The president of the union local for B.C. HandyDART workers says a withdrawal of the transit service in Metro Vancouver is 鈥渋mminent鈥� as it prepares to serve a 72-hour strike notice.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 president Joe McCann says members voted down a final contract offer by employer Transdev Canada by an 鈥渙verwhelming鈥� margin.

McCann says there鈥檚 still hope for the union and the employer to reach a deal at the bargaining table, but 83 per cent of members voted down the offer after meetings over the weekend and on Monday.

McCann says HandyDART workers want wage parity with other transit staff in the region, and there鈥檚 a 鈥渂ig disparity.鈥�

He says escalating job action wasn鈥檛 effectively pressuring Transdev Canada, and a full work stoppage would still mean that HandyDART users in need of certain medical treatments would be able to book rides with the door-to-door service.

Stacy Patenaude, vice-president of communications and public affairs at Transdev Canada, says in an emailed statement that the firm is 鈥渄isappointed this matter isn鈥檛 resolved鈥� and it鈥檚 鈥渁ssessing next steps.鈥�

McCann says it鈥檚 unfortunate users will be inconvenienced, but Transdev Canada 鈥� a private firm contracted by TransLink to operate the accessible bus service 鈥� has indicated that it believes HandyDART workers 鈥渄on鈥檛 deserve the same wages as a public company.鈥�

He says the union believes the service should be taken out of private hands and no longer operated by a for-profit company because of the expected 鈥渢sunami鈥� of riders who will need the service in the long term as demographics change.