Transit workers in Sea to Sky region go on strike after dispute over wages and benefits

Transit workers in B.C.'s Sea to Sky region, which includes Whistler, Squamish and the Pemberton Valley, have gone on strike after talks collapsed between them and their employers.

The strike notice went out on Jan. 21, with 80 workers on job action as of 5 a.m. Saturday. The workers are represented by Unifor Local 114.

Unifor said the workers' employers, who are contractors working under provincial transport authority B.C. Transit, have not yet met requests for better wages, benefits and job security.

Gavin McGarrigle, western regional director of Unifor, said workers in the region are looking to receive benefits like transit workers in Victoria and Vancouver do.

"What we've seen over the years is the housing has gone so far out of control, and the costs so far out of control, that workers' wages simply haven't kept up," he said.

"[The] Whistler area [is] a playground for the rich. But the working people who serve the whole community can't afford to live there."

HandyDART services — for people with physical, sensory or cognitive disabilities who need assistance using public transit — will continue to run in the area as an essential service.

However, all other transit operations will not be operational. B.C. Transit did not provide a timeline for when transit could resume in the region.

"The labour dispute is between B.C. Transit's contractors – Whistler Transit Ltd. and Diversified Transit – and their unionized employees," the provincial authority said in a statement.

"B.C. Transit is closely monitoring the situation and hopes the parties will find resolution soon."

McGarrigle said B.C. Transit should "wake up" and provide the benefits the workers are asking for.

"There's only one or two things that have happened here," he said. 

"B.C. Transit either hasn't provided enough funding to the contractor to settle for a contract, or the contractor is trying to nickel and dime the workers and take a slice of the profits."