Seven-month Vancouver Island transit strike ends as union and employer accept deal

DUNCAN — The union representing transit workers in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley says their strike is over after more than seven months of job action.

Unifor says in a statement that both its members and employer Transdev have agreed to abide by recommendations from provincial mediator Vince Ready.

The recommendations are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Unifor says its members and Transdev are working on the return-to-work process, and employees are being recalled immediately to begin planning for the restart.

The union says it may still take some time to get the buses up and running, and the timing of the restart will be up to BC Transit.

Workers have been on strike since February over wage parity with other BC Transit employees.

“We thank our members for standing up for what they believed in and fighting for fairness for transit drivers across the system,” Unifor national president Lana Payne says in a statement.

The dispute involved 44 striking transit operators and related workers with Unifor Local 114, as well as HandyDART workers with Local 333-BC.

The union had rejected Ready’s previous recommendations in July.

Transdev is contracted by BC Transit to operate the Cowichan Valley Regional Transit System.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2025.

The Canadian Press