Mediated talks resume in Metro Vancouver HandyDART strike

Surrey, B.C. -

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.

Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which is contracted to oversee HandyDART service.

TransLink said it has no role in the labour dispute, which is between the drivers and Transdev.

“I think that's ridiculous," said Bates. "I think TransLink should step in and I truly believe that if TransLink wanted to bring us in house and fix this situation, that they would. I just think that they just want to wash their hands with us."

Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.

A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that its employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”

Bates says her heart goes out to regular riders who are stranded at home due to the strike.

“A short-term pain for a long-term gain is better, because I think if we have more desirable wages, we're going to be able to attract us drivers, to be able to get more buses on the road so we can accommodate trips,” said Bates.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Shannon Patterson and the Canadian Press