As bus strike drags on in Sea-to-Sky region, residents say they're losing patience — and money

Another round of negotiations has failed to resolve the two-month strike by B.C. Transit bus drivers and maintenance workers in Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton, B.C., leaving locals who depend on transit more than frustrated.

Whistler Transit, Diversified Transit and Unifor representatives mutually agreed to meet this week, according to the bus drivers' union.

It was the first round of talks since late February — but ended in a stalemate with one key issue on the table.

"Progress was made but there must be a roadmap to wage parity," said Unifor western regional director Gavin McGarrigle, referring to the three-dollar-an-hour wage gap between Sea-to-Sky bus drivers and those in Metro Vancouver.

Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton Valley bus services stopped running on Jan. 29. The union said 80 workers are seeking better pay as they struggle with high costs of living while making less than their counterparts.

"Wealthy families come from around the globe to Whistler, where transit workers can barely afford to make ends meet," said McGarrigle. "Our goal for the next collective agreement has been transparent from the start: transit workers should be able to afford to live in the region they serve."

Whistler Transit handles bus service for B.C. Transit in the Whistler-Pemberton area, while Diversified Transit handles service in Squamish.

People living and working in the Sea-to-Sky area have been left in the lurch with buses off the road. Beyond the inconvenience, the mayor of Whistler has said it's also led to dangerous drunk driving and hitchhiking situations.

Manuela Del Castillo lives in Pemberton and travels throughout the Sea-to-Sky region cleaning houses. Since the strike started, she's had to reduce her work area down to Whistler alone and — with owners' permission — live in the houses she's cleaning.

She said she's spent roughly $2,000 on cabs.

"Every day, every night, [we're] praying there will be good news about the buses," she told CBC News by phone on Thursday.

Benny Barrigan has lived in Whistler all his life, using the buses to get up the mountain to work as a cleaner and dishwasher.

But for the last two months, he's had another job: running a 950-member Whistler rideshare group on Facebook. Members post where they need to go and when, hoping someone might offer a ride.

"It's working pretty good … I see people getting to work, going home from work at one or two in the morning when they finish and there's no one to pick them up," said Barrigan. "People are stepping up."

McGarrigle said the striking workers understand the lengthy walkout has been challenging for those who depend on transit in the Sea-to-Sky corridor, but he said union members ultimately still need a fair contract.

Pacific Western, which owns Whistler Transit and Diversified Transit, said it was "extremely disappointed" not to have reached an agreement. A statement said the company had offered the union a deal "that met two out of three" of the union's priorities — a benefits plan and an introduction to a pension plan.

"We also offered fully retroactive wage increases in each year of the deal combined with a large signing bonus," it said.

"At this time, we are evaluating possible next steps as we remain committed to getting our employees back to work and serving the communities of Whistler, Squamish, and Pemberton."

B.C. Transit is responsible for bus services in the Sea-to-Sky, but contracts those services out to Pacific Western. In a statement Thursday, the Crown corporation said it was hopeful the latest negotiations would end the strike "soon."

"B.C. Transit sincerely apologizes to customers for the inconvenience caused by this ongoing matter and we will update customers as soon as we know more information," it read.

Unifor said no further negotiations are currently scheduled.