Bus service in West Vancouver ground to a halt Monday as unionized bus drivers staged a full-scale strike.
The Amalgamated Transit Union and District of West Vancouver were back in talks Monday afternoon without the mediator after the two sides failed to reach a deal after meeting for 10 hours on Sunday.
“We understand that a transit strike is extremely inconvenient for many people,” said district communications director Jeff McDonald. “By proceeding with this unnecessary strike, the transit union will be causing hardship for those who depend on Blue Bus, especially students and seniors.”
The sudden stop in service Monday morning left many would-be passengers stranded.
Nanaimo resident Karen Dibblee was heading home from participating in a half-marathon in Vancouver Sunday and was caught off-guard. She a took a cab from Park Royal to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal at a cost of $32.
Alison Kilpatrick lives on the Sunshine Coast and was heading to Vancouver for work meetings Monday morning. She said she decided not to drive on to the ferry before she knew about the bus strike. “Now I’m thinking I should have,” she said. “I’m kind of pissed.”
Beth Stewart, a 79 year-old resident of the Kiwanis assisted living home in West Vancouver, said the Blue Bus strike is an inconvenience to her. “I live here on my own. I don’t have lots of help,” she said. “I depend on that Blue Bus for my life.”
Stewart said she had to cancel a hearing test on Monday because “I couldn’t figure out how to get there.” She was hoping a volunteer driver from her seniors’ support group would help her get to another medical appointment on Tuesday if the bus strike continues.
Both sides should “step back a little bit” she said, and “look at how it’s affecting all of us seniors right now.”
Unionized Blue Bus workers were manning picket lines outside the West Vancouver transit depot on Monday.
Union president Geoff Devlin said a dispute over benefits continues to be the main sticking point between the two sides. On Sunday, the union came prepared to give up its request for an employer-funded long-term disability program, said Devlin, but is still asking for drivers and mechanics who work certain shifts to be paid extra shift premiums.
McDonald said both sides were prepared to compromise on some issues and appeared to make some progress on Sunday before hitting another roadblock when the union presented “a long list of extra demands.”
McDonald said the municipality is not asking for “concessions” to benefits in the contract talks.
Most bus riders seemed to know ahead of time about the strike, said McDonald but there were a few who were caught unaware.
Taxi driver Mohamed Abdallah was at Horseshoe Bay with his cab on Monday morning. He said taxi companies were having a busy day as foot passengers arrived at the West Vancouver ferry terminal with no way to get to their destinations. “They come here and there’s no bus,” he said.
Some passengers opted to pool their money on taxi rides. Others took advantage of private bus companies, including the Sunshine Coast Connector and Tofino Bus, which were offering transportation downtown from the ferry terminal for a premium.
Chris Van Steinburg, who is a member of another union, said he supports the bus drivers and wasn’t happy to see private companies offering bus rides. “I don’t think buses should be running,” he said. “It should inconvenience people. They are trying to get a message across.”
Monday’s strike was the first one in the Blue Bus system’s 100 year history.
Talks between the union and the municipality continued at press time. If no deal is reached, the bus strike in West Vancouver is expected to continue on Tuesday.
