Transport workers ditched their uniforms for t-shirts during the first phase of strike action on Friday. The president of the Central Okanagan Regional District says BC Transit must put operation of the Kelowna regional transit system out to bid when the current contract expires. The nine-year operating agreement between the transit authority and First Transit expires on March 31, 2023. The terms of the agreement give BC Transit the option to extend the agreement for a maximum of 15 years. Exercising this option is something RDCO Loyal Wooldridge Chair does not share. “I think I would speak for all the district leaders in that we are not in favor of a rollover deal with First Transit,” Wooldridge said. “We would be looking for BC Transit to (tender) at the end of the contract, because that’s been going on.” Wooldridge was referring to the labor dispute that has plagued the transit system in recent years. Unionized workers began industrial action against First Transit to support contract demands on Friday. The job action comes six years after the union hit picket lines for 13 days in November 2016. It also comes 10 days after workers in the North Okanagan and Shuswap also issued a strike notice. First Transit operates transit systems in both the Central and North Okanagan. While Wooldridge believes BC Transit should open up the process to other potential operators after the current deal expires, he says it would also make sense if they took over the operation of the system as they do in Victoria. “It would make sense not to deal with a third party,” Wooldridge said. “At the end of the day, it would depend on the level of service they could provide to the area, but I don’t think any option is off the table. “And, if it could provide more stability in our service levels and not have the friction of having to go to these negotiations so often, I think that would be an option.” He says it would make sense to deliver the service directly by cutting out the middle man, but added he doesn’t want to presuppose an outcome. Wooldridge says it is also disappointing that regional governments are not represented at the table when negotiating new operational deals that affect the region. “That’s another request we’re making is that our government has a seat at the table during these negotiations because all we can do right now is encourage BC Transit to come to a solution, but of course that leaves them our residents both locally and regionally. regionally at risk of reduced or no service.” As for the current job action, Wooldridge says residents who rely on transit to get around don’t necessarily care who’s in charge, they just want uninterrupted service they can count on. “It’s frustrating because we end up wearing the decisions as well as the organizations that are actually tasked with reaching an agreement. BC Transit declined to comment, saying it would be inappropriate to do so during active negotiations between First Transit and its unionized workers.
