Pacific Coach Lines workers vote in favour of job action

Unifor calling for severance protections following layoff

Unifor Local 114 members working at Pacific Coach Lines (PCL) in Vancouver voted to take labour action in a dispute over severance packages for veteran drivers.

Members voted 79 per cent in favour of job action as long-serving drivers are impacted by recent job cuts at the company. Following the vote, Unifor is in a legal position to serve 72 hours’ strike notice to PCL and then move toward labour action at any time in the next 90 days.

According to the union, approximately 70 per cent of PCL’s workforce was laid off after the contract to perform cross-water bus service with BC Ferries was not renewed.

Unifor’s contract with PCL expired on March 31 and negotiations have been ongoing since April. Following 11 days of negotiations, the parties are no closer to an agreement.

“Twenty-year veterans are being told that they won’t be getting any severance,” said Unifor national representative Mario Santos. “It is a cold-hearted move to treat your veteran employees like that.”

Unifor Local 114 represents 77 PCL employees, including drivers, mechanics, service staff and ticket agents.

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