BILL M225 – 2023
FRASER VALLEY TRANSIT SERVICES ACT, 2023

HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 In this Act:

"employee" means an employee of an employer;

"employer" means First Transit;

"handyDART vehicle" means a vehicle designed to transport persons with permanent or temporary disabilities;

"trade union" means Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 561.

Resumption of transit services

2 Immediately after this Act comes into force and despite the Labour Relations Code,

(a) an employer must not lock out or declare a lockout of any of its employees who operate a handyDART vehicle and must terminate any lockout,

(b) a trade union and the employees represented by that trade union who operate a handyDART vehicle must not strike or declare a strike and must terminate any strike,

(c) every employee who operates a handyDART vehicle must resume their duties and work schedules of employment with the employer,

(d) any declaration, authorization or direction to go on strike given before or after the coming into force of this Act becomes invalid in respect of an employee who operates a handyDART vehicle,

(e) an officer or representative of a trade union must not in any manner impede or prevent, or attempt to impede or prevent, any person to whom paragraphs (a) to (c) apply from complying with those paragraphs, and

(f) an employer or a person acting on behalf of an employer must not

(i) refuse to permit any person to whom paragraphs (a) to (c) apply to resume the duties of their employment, or

(ii) discharge or in any other manner discipline such a person by reason of the person having been locked out or on strike before the coming into force of this Act.

Repeal

3 This Act may be repealed by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Commencement

4 This Act comes into force on the date of Royal Assent.

Explanatory Note

This Bill terminates the current Fraser Valley Transit Services strike in respect of workers who operate a handyDART vehicle.