This week marks a potential turning point in the months-long transit strike in the eastern Fraser Valley.

The national representative from CUPE 561 confirmed the union鈥檚 bargaining team is satisfied with the latest proposal by mediator Vince Ready. The employer, First Transit, issued a statement on Wednesday that they are prepared to accept Ready鈥檚 recommendations 鈥渟o long as they are ratified by CUPE Local 561 members.鈥�

Ready was called in on June 8 to secure a resolution in the impasse between the two parties. He then applied for an application, which was granted. Transit workers have been on strike since March 20, and the eastern Fraser Valley has been without public transit, including the highway route that connects the region to Metro Vancouver transit routes at Carvolth Exchange in 91原创.

Those on the picket line in Abbotsford on Tuesday said that after 121 days of strike action, it can鈥檛 come soon enough. The HandyDART drivers added that they miss their clients and can鈥檛 wait to get back to serve them.

While the actual details of Ready鈥檚 proposal are still under wraps, CUPE 561鈥檚 national representative Liam O鈥橬eill told The News they are happy with what he鈥檚 proposed. O鈥橬eill spoke at the picket line as they awaited further news from Ready.

鈥淲e鈥檝e reviewed the recommendations as a bargaining committee, so we鈥檙e ready to take those forward to the members,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long process and pretty thorough. Vince Ready is a seasoned mediator.鈥�

He said it鈥檚 difficult to say how long it will take the buses to get back on the road once a deal is struck, but that they are going to 鈥渄o our level best鈥� to get the buses going again quickly. When the Sea-to-Sky Highway region鈥檚 transit workers went on strike in 2022, they were off for 136 days. That was the longest public transit strike in B.C. history.

O鈥橬eill sent out a thanks to the community for their support through the strike, adding that their drivers are 鈥渧ery well connected to the community.鈥�

鈥淲e want to thank them for their patience,鈥� he said.

The strike has affected 212 employees, including drivers, maintenance, utility workers and more. They are currently the lowest paid BC Transit workers in the province, and have no pension plan. BC Transit contracts the management of the system to First Transit, which is an American company.

鈥淭hey took a stand for the right reasons,鈥� he added, so that there is equality for transit workers across the province. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want this to happen again.鈥�

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