TRANSLINK said on Monday morning that it is preparing for a disruption to Canada Line service related to a labour dispute involving Canada Line operator Protrans and its unionized employees. Unionized employees are in a legal position to begin job action at 4 p.m. TransLink will continue to closely monitor this situation as it develops.

TransLink said it is working with Coast Mountain Bus Company to monitor customer volumes. They may increase service on some existing routes, if necessary.

TransLink asked its Canada Line customers to consult Google Trip Planner or contact Customer Information for alternate bus routes. Customers can also phone customer information at 604-953-3333.

Bus, Expo Line, Millennium Line and West Coast Express are unaffected and providing regular service. 

“We hope Protrans and its employees will come to an agreement and avoid any impact on our customers who rely on our service in such a critical time,” said TransLink.

The TransLink twitter account (https://twitter.com/translink) will be providing further updates. 

MEANWHILE, members of the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union (BCGEU) working for Protrans BC, operator of the Canada Line, said that 17 hours of talks over the weekend brought the sides closer together, but did not result in a deal.

The two sides resumed bargaining Monday morning with the hopes of resolving outstanding issues.

The current contract expired in December 2019 and contract talks started in February 2020. In November 2020 union members voted 98 per cent in favour of strike action—that mandate would have expired on February 3.

The BCGEU represents about 180 workers at the Canada Line which is privately operated by Protrans BC Operations Ltd. and owned by the multinational SNC-Lavalin.