Whistler transit operators were in high spirits as they picketed in front of the Whistler transit yard on Saturday morning.
The workers are on strike as they push for pay on par with their counterparts in Vancouver and Victoria.
As of 5 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 29, transit services in Whistler, Squamish and Pemberton are suspended, except for Squamish’s handyDART service, which will operate with full service hours on weekdays, as it is deemed an essential service.
The job action is necessary as BC Transit’s contractors “refuse to close the pay gap for Whistler-area transit operators,” said Unifor in a release on Jan. 28.
Whistler and Squamish transit workers make anywhere between $3 and $5 an hour less than those in Vancouver and Victoria, according to the union.
BC Transit operates the service for Whistler and Pemberton under contract to Whistler Transit Ltd., while the Squamish contract is with Diversified Transit.
A representative for Whistler Transit Ltd. has not yet returned a request for comment.
Customers can sign up to receive alerts for their respective transit system at bctransit.com/whistler, bctransit.com/squamish and bctransit.com/pemberton-valley. You can also follow @BCTransit on Twitter for updates.
Are you a Whistler worker impacted by the strike? Email editor Braden Dupuis at [email protected].
Check back with Pique for more as this story develops…
-with files from Brandon Barrett
