There is some hope for bus riders that the transit strike may soon end.
The union representing Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton transit workers said that it's getting ready for negotiations.
On Feb. 22, Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor's western regional director, said the union would be meeting with PWTransit, the employer that has been contracted by BC Transit to run buses in the Sea to Sky Corridor on Thursday.
"We've had some discussions leading up to that, exchanging some information," McGarrigle told The Squamish Chief. "And we certainly hope that, you know, it's the contractor that's at the table, but ultimately, it's BC Transit and the municipalities that are behind the funding. And so we hope all of them have, you know, come together and come prepared to address the key issues on Thursday so that we can get a deal."
He said he doesn't expect to see direct representatives of BC Transit or the municipalities on Thursday, even though those entities are still part of the deal.
"I mean, they've been hiding behind the contractors all along," said McGarrigle. "But, obviously, the contractors are in direct contact with BC Transit, [which] would be dealing with representatives from the municipalities. You know, the funding formula is pretty clear. And so at the end of the day, all of them got to get their act together and try to get a fair deal so that we can get this transit system back up and running, because it's so badly needed by the working people of the community."
Last week, PWTransit said in a brief news release that it had reached out to the union.
"The employer (PWTransit) reached out to UNIFOR Local 114's lead negotiator and asked if there was any interest by the union to resume bargaining, with the intent that both sides would make an earnest effort and be willing to move off of their positions to try and achieve a reasonable deal," reads the release from PWT.
Last week, Unifor workers gathered in Whistler to demonstrate.
It was the latest action the transit workers had taken to show their displeasure with their working conditions.
According to the union, there is a pay gap between the Sea to Sky and Metro Vancouver transit workers.
By Unifor's count, this amounts to $2.60 per hour for drivers and $6 per hour for cleaners.
This doesn't include the gap in benefits and pension. About one-third of Sea to Sky transit workers don't have benefits, while no workers here have pensions.
Drivers in the Sea to Sky are currently making $31.92 per hour, while cleaners make $22.19.
McGarrigle said that during the protest on Friday, demonstrators noted the irony of being near the Olympic rings.
"The legacy of 2010 was supposed to be transportation and housing," he said.
"Yeah, well, look at where we are now in the middle of another winter Olympics 2022. You've got no transit service, and housing is through the roof, and workers are not getting the compensation that they need to deal with it."
Keep checking squamishchief.com for more updates on the ongoing strike.
*Please note, this story has been corrected. Gavin McGarrigle's last name was previously spelled incorrectly.
