Support our S2S bus drivers - tell PWTransit to sign a fair deal!
Support our S2S bus drivers - tell PWTransit to sign a fair deal!
The Issue
On the morning of Saturday, January 29th, workers of Whistler awoke to find that there were ZERO public transit buses running, and rushed to figure out how to get to work, to keep our busy tourist town running…
As of 5am that morning, our beloved Whistler Transit bus drivers had gone on strike, and as a regular bus rider, I support them completely!
I had been aware earlier this week that the union representing our Whistler bus drivers had been in negotiations with the employer, WHISTLER TRANSIT LTD, and in Squamish, DIVERSIFIED TRANSIT (both owned by PWTRANSIT), but I was absolutely gob-smacked when I started learning about the details of the negotiations…
Braden Dupuis writes in an article in the Pique on January 29 (“Whistler transit operators take to the picket line”), that:
“Whistler and Squamish transit workers make anywhere between $3 and $5 an hour less than those in Vancouver and Victoria, according to the union.”
This seems ludicrous to me!
Having lived and worked in Whistler for the last 5 years, I know how high the cost of living is here, and many young people choose to make financial sacrifices to be able to live and work in this beautiful community. However… it absolutely shocks me that Whistler Transit Ltd (contractor to BC Transit), would so blatantly disrespect their transit operators by paying them even LESS than other bus drivers doing the same job in Vancouver and Victoria, where the cost of living is not as high.
Our bus drivers are members of our community, and I think they deserve to be treated better than this.
Small, medium and large businesses in Whistler are already experiencing a labour shortage, and now, what few employees they do have will have a very difficult time getting to work. Most businesses in Whistler are located in the main village, including: Whistler and Blackcomb Gondolas, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, retails shops, Whistler Health Care Centre, and the Whistler Public Library. However, most workers in Whistler live a 5 to 25 min bus ride or drive outside of the main village, in the many residential neighbourhoods that are all connected by Highway 99, the main road through town.
On some nights, I’ve finished work at 1am in January or February, in heavy snowfall, knowing that my bus driver would be on time to pick me up at the village bus stop, and safely drop me at my neighbourhood stop close to home.
In any weather and many different conditions, our bus drivers have patiently, reliably and safely helped us get to work, home, to see friends, to school and pre-school, to the doctors office or Meadow Park Sports Centre, to AA meetings, or RMOW Council Meetings, and everywhere in between.
Which side are you on? I’m with the bus drivers!
PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY SIGNING THIS PETITION AND SHARING IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
You can also show your support for Whistler bus drivers by:
Tweeting @WhistlerTransit - that they should sign a fair deal!
Emailing operations@whistlertransit.pwt.ca - that they should sign a fair deal!
Filing out the comment form at https://www.bctransit.com/contact - that they should sign a fair deal!
The Issue
On the morning of Saturday, January 29th, workers of Whistler awoke to find that there were ZERO public transit buses running, and rushed to figure out how to get to work, to keep our busy tourist town running…
As of 5am that morning, our beloved Whistler Transit bus drivers had gone on strike, and as a regular bus rider, I support them completely!
I had been aware earlier this week that the union representing our Whistler bus drivers had been in negotiations with the employer, WHISTLER TRANSIT LTD, and in Squamish, DIVERSIFIED TRANSIT (both owned by PWTRANSIT), but I was absolutely gob-smacked when I started learning about the details of the negotiations…
Braden Dupuis writes in an article in the Pique on January 29 (“Whistler transit operators take to the picket line”), that:
“Whistler and Squamish transit workers make anywhere between $3 and $5 an hour less than those in Vancouver and Victoria, according to the union.”
This seems ludicrous to me!
Having lived and worked in Whistler for the last 5 years, I know how high the cost of living is here, and many young people choose to make financial sacrifices to be able to live and work in this beautiful community. However… it absolutely shocks me that Whistler Transit Ltd (contractor to BC Transit), would so blatantly disrespect their transit operators by paying them even LESS than other bus drivers doing the same job in Vancouver and Victoria, where the cost of living is not as high.
Our bus drivers are members of our community, and I think they deserve to be treated better than this.
Small, medium and large businesses in Whistler are already experiencing a labour shortage, and now, what few employees they do have will have a very difficult time getting to work. Most businesses in Whistler are located in the main village, including: Whistler and Blackcomb Gondolas, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, retails shops, Whistler Health Care Centre, and the Whistler Public Library. However, most workers in Whistler live a 5 to 25 min bus ride or drive outside of the main village, in the many residential neighbourhoods that are all connected by Highway 99, the main road through town.
On some nights, I’ve finished work at 1am in January or February, in heavy snowfall, knowing that my bus driver would be on time to pick me up at the village bus stop, and safely drop me at my neighbourhood stop close to home.
In any weather and many different conditions, our bus drivers have patiently, reliably and safely helped us get to work, home, to see friends, to school and pre-school, to the doctors office or Meadow Park Sports Centre, to AA meetings, or RMOW Council Meetings, and everywhere in between.
Which side are you on? I’m with the bus drivers!
PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY SIGNING THIS PETITION AND SHARING IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
You can also show your support for Whistler bus drivers by:
Tweeting @WhistlerTransit - that they should sign a fair deal!
Emailing operations@whistlertransit.pwt.ca - that they should sign a fair deal!
Filing out the comment form at https://www.bctransit.com/contact - that they should sign a fair deal!
Petition Closed
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Petition created on January 30, 2022