Unifor / VIA Rail
Unifor on May 12 reported that its VIA Rail master bargaining committees are preparing to conduct strike votes. From May 6-9, Unifor Council 4000 and Local 100 participated in negotiations under the conciliation process outlined in the Canada Labor Code.
While the passenger railroad “did withdraw a few minor items, it continues to demand sweeping changes to work rules that would strip away protections, weaken scheduling rights, and undermine job security across the system,” according to the union, whose Council 4000 and Local 100 represent some 2,500 workers at VIA Rail across Canada.
Unifor Council 4000 represents 1,800 employees who work in station services, headquarters, maintenance centers, and onboard trains; Local 100 represents 700 employees working as diesel engine mechanics, electricians, railcar technicians, and general workers. The groups officially opened negotiations with VIA Rail last October. Key priorities include “securing wage and benefit improvements, enhancing the hybrid pension plan, protecting work ownership … and addressing work-life balance,” according to Unifor. Additionally, Local 100 is focused on preventing contracting out.
Conciliation officers appointed by the federal Minister of Labor on April 1 are currently facilitating the bargaining process. The 60-day conciliation period ends May 31, followed by a 21-day cooling-off period. Should a tentative agreement not be reached, Unifor members would be in a legal strike position as of June 22, 2025.
According to Unifor, strike votes will take place over the coming weeks “to ensure members are in a position to act, should it become necessary.”
Unifor is said to be Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy.
Further Reading:
- Canada Dumps VIA Rail Brand for Private ‘Alto’ HSR
- Canada’s Alto, Cadence Consortium Sign Agreement to Develop HSR Between Toronto and Québec City
BART
(Courtesy of BART)
How do you measure BART’s impact on the Bay Area? You might look at the numbers. In fiscal year 2024, for example, BART says it contributed an estimated $2.7 billion in economic activity to the five counties it serves. But numbers don’t tell the whole story.
To understand BART’s impact, the agency shared a case study on its website (top and below) that shows how a single station—Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre—can transform and sustain not just a neighborhood, but a broad community of residents, workers, businesses, travelers, and families. This particular station sits at the convergence of Highway 680, the Iron Horse pedestrian and bicycle trail, multiple hotels and office buildings, and a mixed-use transit village.
“Locating by a BART station is a great move for businesses,” said BART Director Matt Rinn, whose district includes Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre Station. “You have in-built customers, who are coming and going from the station, you can increase capacity by not needing a parking lot, and your employees can get to work affordably.”
Rinn knows business. He opened his insurance agency in Pleasant Hill and was named the city’s Businessperson of the Year in 2011. He learned the role transit plays in sustaining and building communities when he was elected to the Pleasant Hill City Council and became a Board Member on the Pleasant Hill Chamber of Commerce, for which he later served as Board Chairman.
“These experiences helped me understand and appreciate how vital transit is to our communities,” Rinn said. “It builds a vibe. BART has helped attract a demographic that wouldn’t necessarily settle in the suburbs—young families, people who work in tech—who can experience all the amenities of a suburban environment, including more housing options, but can easily commute into major urban centers for work.”
Railway Age reproduces the BART case study in its entirety below:
The New Brewery in Town
The new kid on the block in the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village is Headlands Brewing, the third East Bay outpost of the craft beer brewery.
The family-friendly beer garden, set amongst tall redwoods with fire pits and a kids’ play area, opened in March 2025. For the grand opening, Headlands offered $1 off your first pint when you showed your Clipper card.
“Proximity to BART was key” in choosing the location, CEO Austin Sharp said. “It’s by far the easiest way to get to our location.”
Transit accessibility isn’t important just for Sharp’s customers, but his employees too. Headlands recently launched commuter benefits for its employees. All of Headlands’ locations are BARTable, including its main brewery in Pittsburg (it’s closed to the public).
The Cycling Family
“A community is built by interacting in a positive way,” said Kristin Tennessen, whose family of five lives a short bike ride from Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre Station. “Bicycling on the trail system here has made facilitating those connections easy.”
