.85 per cent for HandyDART drivers.
  • The union members are concerned that their wages would still be significantly below those of transit workers in Victoria and Nanaimo, even after the proposed wage increases.

Sources:

  • "Transdev workers reject binding arbitration, damaging Cowichan Valley transit service." Copyright 2025 Cowichan Valley Citizen.
  • Unifor spokesman Gavin Davies,
  • Emily Watson, Transdev's senior vice president for Western Canada.