On Thursday, the bus company and union accepted special mediator Vince Ready’s recommendations, likely averting another strike
It would appear a second round of picket lines has been averted in the dispute between transit supervisors and TransLink’s Coast Mountain Bus Company.
Coast Mountain and the supervisors represented by CUPE Local 4500 both announced Thursday that they have accepted the recommendations of special mediator Vince Ready, likely averting any further job action that could shut down Metro Vancouver’s transit system.
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CUPE 4500 and Coast Mountain have been locked in a labour dispute in recent months that culminated in a two-day strike early last week. Though the union local only represents 180 transit supervisors, Unifor 111 and 2200, representing transit operators and support workers, respected picket lines and left transit buses parked in depots and SeaBuses docked on Jan. 22 and 23.
Following the walkout, Ready was appointed as special mediator to bring the two sides together. Ready heard both sides and made non-binding recommendations to resolve the labour dispute, after which each side was given time to review them.
On Thursday, CUPE 4500 announced they had reviewed Ready’s recommendations, and were willing to make compromises and accept the proposed solution to end the strike. Coast Mountain followed suit soon after.
“CUPE 4500 thanks Mr. Ready for his thorough and comprehensive review of the issues at the heart of this dispute. His recommendations show there are compromises that can be made on both sides of the bargaining table,” said Liam O’Neill, spokesperson for CUPE 4500.
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“While they don’t completely address our issues, these recommendations are clearly our best path towards a mutually acceptable settlement.”
CMBC general manager Michael McDaniel said the bus company also accepted Ready’s recommendations and thanked him for his work.
“As the special mediator noted, labour disruptions in the Lower Mainland’s public transportation system lead to significant public hardship and negative economic impacts. Without public transportation, commuters are left stranded, unable to get to work, school or medical appointments.
“For many, paying significant costs for alternative forms of transportation isn’t an option, and without public transit there is increased traffic and congestion for many.”
Ready’s recommended next step would be for the parties to sign a memorandum of agreement before a union ratification vote.
If accepted, the settlement would put an end to the possibility of a second job action. CUPE had said if no deal was reached by 12:01 a.m. Saturday, it would launch a 72-hour strike.
Since Jan. 6, transit supervisors have been on strike in the form of an overtime ban. That led to the two-day walkout when negotiations broke down.
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A Leger poll conducted following last week’s strike found that 64 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents were impacted by the strike, with younger riders between the ages of 18 to 34 and Vancouver residents most impacted.
Those impacts included 44 per cent not being able to get to work, school or other appointments; 44 per cent experiencing a longer commute, 27 per cent dealing with higher transportation costs, and 22 per cent cancelling appointments and meetings.
Still, public opinion on the strike was split: 18 per cent of respondents support the Coast Mountain Bus Company, while 17 per cent supported transit supervisors. Some 44 per cent admitted to not knowing enough about the dispute to have an opinion, while 21 per cent said they don’t care either way.
Most Metro Vancouver residents, however, supported the idea of transit being deemed an essential service, with 84 per cent agreeing.
The online poll, which has a margin of sampling error of 4.4 per cent, was conducted Jan. 26 to 28, and heard from 500 respondents.
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TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.
The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.
“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.
The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.
But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.
Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.
“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.
“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”
Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.
The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.
In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.
Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.
The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.
The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.
Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.
Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.
It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.
Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.
Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:ROOT)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.
No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.
Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.
A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.
The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.
The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.
Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:TRZ)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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