Public transit users have a little more time to figure out an alternate form of transportation.

The Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1722, served 72 hour strike notice Thursday, after contract talks ground to a halt and were in a position to take job action as of Sunday. They’re waiting, however, for the membership to weigh in on the deal that triggered the strike notice.

That will be done Tuesday night, said Scott Lovell, president of ATU local 1722.

“Then at that point we will present a strike action plan and the membership will judge what they are comfortable with,” he said.

“We regret we may have to withdraw our services, but we must take action due to the inability of First Canada to negotiate a fair collective agreement with us.”

3 unions encourage other University of Manitoba staff to join picket line.

Hundreds of University of Manitoba staff members, including sessional instructors, caretakers and administrative personnel, are required to work during a faculty strike, but unions are encouraging them to show support for the roughly 1,200 strikers.

After less than a day on strike, Blue Bus drivers will be back on the road Tuesday morning after a tentative agreement was met with the District of West Vancouver late Monday night.

Transit buses will not be running in West Vancouver on Monday after last-minute negotiations between the district and the union representing West Vancouver Municipal Transit drivers and mechanics broke down Sunday night.

It’s official, starting Monday 149 West Vancouver Blue Bus operators and mechanics are putting the brakes on work after negotiation talks with the district took a negative turn.

If you use the Blue Bus Service in West Vancouver, plan for a different mode of transportation – drivers are putting the brakes on service Monday.

The union and district are in the middle of a bitter contract dispute, and drivers began job action Monday of this week with an overtime ban.

Bill Tieleman, Spokesperson for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 134 says they’re now ramping that up.

“It certainly affects those riders who might be going to Vancouver from West Vancouver and taking a Blue Bus. Blue Buses will not be running on Monday. It certainly does cause additional problems potentially for SeaBus because people might be using SeaBus instead of West Vancouver Buses.”

Tieleman says there could be further disruptions if there is no contract movement soon, but that the union will issue 24 hours notice before any action is taken.

Since the union’s contract expired at the end of March there have been a series of unproductive bargaining meetings, culminating in the appointment of a mediator at the end of August.

Both parties are feuding over working conditions and benefits.

The West Vancouver Blue Bus system serves about 18,000 people daily.