Vancouver, BC – After months of bargaining and escalating job actions, including uniform refusals, a fare strike, and an overtime ban, HandyDART workers, members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1724, are suspending their job action as a gesture of goodwill ahead of voting on a final offer from HandyDART’s contractor, Transdev.
“As a gesture of goodwill, we are suspending our job action and won’t strike on August 26 in order to vote on this final offer from Transdev,” said Local 1724 President/Business Agent Joe McCann.
Transdev, a French multinational corporation, has been contracted by TransLink to operate HandyDART service since 2018. Criticism of the increasing use of taxis at HandyDART and questions about Transdev’s poor track record have recently led to six different Mayors sitting on TransLink’s Regional Council for Transportation signing an open letter calling for the service to be brought in-house. The City Councils of Burnaby, North Vancouver, Langley City, Langley Township, and Maple Ridge have also passed resolutions calling for HandyDART to be insourced directly under TransLink.
Low wages at HandyDART in comparison with other transit jobs in the region have led to turnover at HandyDART being roughly double that of TransLink. The resulting worker shortages have been a major factor in the skyrocketing use of taxis at HandyDART, which riders have complained the drivers do not have the same training nor provide the same door-to-door service.
“Our HandyDART members care about their riders who rely on them each and every day to get to the doctor, grocery store, and other important destinations,” said ATU International President John Costa. “We did not want to leave them stranded while we are voting on this final contract offer. The bottom line, we want a fair contract that recognizes the important role our members play in their community and want to ensure the people of Vancouver, including seniors and those with disabilities, have access to safe and affordable public transit.”
In an effort to win a fair contract, the HandyDART workers started job actions in the form of a uniform refusal starting on July 3 and escalated to a fare strike shortly thereafter. Workers then refused to work overtime ban, putting further pressure on Transdev, who presented a final offer just days before strike action was set for August 26.
If the membership turns down the final offer, job action could resume, and a 72-hour strike notice would be given.