The news that Coast Mountain Bus Company and the Unifor labour union were able to reach a tentative agreement in the wee hours today comes as a relief to care providers – particularly home support workers and their employers – right across the region, says BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine.
“On behalf of our board of directors and our members, I’d like to extend our thanks to both parties for working hard to avert a strike that would have led to a full shutdown of public bus and SeaBus service in the region,” Fontaine comments.
“What I hope that we will have learned over the past couple of weeks is how essential home support services are for so many seniors in our region. Going forward, we think it is incumbent upon both government and our transit system operator to ensure there is a contingency plan in place for those who are most vulnerable during a system shutdown.”
On November 12th, Fontaine issued an initial statement regarding the transit disruptions resulting from a job action. It triggered a significant amount of media response, that heightened awareness about the impact the loss of public bus and SeaBus transportation would cause for home support workers and seniors.
On the eve of the impending transit strike, BCCPA issued a follow up statement calling upon the provincial government to temporarily subsidize out-of-pocket costs for seniors who might need to use alternative services.
“The number of stories produced by the major media outlets in Metro Vancouver around the impact on seniors home support was one of the most heartening things we saw, in an otherwise difficult dispute,” adds Fontaine. “We are grateful that seniors and home support workers were not forgotten by the public during the labour dispute.”
Media Clippings
Transit strike: talks to resume Wednesday, but escalation on Friday if no agreement is reached (The Simi Sara Show on CKNW980)
2 sides in transit dispute set to meet for 1st time in 2 weeks (CBC)
Home care providers concerned transit shutdown could impact services for seniors (CTV News)
Check on elderly neighbours as Metro Vancouver transit shutdown looms: care providers (Black Press)
‘I’m scared’: Vancouver man who relies on home care says he’ll be stranded by transit strike (Global News)
Province urged to fund alternative transit for home-support workers during strike (Vancouver Sun)
