Chilliwack is joining other Fraser Valley municipalities in asking the provincial government to take action to resolve the four-week old transit strike.

City council agreed Tuesday to co-sign a letter urging B.C. Minister of Labour Harry Bains to 鈥渁ssign a mediator鈥� in the labour dispute that has suspended all regular transit in the Eastern Fraser Valley since March 20.

The impasse is between the transit workers of CUPE 561, who are seeking better wages and a pension, and the employer, First Transit, an American company contracted out by BC Transit.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a grand idea,鈥� Coun. Jeff Shields said about co-signing a letter with the FVRD, and other cities, urging provincial action on the Fraser Valley strike.

鈥淲e are a month in and there鈥檚 a total impasse.鈥�

A 鈥減ush鈥� by provincial officials is exactly what鈥檚 needed.

鈥淢unicipalities that are truly affected need to push the provincial government to move forward with this,鈥� Shields added.

Mayor Ken Popove said although city officials couldn鈥檛 speak to the dispute, 鈥渨e can do this,鈥� he said about firing off a letter to the minister.

Coun. Nicole Read shared her hopes that 鈥渢he province, and the mediator,鈥� and the two parties, 鈥渨ill be able to resolve this quickly so folks can get back to work.鈥�

Popove said the recommendation asking the province to take action 鈥渃ame out of the FVRD鈥� and other cities such as Abbotsford and Mission will be co-signers.

Calling for the assistance of the mediator 鈥渋s definitely the right move,鈥� said Coun. Chris Kloot.

However Labour Minister Harry Bains told Black Press in a scrum at the legislature that neither party in the dispute is 鈥渞eady鈥� for mediation.

The minister said he had reached out to both sides to 鈥渞emind them of their responsibility鈥� to get back to the bargaining table 鈥� to no avail.

Bains said any mediation would be undertaken at the B.C. Labour Relations Board level in any case, but underlined that he had offered the parties mediation services.

鈥淢ediation can鈥檛 help until they both agree they are ready for mediation,鈥� Bains said.

All conventional public transit from Abbotsford to Hope was halted with the exception of HandyDart essential services in Abbotsford.

鈥攚ith files from Jessica Peters

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