Mediated talks resume in Metro Vancouver HandyDART strike
CTV
The union representing Metro Vancouver HandyDART drivers and its employer, Transdev, are scheduled to return to the bargaining table Thursday. Drivers walked off the job last Tuesday, stopping most service.
The union representing Metro Vancouver HandyDART drivers and its employer, Transdev, are scheduled to return to the bargaining table Thursday. Drivers walked off the job last Tuesday, stopping most service.
The dispute largely centres around pay. The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 says its members don't make as much as others working similar roles elsewhere in Canada.
Gislaine Bates has been a driver for HandyDART for six years. She spent Thursday morning at the picket line in Cloverdale with her coworkers.
“I make a good wage, but I still live paycheque to paycheque because I’m not making enough,” Bates told CTV News.
“I have to work a lot of overtime and whatnot to subsidize and it's not fair. I should be able to spend some time with my family."
The drivers and Transdev will resume mediated talks on Thursday, but the union’s president has warned the strike may not be a short one. The two sides are still far apart. The last offer from the company was turned down by members in a vote of 83 per cent against accepting the deal.
HandyDART is a door-to-door transit service for people who are unable to navigate the conventional transit system.The service has been suspended for all but those needing transportation to urgent medical appointments like cancer treatments.
