No New Talks Scheduled As Durham Commuters Endure What Could Be A Long Transit Strike
Posted October 6, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
And everyone else in Durham Region has been walking ever since.
Passengers in Oshawa, Whitby, Pickering and Clarington spent the final workday of the week hitching a ride, pleading for a lift or simply hoofing it to their destination after 300 bus drivers and maintenance personnel from Durham Region Transit walked out on strike.
“The main issues are cost of living allowance, lifetime benefits, and they’re trying to take the benefit packages away from the seniors and our members,” explains Dan Gallant of C.A.W. Local 222.
But management claims the solution is simply too rich for those who pay the bills.
“There are a number of issues, that will cost our regional taxpayers at this point in time $11 million,” counters Garth Johns of Durham Regional Transit. “Quite frankly we can’t afford it. People we’re hearing from are saying their taxes are too high already.”
After just one day, the frustration levels are already boiling over.
“Usually I take the transit bus to the GO station but today they’re on strike,” grumbles Ajax resident Renato Lescano. “So I’m walking just to get there on time to go to work.”
The aptly named Karen Walker wasn’t happy on her way back from work. “Either take a taxi home, walk an hour or take the GO bus which I’m waiting for and then walk half an hour.”
Others depended on family to get them there. “My dad. My dad, that’s it,” claims Joel Balitprit about how he’s getting home. “He’s all I can rely on right now and hopefully this thing doesn’t last too long.”
Helen Lee is doubly inconvenienced. “I’m visually impaired so I can’t drive,” she points out. “So I have to walk to the GO Station in the dark at 5:00 in the morning for 45 minutes.” She calls that experience “scary.”
The only ones having a good time are cab drivers. “We’re getting almost double the fare,” beams one taxi operator as he waits for yet another fare to get into his revolving door.
One woman who just got out vows she won’t pay the full cost of the inconvenience.
“I think maybe I’ll present the bill to Durham Transit at the end of the strike,” Violet Prince responds, without a hint of sarcasm.
Only those in Whitby and Brooklin remain unaffected by the job action – their work is contracted out. North Durham Community Bus operations in the Townships of Uxbridge, Scugog and Brock continue as well.
GO Transit is also still running – but some picketers are slowing things down at the stations.
And passengers won’t have much to be thankful for this weekend. No new talks took place on Friday and none are scheduled.
So for the foreseeable future, the 300,000 passengers who depend on the service are on their own.
For more on both sides of the dispute call 1-866-247-0055, or check the following websites:
