Impasse deepens as transit strike hits four-week anniversary
Posted Mar 1, 2012 05:33:21 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The city and union representing striking transit workers remain firmly entrenched and far apart, infuriating the public, as the transit strike marks its four-week anniversary.
Two online petitions have been launched in the last week. One, calling on council to accept the Amalgamated Transit Union’s offer for binding arbitration, has collected 961 signatures.
The other, which states that it’s a “petition against Ken Wilson and the ATU 508, who are currently holding the public of HRM hostage with their ridiculous strike,” has 517 signatures.
Joey Archibald, a Halifax man who has organized several citizen rallies on the Grand Parade, says the lack of negotiations is disheartening – and says the public is getting fed up.
“I worry that there’s going to be a breaking point where people in the city are going to say, ‘you know what, we’ve had it both sides,'” said Archibald. “It worries me what happens next, people losing faith in everyone, losing faith how the city does things, losing faith in this union.”
Archibald suggests the strike should be put to a public referendum for the public to vote on.
Stories of the mounting toll on businesses and citizens are coming in from around HRM.
High School Driving Academy owner and instructor Peter Udle told News 95.7 the number of new students is declining because they can’t get to and from class. Udle said he’s been helping out with rides when he can.
Alex Handyside, president of ScotiaCare Homecare & Caregivers Inc. told the Chronicle Herald he too has been acting as a chauffeur during the strike, taking caregivers to their work assignments day and night.
Some businesses are trying to capitalize on the strike, offering discounts on bikes, cars and rain gear to customers who show their bus pass.
“When we found out that there was 55,000 people without transportation in the city, we were trying to figure out a way to give back,” Sportswheels owner Jeff Mayhew told Global News. “So as a kick off for the bike season, we figure we’d offer $50 off anyone with valid bus pass.”
Bus passes are also good for deals on cars at Harvard Auto Sales and rain gear at Rainbow Net Rigging in Burnside is discounted.
The ATU said Wednesday that it’s prepared to accept the wage proposal contained in the city’s latest offer, and asked the city to continue to negotiate the question of rostering.
However, HRM rejected the proposal from Local 508 president Ken Wilson, saying it did not consider it a “true counter offer.”
The city says its latest offer will remain on the table until 11:59 p.m. Friday, after which any and all concessions made to date will be withdrawn.
