Buses Back On The Roads As Durham Strike Ends
Posted November 3, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
At about 6am buses began to roll again following a nearly four-week-long strike that left 30,000 people who rely on the service out of luck.
Some ended up taking expensive cab rides to their jobs while others looked to friends and spouses for rides.
And though the walkout was a long and frustrating one for both striking union members and transit officials, everyone seemed relieved to see things returning to normal.
“I’m very happy to have the buses back,” enthused rider Julia Tonks. “(When the buses weren’t running) I made my husband get up early and drive me.”
Driver Carman Harrison was also happy to be getting back behind the wheel.
“Good to be back to work, that’s for sure,” he said, adding that being on strike wasn’t pleasant. “Cold and wet mostly. Not very nice. It was something that we had to do but not what we wanted to do.”
The union voted 94 percent in favour of the new deal on Tuesday, which gives employees a three percent wage hike and protects them from the thorny issue of contracting out. There are also improvements to pensions, although only some workers will see their benefits increase.
Full service resumed by about noon on Friday, earlier than expected. It wasn’t supposed to be back until rush hour.
