Major Vancouver airport-Whistler bus line faces strike threat

By Fiona Anderson
December 29th, 2009


VANCOUVER — Pacific Coach Lines, for many the only link between Vancouver's International Airport and Whistler, could be shut down as bus drivers, mechanics and other workers threaten to walk off the job Friday at midnight.

CAW local 114, which represents 127 workers at PCL, the majority of them drivers, handed the company 72-hour strike notice on Tuesday, putting them in the position to strike at 12:01 Saturday morning. The company retaliated by provided a 72-hour lockout notice to the union. The union and company have been without a contract since March 31, 2009.

PCL is the only licensed bus transportation company with access to main terminal arrivals at YVR during the Olympics, according to a news release issued by the company in November, announcing its schedule for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The company plans to run 26 daily trips between Vancouver and Whistler – all but one from the Vancouver area starting at YVR – during the two- week period. It currently offers 25 daily trips between YVR and Whistler.

But none of those trips will proceed if the two parties cannot ink a deal in time.

The parties are scheduled to meet with a mediator Wednesday but CAW national representative Gavin McGarrigle said he wasn't "overly hopeful" the two would be able to resolve their differences.

The main issues are job security – with the union accusing PCL of transferring some of its work to an affiliated company – wages and benefits.

All the union is looking for is a fair contract, McGarrigle said.

PCL took over the YVR-Whistler route a few years, and those buses have about 40 to 50 passengers on them each, McGarrigle said. It also provides bus service on every scheduled ferry between Tsawwassen and Schwartz Bay.

"So for the company to be coming to the table and crying poverty doesn't really go over very well with the members," McGarrigle said.

And as PCL is "the sole provider of individual-ticketed bus service up to Whistler from the airport," McGarrigle believes "taking out that service would have a significant impact."

"We don't want to inconvenience the customers or the public at all and we're doing everything we can to avoid that," McGarrigle said. "But unfortunately there comes a point when enough is enough. And the members have said we need and deserve a fair contract and we're prepared to take action if we have to."

"We hope that the company will sit down and bargain on a fair contract," he added. "The members provide a good service, they're very proud of the work they perform and we don't want to have any inconvenience to the public. But we think a fair contract is not unreasonable."

PCL was more optimistic about the upcoming contract talks.

"We hope to come to an agreement prior to any labour disruption," Darian Tooley, PCL's director of sales and marketing, said in an e-mail. "The spirit of bargaining continues as both parties would like to obtain a resolution as quickly as possible."

Tooley also said PCL would be issuing a status update Wednesday.

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Union serves PCL with 72-hour strike notice

By David Burke
December 29,2009


The union representing drivers for the bus line that links Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Whistler has served the company with 72-hour strike notice.

The 127 workers represented by the Canadian Auto Workers Local 114, most of them drivers, have been working without a contract since March 31. In late November, the workers voted 91 per cent in favour of strike action.

On Tuesday (Dec. 29), the union served notice of strike action starting Saturday (Jan. 2) at 12:01 a.m. unless an agreement is reached.

Issues involved in the labour dispute include wages, benefits, pension contributions and job security clauses, CAW officials said.

“A strike at PCL will likely lead to a complete shutdown of operations in Victoria, Vancouver and Whistler,” CAW National Representative Gavin McGarrigle said in a statement.

The parties are scheduled to meet with a mediator on Wednesday (Dec. 30), but McGarrigle told the Vancouver Sun that he wasn’t “overly hopeful” that the two would be able to reach an agreement.

In addition to the SkyLynx service between YVR and Whistler, PCL provides scheduled cross-water service from downtown Victoria to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal and between the Tsawwassen ferry terminal and downtown Vancouver.

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