Metrobus users protest prolonged strike

About a dozen protesters gathered in front of St. John's City hall Thursday, demanding an end to a five-week Metrobus strike in the city.  

"I make minimum wage," said Natalie Brouse, one of the protesters who argues that Metrobus is an essential service for many people.

"I can't afford a car. This is not just a matter of me being green, a matter of convenience or a matter to save on costs. I can't afford another way."

Brouse said she's been forced to use taxis to get to work. She wants the dispute to go to binding arbitration.

Metrobus workers walked off the job Nov. 4, after 97 percent of Amalgamated Transit Union with Metrobus rejected the company's contract offer.

Between 9,000 and 14,000 people use public transportation in St. John's each day, many of them students.

Metrobus offered a raise of 15.5 per cent over four years, but the dispute is focused more on what the union calls outrageous demands over benefits.

The city-owned service has proposed splitting the cost of a group insurance plan 50/50 with new employees. The benefits package costs about $280 per employee per month, meaning that Metrobus wanted each worker to pay $140 per month. Currently, workers pay 15 per cent of the benefits costs.

The rejection came after talks between Metrobus Transit and the ATU reached an impasse after months of bargaining. The strike also comes in the midst of a city-funded review of the entire Metrobus service, which has seen ridership decline since 2006.

The ATU represents bus drivers, mechanics and other staff. A strike in 2004 lasted two weeks.