Metro Vancouver鈥檚 regional transit provider says its HandyDART service could be disrupted starting Monday as a deadline for contract negotiations approaches.
In an advisory posted Friday, TransLink says the specialized service will continue for those needing rides to medical treatments for cancer and other illnesses.
It says all other trips by the door-to-door service for those who need help using public transit will be cancelled as members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 are poised to strike if a deal isn鈥檛 reached by Sunday evening.
The union says it has been in negotiations with France-based Transdev, the contracted operator of HandyDART services, since November last year, and in June its more than 600 members voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.
Transdev Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A statement from the union last week said members would begin a 鈥渇ull work stoppage鈥 Monday after a 鈥渟eries of escalating job actions鈥 that began last month.
Local president Joe McCann says the employer has 鈥渟tonewalled bargaining鈥 during negotiations he described as being focused on both workers and riders who have been negatively affected by 鈥渆xtreme staffing shortages.鈥