Gatineau commuters brace for possible bus strike
Bus riders in Gatineau are considering alternative ways to commute as the city's transit service inches closer to a work stoppage.
As of Tuesday morning, negotiations between the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) and its drivers and maintenance workers remained stalled, though the two sides are scheduled to sit down with a mediator on Friday.
Despite that glimmer of hope, many passengers waiting for their bus at the Rivermead park-and-ride in Aylmer were bracing for a strike Tuesday.
Among them was Dani Marshall, who was pregnant and living in Ottawa in 2008 when OC Transpo drivers went on strike. She now lives in Aylmer, and is once again pregnant.
"I depend on the bus to go to appointments. It's frustrating," said Marshall. She said she'll be forced to drive and park downtown in the event of a strike by STO drivers.
Micheline Bergeron, another passenger at the Rivermead stop, said she's considering carpooling if STO is no longer an option.
"At work, we've started figuring out who has a car and who we could get a drive with," said Bergeron.
Martin Rivard said he would likely avoid downtown altogether.
"That would suck. I figured [a strike] would happen in the dead of winter. Parking will be impossible. I guess I'll just end up working from home," said Rivard.
But for Sylvie Aspirot, a strike could actually provide an opportunity.
"I think I'll start skiing to work. Drive to the Champlain Bridge, ski to the War Museum and then walk to work," said Aspirot. "At least that way I'll be getting some exercise."
Vote Wednesday
The union representing the 485 drivers and 115 maintenance workers is set to hold a vote on Wednesday, asking members whether or not to go ahead with a strike.
A similar vote in December 2016 yielded a 98% approval for a strike mandate. The president of Syndicat uni du Transport Local 591, Félix Gendron, said Monday he's given the STO the required 72 hour notice of a possible work action.
Gendron wouldn't specify what form the job action might take, but it could be anything from refusal to do overtime to an all-out strike.
The union scored a victory Monday when the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruled against the STO, declaring that transit is not an essential service, much to the disappointment of Dani Marshall.
"I wish they would make these services mandatory, where you couldn't strike," said Marshall. "I don't want to say that to put down bus drivers, I'm sure they have their reasons. But it's more than a hindrance for most people, especially for people who don't drive."
According to the union, deteriorating working conditions and scheduling are the key issues in these negotiations.
STO spokeswoman Céline Gauthier said Monday a work stoppage is still only a hypothetical scenario, and that the STO remains hopeful the meeting with an mediator on Friday will yield positive results.