To get to work each morning, Tennessen and her husband ride their bikes along the Contra Costa Canal Trail to the station – it takes about eight minutes – lock their bikes up, and ride BART to their offices. They also regularly ride their bikes to BART with their kids, ages six, nine, and eleven, to take them on various adventures, like the Oakland Museum of California and the Exploratorium.
“People in their cars can’t stop and talk to each other like you can on a bike,” Tennessen said. “I run into people on the trail while I’m heading to BART, and we stop and chat. It facilitates interaction with your community.”
The Restaurant
Ten years ago, Peruvian restaurant Parada opened on the corner of Treat Boulevard and Sunne Lane. One of the main reasons for selecting the sunny corner spot: its proximity to BART.
“It’s very common for customers to take BART here from Antioch, from Concord, from Oakland,” said Giorgio Palacios, Parada General Manager. “Employees take BART, too, especially the younger people who don’t want to worry about their parents picking them up at the end of their shift.”
Parada is known for its succulent pisco sours, “and because we serve alcohol, we want to make sure our customers are safe and can get home without getting in trouble.”
The restaurant group, Altamirano, owns two other BARTable restaurants: Sanguchon Eatery in San Francisco’s Mission District and Barranco in Downtown Lafayette.
The Hotel
It’s not uncommon for travelers to discover Embassy Suites in Walnut Creek by googling, “hotels near BART,” said David Burri, Director of Sales and Marketing, Embassy Suites – Walnut Creek.
“Our location is just a four-minute walk to BART. It’s a huge selling point for groups, conventions, and individual travelers, especially because it’s an easy trip from the San Francisco and Oakland airports,” he continued. “That’s one of the first things we discuss with people interested in hosting conferences and events at the hotel – BART is right here, and it makes it simple to travel back and forth to San Francisco, Oakland, and local attractions.”
Burri said he has posters in the hotel lobby that promote using BART, and it’s one of the first conveniences mentioned on the hotel’s website and promotional material.
“Our Guest Services team gets a lot of questions about how to travel to local attractions: What’s the fastest way to the Moscone Convention Center? How do I get to Fishermen’s Wharf?” Burri said. “We always encourage them to skip the traffic and take BART.”
The Commuter
Every weekday, Michael Blasky takes BART from his home in Concord to his office in the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village.
“BART gets me to my office so much faster than driving,” said Blasky, who works for the Contra Costa County Transportation Authority. “The road infrastructure is pushed to the max for commuters here. If you’re taking the local highways or the thorough streets through Contra Costa County, you’re going to be backed up in traffic.”
Blasky said his commute is also “essentially free” because the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village offers significant commuter benefits, like $80 on a Clipper card for $5.
“My wife and I were considering buying an electric car when I got this job, but because of the commuter benefits program, it made absolutely no financial sense,” Blasky said.
The Neighborhood Hangouts
Baldeep and Gurpreet Sangha own two businesses by the station – the bar Hops & Scotch and the pizza-and-pints place Bill & Bali’s. They’re just around the corner from each other.
“The BART station and the location itself were the biggest draws for us,” he said. “And then all the Avalon residents upstairs. There’s in-built community here.”
After work, people will walk over from BART to grab a quick drink with friends at Hops & Scotch or pick up their kids for some fresh slices at Bill & Bali’s. It’s a nice alternative to having to schlep into downtown, Sangha said.
“There’s a lot of foot traffic here, so we get a good deal of exposure,” he concluded. “If the BART station disappeared for whatever reason, that would significantly hurt our pocketbook.”
The Apartment Complex
Avalon Walnut Creek is a shining example of transit-oriented development, a form of urban development that concentrates high-density, mixed-use development by public transit stations.
The community features over 600 apartment homes, including affordable housing, just steps from the BART station.
“The people who live here value accessibility to public transit and walkability,” said Katrina Gaasterland, Community Manager at AvalonBay Communities. “We get a lot of feedback from prospective residents that BART is one of the highlights for leasing in our community. They use it to get to work and entertainment, and it cuts down on costs associated with owning a vehicle. Plus, it’s just easy!”
