HandyDart strikers storm Vancouver hotel
HandyDart service is running at essential services only since a strike began Oct. 26.
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Updated: November 19, 2009 4:34 PM
Striking HandyDart workers stormed a downtown Vancouver hotel Thursday where business and civic leaders were meeting to draw attention to the labour dispute that has cut off custom paratransit service.
Chanting "Shame on TransLink," more than 100 strikers picketed outside the Renaissance hotel on West Hastings and then pushed through the doors past the doormen in search of TransLink officials and mayors who were meeting inside.
Vancouver Police were called and the strikers agreed to leave.
"We wanted to get TransLink to take some responsibility for this dispute," said Tyler Felbel, spokesman for Amalgamated Transit Union local 1724.
TransLink awarded the contract to run HandyDart for the entire region to MVT Canadian Bus., a subsidiary of a major U.S. transit provider.
The union wants MVT to agree to binding arbitratration, but the company has refused and picketers think TransLink should start to apply pressure.
TransLink CEO Tom Prendergast said there are no plans to intervene in the dispute.
"Nobody seems to want to take responsibility for this mess," Felbel said.
"The clients and the workers are suffering the hardship of this while TransLink saves money on the cost of the operation and MVT can sit in California and wait it out."
HandyDart workers have been on strike since Oct. 26.
There are no further talks scheduled. Pension plan changes are a key issue dividing the two sides.
About 12 per cent of trips for dialysis or cancer treatment are continuing under an essential services order.
