VICTORIA, BC, Aug. 31, 2026 /CNW/ -- Transit workers represented by Unifor Local 333-BC will begin an overtime ban at BC Transit as of September 1, escalating job action in Greater Victoria after more than a year without a collective agreement.

Members remain on the job and buses continue to run. Because scheduled service depends on members taking overtime, riders should expect a noticeable impact on service.

"Our members did not arrive at this escalation by choice, said Unifor National President Lana Payne. They arrived here because nothing short of it has moved the employer. An overtime ban is how transit workers apply real pressure while staying on the job, and it ends the moment BC Transit comes to the table with what it takes to settle."

An overtime ban means members work their scheduled shifts and nothing beyond them. Members began a uniform ban on August 17 as the first stage of job action.

"This dispute is about run times, recovery times and wages that have fallen behind, said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. Our members have been without a contract since March 2025 and they have watched BC Transit come to the table without the resources to fix any of it. Riders in Greater Victoria deserve better than that, and so do the people who move them."

Unifor is prepared to return to the table at any time.

Unifor Local 333-BC represents transit workers at BC Transit in Greater Victoria. The collective agreement expired March 31, 2025.

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

SOURCE Unifor