As B.C. government workers launch their first day of strike action, a different kind of labour dispute affecting provincial services is playing out in historic fashion on Vancouver Island.

Transit workers in the Cowichan Valley are approaching their seventh month of job action, collapsing BC Transit service in the mid-Island region. At more than 200 days, it is the longest transit strike in British Columbia history.

The lengthy Cowichan dispute and the strike action that began Monday by the BC General Employees’ Association (BCGEU) are entirely different affairs.

But the Cowichan case does highlight the extreme reluctance the BC NDP government has in legislating an end to labour conflicts, and how much rope it’s willing to give to the idea that lasting deals are only found at the bargaining table.

The workers in Cowichan are actually employed by a private company called Transdev, contracted by BC Transit to provide bus service to the region. They want wages and annual increases on par with Victoria drivers, as well as better access to washroom facilities on their........

© BIV