Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour, has issued the following statement on the Cowichan Valley Transit System labour dispute:

“I am pleased that the unions, Unifor Locals 114 and 333, and employer, Transdev, have come together and agreed to submit proposals to special mediator Vince Ready, who will issue binding recommendations on all remaining matters.

“I would like to thank Mr. Ready for his ongoing work on this complex dispute, and the parties for their immediate work together on a return-to-work plan. I understand there is time that is required to ensure the buses are road-ready, as part of the process of resuming full services to the residents of the Cowichan Valley as soon as possible.

“This is welcome news for residents who rely on transit services in the Cowichan Valley. The service disruption has been deeply disruptive to people living in the region, and this has been a very difficult period for many.

“In the coming days, BC Transit will provide more information on its plan to resume service for the community.”