Commuters brace for transit strike

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD

andy.blatchford@transcontinental.ca

Commuters were busy shuffling their schedules yesterday to navigate Montreal's transit corporation strike.

"It really sucks," said Christine Lavoie, as she waited for the 207 bus at the Fairview Pointe Claire terminal yesterday morning.

The union representing more than 2,000 maintenance workers voted to strike early yesterday morning after contract negotiations stalled.

Employees are demanding wage increases and pension fund parity.

The striking workers, who earn between $22 and $25.78 an hour, are looking for an overall salary increase of two per cent — plus cost of living protection.

An essential hours schedule will operate during the work stoppage.

Lavoie, a Côte des Neiges resident, travels 90 minutes to work in Ile Bizard from Tuesday thru Saturday.

She left an hour-and-a-half early yesterday morning to make sure she got to work on time.

Because of the limited schedule, Lavoie has to ask her employer if she can leave at least 90 minutes early during the strike.

"I have an understanding boss so she's going to say 'Yes,'" she said.

She thinks the maintenance workers earn enough and wondered if she's going to get full value from her May bus pass.

"We pay a lot for the bus pass and we're not going to be able to use it as we want," she said.

The adjusted schedule is different on weekends, which will make Lavoie's commute even more complicated.

"I really hope they're going to make it (work) before Saturday," she said of negotiations. "Saturday's going to be a pain."

Meanwhile, Asami Martens was heading to work downtown an hour earlier than usual.

The Pointe Claire resident works at a chocolate shop on Guy Street.

"I have to close the store an hour early," she said.

Martens said the essential services schedule should be more flexible.

"It's inconvenient, but it's understandable for them (the union workers)," Martens said as she waited for the 470 bus at Fairview.

Francisco Guité of St. Laurent makes his own schedule, so he doesn't worry about the strike for himself. However, he feels for those rely on the bus and metro.

"It will be very inconvenient for the people who work on night shifts," he said, adding commuters will have to shell out for taxis or ride a bike.

"I just hope it doesn't last very long."

Guité believes the maintenance workers earn a good wage and said any increase would be swallowed by taxes anyway.

Another commuter — who got on the bus before giving his name — was headed for Côte Vertu. He said the strike won't affect his life because his usual bus runs during peak hours.

"I get the express buses, but it sucks for everyone else," he said.

The last Montreal transit strike, which lasted several weeks, was in 2003.

Buses and the metro will run Monday to Friday, from 6 to 9 a.m., from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

On Saturdays and Sundays, they will operate from 6 to 9 a.m., 2 to 5 p.m. and again from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.