Arbitration needed in transit dispute
The main impediment to a settlement in the ongoing BC Transit dispute is whether the drivers of the Vicinity buses be required to possess a Class 4 driver's licence (which BC Transit wants) or the more proficient Class 2 licence (which the union wants). Since this disagreement cannot be resolved with a meet-in-the middle compromise, and since neither side wants to give in, the only rational solution to this dispute is for both sides to agree to have this matter settled by binding arbitration. If either BC Transit or the union does not agree to binding arbitration, then it would be in the public interest for the provincial government to step in and appoint a binding arbitrator so that this matter is settled once and for all.
Darryl Green,Victoria
Bus riders used as hostages, weapons
It's a sad state of affairs that BC Transit and the CAW 333 Union are completely ignoring the people that make it possible for both sides of the issue to have their current jobs. The CAW 333 Union's 'denial of service' to the public is tantamount to both using us, the riders, as a weapon and as hostages in their dispute with BC Transit. And BC Transit, I agree with the mayors of Greater Victoria; BC Transit is being irresponsible in their stunt of showing off the prototype of its controversial new shuttle bus. They all need to grow up and man/woman up and own their duty to us, the real people who pay for both sides’ wages.
I encourage all riders to ring the BC Transit management phones off the hook every day until this nonsense ends. As for the union, I encourage the riders to stop saying ‘Thank You’ to the bus drivers when you get off the bus during this on/off denial of service campaign. Don't be rude to them; 95 per cent of the drivers are very courteous and excellent drivers. Do it as a small but noticeable reminder that they work for us.
Daniel Sali,Victoria
China buses wrong call
It fills me with disgust that BC Transit, a Crown Corporation whose workers are unionized, would buy buses from China where any union organizer would be jailed as "political dissident." This purchase is a slap in the face to any union worker! CAW president Ben Williams should have appealed to the public on the morality of giving work to China rather than our own Canadian made buses that have served us well over many years. Shame on you BC Transit!
Gary Greenspoon,Victoria