The vast majority of SkyTrain workers have voted in favour of job action if a new deal cannot be reached, their union says.
Members voted 96.8 per cent in favour, with a notably high turnout, CUPE 7000 said in a news release on Thursday. No notice of a strike taking place has been given yet.
Eight days have been scheduled for mediation over the next month, though the union’s leaders have said they will sit down anytime with the BC Rapid Transit Company, which operates the Millennium and Expo lines.
Shortly after the CUPE announcement, TransLink released a statement saying the company is looking forward to mediation.
Workers have been without a contract since Aug. 31. Their main sticking points are wages, staffing, overtime and sick leave.
The union represents about 900 SkyTrain attendants and control operators, as well as staff in administration and maintenance. Should any job action take place, the West Coast Express and Canada Line would not be affected.
READ MORE: Workers union calls strike vote in SkyTrain labour dispute
Bus workers’ job action in Metro Vancouver, meanwhile, is approaching its fourth week. Workers are employed by the Coast Mountain Bus Company, another of TransLink’s operators.
