Calling for better pay, a better service, and for the employer to come back to the table, Metro Vancouver HandyDART workers held a rally as they officially walked off the job Tuesday.
It’s the first strike by these unionized workers in 15 years.
Sam, a HandyDART driver, was among the dozens of other people on the picket line in downtown Vancouver.
“Conventional, big bus drivers, I think, make about $42 (an hour), we make $31, and the same drivers as us in the Fraser Valley make $36, so you do the math there — it’s pretty not fair,” Sam said.
“We’re fighting for better wages, for much better service for our clients. We want to be doing the work. As bus drivers, we’re trained specifically for this work.”
Last week, members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1724 issued 72-hour strike notice after the majority of workers rejected employer Transdev’s “final offer.”
The union said the new offer did not address the issues that are key to the “workers’ well-being and their integrity.”
The two sides had been at the bargaining table for nine months, according to the transit company. Transdev, a multinational mobility company, is contracted by TransLink to operate all HandyDART services in Metro Vancouver.
The union is calling for its Metro Vancouver drivers to be paid at least the same amount as those in the Fraser Valley. ATU International President John Costa says workers also feel disrespected by Transdev.
“We care about our riders. Our operators have relationships, they care about their riders — they’re not just a customer to them. These are career jobs and we’re hoping to keep them career jobs,” he said.
TransLink says the specialized, door-to-door service will still be available for people needing those needing cancer, renal, or multiple sclerosis treatments.
In a statement sent last Friday, Transdev said both “parties have currently secured a date to bargain on September 12th.”
However, the union is asking the employer to return to the table without delay, saying it’s prepared to get back to discussions at any time.
Costa says the pause in negotiations shows a lack of respect.
“What’s that say to the government? What does that say to the city? You have a service provider that you spend millions of dollars with and they’re telling you they can’t come to the table and keep negotiations going to try and stop the strike and keep the service on the road for the community,” Costa said.
It appears the strike will last at least one week. The 2009 walkout, which happened under a different employer, lasted nearly three months.
—With files from Jack Morse