Sea to Sky transit strike passes hundredth day as bargaining talks are revived

Sea to Sky transit workers and BC Transit are going back to the bargaining table in hopes of ending a strike that has gone on since January.

The transit workers, organized with Unifor Local 114, are set to resume talks Wednesday with a mediator, weeks after talks last broke off.

Ian Boyko, Unifor spokesperson, said in a statement the workers are not being valued by their employer.

“The message from management to transit operators is clear: the work we do in Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton isn’t worth it,” said Boyko.

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Boyko suggested wages and benefits are the main points of contention in negotiations and says drivers and mechanics in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish are making an average of $3 less per hour than their counterparts in the Lower Mainland.

“The situation in our region is made worse by the fact that many transit operators are forced to pay out of pocket for health benefits. A key demand in our strike is to extend health and dental benefits to every transit worker in the workplace.

“Their offer to extend benefits coverage to include all drivers is structured so workers will fund it with a new 15 per cent co-pay,” said Boyko. “Clawing back benefits for the majority of transit workers is no a way to resolve this dispute.”

Due to the ongoing strike, Whistler, Pemberton, and Squamish have been without transit since the strike started.