Blue Bus drivers have reached a contract in West Vancouver

Bus drivers and mechanics who are members of the Blue Bus union in West Vancouver have voted to accept a two-year contract with the District of West Vancouver.

The tentative agreement was reached between the union and the municipality on Tuesday and comes just a week after bus drivers voted 96% in favor of strike action if there was no progress in talks.

On Wednesday, union members voted 88 percent to accept the deal.

Key issues included working conditions and benefits, Amalgamated Transit Union President Cornel Neagu said.

The agreement reached this week includes a provision for five-minute bathroom breaks for drivers to be included at the end of every bus journey starting in December 2024. It also includes changes to reduce weekend “split tours”, including a maximum of 30 minutes of unpaid shift time on weekends and holidays, Neagu said.

One outstanding issue the union did not resolve was the structure of members’ long-term disability benefits, which require workers to pay 100 percent of premiums. Neagu said the union and the municipality agreed to discuss this further in the future.

The contract also includes a pay increase of three percent this year and 2.5 percent next year — the same increase given to TransLink Coast Mountain Bus drivers.

Regular bus driver wages range from $22/hour to $36.73/hour, depending on length of service. Bus driver wages range from about $27/hour to $33.73/hour.

West Vancouver council is expected to vote on the agreement Monday.

The contract is set to expire at the same time as the Coast Mountain Bus contract.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 134 represents 150 bus drivers and mechanics who operate and maintain West Vancouver’s Blue Bus system, which consists of 64 buses that carry approximately 18,000 passenger trips per day.