VICTORIA – BC Transit remains committed to reaching a collective
agreement settlement with CAW 333 within the Provincial Government’s Cooperative
Gains mandate.
The union has accused BC Transit in the media of acquiring buses with sub-standard
manufacturing and safety features.
In fact, the Vicinty bus now being built for delivery in the spring has been
Transport Canada certified. The majority of the parts of the bus; including
brakes, transmission and engine are North American or European made and already
found in our buses and buses of many other North American transit companies.
The CAW’s claim of unsafe Chinese construction is an insult to the skills
of the manufacturer – a company that was once 49 per cent owned by Mercedes
and has adopted the quality-focused traditions of that company.
The new bus meets the growing needs of our community shuttle service. The bus
is designed to meet the definition of a “community bus” in our collective
agreement with CAW 333. This definition was negotiated by CAW in 2003 and confirmed
through arbitration.
Compared to our existing community shuttle vehicles, the Vicinity offers improved
safety and comfort to both our drivers and our customers. It also offers improved
accessibility and capacity to our riders and is able to serve a wider range
of service needs.
BC Transit is proud of its history of fleet innovation. BC Transit was the
first in North America to adopt low floor buses as a fleet standard, first to
make double decker buses a major component of a transit fleet. We have always
sought the best product for our customers and service needs and have previously
imported vehicles from England and the United States.
We cannot let the union dictate fleet purchases.
BC Transit remains committed to achieving a settlement in this dispute. We
encourage CAW 333 to return to the bargaining table.
To our customers: We regret the inconvenience that the CAW 333’s escalating
strike actions may cause. We will make every effort to advise you of service
changes or disruptions. Please look for updates at www.bctransit.com
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Media Contact:
Meribeth Burton
Corporate Spokesperson | BC Transit
d: 250.995.5720
meribeth_burton@bctransit.com