There may soon be an end in sight for commuters stranded by the Greyhound bus strike. A tentative deal was reached late Wednesday (May 23) in the workers' strike that halted service just before the Victoria Day long weekend Friday (May 18).
After months of negotiations over wages and conditions, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1374 representing Greyhound bus workers went on strike, and in the week following holidays, residents commuting along the Sea to Sky corridor faced continued inconvenience.
Greyhound local 1374 president Jim Higgs said on Friday that workers did not leave passengers stranded mid-route, but feelings towards the parent company are "not good."
"Most of these guys in the union are long-term employeesthat's what the problem is - the longer they stay, the more they get to recognize the deficiencies in the organization," he said. "It's such as sad thing - they're all dedicated people, they work with the public every dayit's a sad tale but we all have to fight for what we need."
Higgs said the decision to strike came after months of failed collective bargaining, which worsened when Greyhound handed a major contract in Edmonton to other contractors.
"They just let the whole city go and contracted it out to an independent, which got the ball rolling and what poor timing - during negotiations," he said, adding that he didn't think the dispute would be easily resolved. "I can tell you that the employees have a few years of emotion in this, and I feel that the longer the company delays, the more difficult it will be for them to settle it because the expectations rise. If you're out walking, you're getting a little more angry every day."
The strike has also suspended passenger service and parcel delivery across the western provinces.
Commuters were left without transportation since the Squamish-Whistler Transit service, which has ended for the season, decided not to resume during the strike.
Transit manager Scott Pass said his office received calls of inquiry from passengers who, during winter months, rely on a seasonal Transit corridor commuter bus. He said the service will resume in September, and he's tentatively optimistic that from then on, buses will run year-round.
In the meantime, residents have the option of hitching rides through the Sea to Sky Rideshare program, a free, non-profit carpooling online message board that aims to connect commuters together. For more information go to www.sea-to-sky.net/rideshare.
The inconvenience may soon be over, however.
"We are pleased that the company and the union were able to resolve the main issues under the contract," said Brad Shepherd, senior vice-president of Greyhound Canada, said in a news release. "We know that this has been a difficult time for everyone affected by the service disruption."
The ATU represents drivers, mechanics, terminal staff and owner/operators primarily in Western Canada, totaling approximately 1,150 employees.
Ticket holders are able to hold their tickets for future travel or turn them in for a full refund on the unused portion. With files from Sylvie Paillard
