Public transport workers have lost their t-shirt uniform while on the job. UPDATE 2:15 p.m BC Transit is warning public transit users in the Central Okanagan that service will be affected by the union’s overtime ban and work escalation. The Crown company said the handyDART service for customers requiring transport medical treatments was deemed necessary and would operate if there were more work actions. Riders will be notified of service cancellations as soon as possible through the NextRide app and customer notifications at bctransit.com/Kelowna ATU 1722 work action will not affect service on Route 90 UBCO/Vernon from the Vernon Regional Transit System or Route 70 Penticton/Kelowna from the South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System. ORIGINAL 11:45 AM Drivers with Kelowna Regional Transit are ramping up their workload. ATU Local 1722 announced Wednesday that its members will refuse to accept overtime shifts starting Thursday. The overtime refusal marks the third formal job action in as many weeks, with workers already refusing to wear company uniforms or enforce fare collection policies. “We are overwhelmed and have been for years,” said Local 1722 President Al Peressini. “We’re breaking our backs trying to keep buses running because we’re chronically understaffed under First Transit management.” The union says between 18 and 26 per cent of the average daily bus service in Kelowna is run with “unsustainable overtime”. Workers are being forced to cancel days off and holidays on a “regular basis” to fill staffing gaps, the union said. As a result, the union says denying overtime will likely lead to less frequent service. “We take these restrained work actions because we care about the people we serve,” Peresini continued. “We hope they will contact their provincial representatives to tell them how much this underfunding and mismanagement is hurting our city.” The union says it sent employer First Transit a counterproposal seven days ago but has not received a response. “It’s not a mystery. We know what’s broken. We are underpaid. We can’t retire or pay our bills. Employees quit every day. Those of us who remain are working to an early grave to keep Kelowna moving,” Peressini continued. “If the province doesn’t bring us in, they can add more funding to the service or require the multibillion-dollar Swedish hedge fund they let take advantage of this system to help.” First Transit, a multinational company owned by Sweden-based EQT Infrastructure, has the contract to operate public transit in the Central Okanagan until March 2023. Some call BC Transit to get service home or find a new body, after the second work action since 2016. The union says Kelowna transit workers currently earn $5 to $10 less than comparable transit systems in the province. “The union continues to ask the public to call their provincial representatives to demand they take responsibility for the consequences of outsourcing a tax-funded public service to a for-profit company,” the union said in a press release.
