The union representing a majority of Metro Vancouver transit workers wants TransLink to scrap planned layoffs and service cuts as the province begins to lift COVID-19 restrictions.
In April, TransLink issued about 1,500 layoff notices to transit workers, effective May 18. TransLink and the regional mayors’ council have said the layoffs are necessary as the agency grapples with a pandemic-driven loss of about $75 million in monthly revenue.
But Unifor, which speaks for about 5,000 bus drivers, SeaBus operators and maintenance workers, says the plan has “brought Metro Vancouver to the brink of transit chaos.” “Reliable and safe public transit should be at the core of any plan to get the economy kick-started,” said Unifor national president