VANCOUVER — Mediated negotiations between the union representing striking HandyDART transit workers in Metro Vancouver and their employer are set to begin today, six days into the stoppage.

About 600 employees of the door-to-door service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since Tuesday, halting service with the exception of some essential medical trips.

The fight between the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 and employer Transdev Canada centres mostly around pay, with the union arguing its members don’t make as much as others working similar roles elsewhere in Canada.

In a statement issued before the strike started, Transdev said its final offer, which was rejected by employees, represented a 19.2 per cent pay increase by January 2026.

Union local president Joe McCann has said low wages make it difficult to attract and retain employees.

A 2022 performance review of HandyDART says the service provided more than 960,000 trips that year

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press