Pending Transit Strike [MRG]

[goodyear]

Did anyone buy a bus pass?

If Calgary Transit strikes, does anyone know if its possible to get a refund?

Please advise.

Thank you

[Burninator]

I bought a pass before I knew about this strike talk. I would hope the city would give us some money back or at least give us a discount on next months pass, or whenever the strike is over, that is, if it happens.

[Slava]

The strike would/could be tomorrow right? I only use transit now and again to get from my office downtown...I'd hate to be standing on the platform waiting for a train that will never come!

[Reaper]

I'm pretty sure there are no refunds on a bus pass in the event of a tansit strike. There is a plan in place for limited C Train service should a strike occur so good luck getting a discount on next month's bus pass.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Slava

The strike would/could be tomorrow right? I only use transit now and again to get from my office downtown...I'd hate to be standing on the platform waiting for a train that will never come!

My understanding is that it would start on monday to tuesday of next week.

There is talk of some transit workers still showing up. It wouldn't be a full on strike. My hope is that the trains will still be in full service, but it would probably just partial train service. And for anyone who takes the train knows that, partial service is barely service at all.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Slava

The strike would/could be tomorrow right?

No, Monday. The strike vote is tomorrow, and they have to give 72 hours notice.

I've heard rumours that the refund will be based on $4 per day, plus a $10 service charge; up to the value of the pass.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Slava

The strike would/could be tomorrow right? I only use transit now and again to get from my office downtown...I'd hate to be standing on the platform waiting for a train that will never come!

The union would have to take a strike vote before it could occur. If the vote passes then there is a 72 hour strike notice that needs to be served to the city for it to be a legal strike. I highly doubt the union would hold a wildcat strike and walk off the job without notice. If they did they would pretty much kill any sort of support they might have and destroy their credibility should an arbitrator be brought in.

[Top Shelf]

I was talking with our bus driver this morning to get his thoughts on the issue. He said that most people don't understand the real problem and think that the possible strike is about money, which he insisted it's not.

He said the main issue is about certain types of shuttle buses. See the below snippet from the Calgary Transit web-site

• Calgary Transit has operated community shuttle service for over 20 years.
• Community shuttle buses are smaller with 24 passenger seats or less and have a
carrying capacity of about 50% of regular buses.
• Community shuttle buses use about 50% less fuel than regular buses.
• Community shuttles average 16 boarding passengers per hour vs 49 boarding
passengers per hour for regular buses.
• Community shuttle service allows Calgary Transit to initiate transit service in
developing communities at an earlier stage; to continue to provide service in
communities during periods where ridership is low; and to provide service if the road
network cannot accommodate regular-sized buses.
• Calgary Transit operates 350,000 hours of community shuttle service annually. We
have 258 community shuttle operators and 101 community shuttle buses.
• Existing shuttle vehicles have 21 passenger seats, are not wheelchair accessible,
have a life span of only 5 to 6 years, and cannot be funded using provincial grants.
• New shuttle vehicles will have 24 passenger seats, are low floor wheelchair
accessible, have a life span of 12 to 15 years, and are eligible for provincial grant
money because they are wheelchair accessible.
• City proposal would increase the Community Shuttle operator rate of pay by 23.5%
(to $18.56 per hour) during the term of the new collective agreement.

Anyways, the bus driver I was talking to said there would be no wildcat strike, and if anything did happen, it would be rotating strikes.

I hope they don't do strike at all, I can just imagine how painful that would be.

[Top Shelf]

I was talking with our bus driver this morning to get his thoughts on the issue. He said that most people don't understand the real problem and think that the possible strike is about money, which he insisted it's not.

He said the main issue is about certain types of shuttle buses. See the below snippet from the Calgary Transit web-site

• Calgary Transit has operated community shuttle service for over 20 years.
• Community shuttle buses are smaller with 24 passenger seats or less and have a
carrying capacity of about 50% of regular buses.
• Community shuttle buses use about 50% less fuel than regular buses.
• Community shuttles average 16 boarding passengers per hour vs 49 boarding
passengers per hour for regular buses.
• Community shuttle service allows Calgary Transit to initiate transit service in
developing communities at an earlier stage; to continue to provide service in
communities during periods where ridership is low; and to provide service if the road
network cannot accommodate regular-sized buses.
• Calgary Transit operates 350,000 hours of community shuttle service annually. We
have 258 community shuttle operators and 101 community shuttle buses.
• Existing shuttle vehicles have 21 passenger seats, are not wheelchair accessible,
have a life span of only 5 to 6 years, and cannot be funded using provincial grants.
• New shuttle vehicles will have 24 passenger seats, are low floor wheelchair
accessible, have a life span of 12 to 15 years, and are eligible for provincial grant
money because they are wheelchair accessible.
• City proposal would increase the Community Shuttle operator rate of pay by 23.5%
(to $18.56 per hour) during the term of the new collective agreement.

Anyways, the bus driver I was talking to said there would be no wildcat strike, and if anything did happen, it would be rotating strikes.

I hope they don't do strike at all, I can just imagine how painful that would be.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Top Shelf

I was talking with our bus driver this morning to get his thoughts on the issue. He said that most people don't understand the real problem and think that the possible strike is about money, which he insisted it's not.

He said the main issue is about certain types of shuttle buses. See the below snippet from the Calgary Transit web-site

...

Anyways, the bus driver I was talking to said there would be no wildcat strike, and if anything did happen, it would be rotating strikes.

I hope they don't do strike at all, I can just imagine how painful that would be.

Enlighten me as to why the Union has a problem with making community shuttles wheelchair accessible? There doesn't seem to be anything in that snippet that the Union would disagree with. I think I'm missing something here.

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Enlighten me as to why the Union has a problem with making community shuttles wheelchair accessible? There doesn't seem to be anything in that snippet that the Union would disagree with. I think I'm missing something here.

I think shuttle bus driver make less money. So in the end more shuttle buses means less money. I never beleive Unions that say it is not about the money. It always is.

[North East Goon]

Does anyone know if you can access the bike path from the parking at the zoo, north side? I am talking hours before the zoo opens? My choice will have to be driving to the Zoo and biking it in the rest of the way.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Enlighten me as to why the Union has a problem with making community shuttles wheelchair accessible? There doesn't seem to be anything in that snippet that the Union would disagree with. I think I'm missing something here.

Yeah, I'm missing it too... what's the contentious point here? What does all that mean?

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

Does anyone know if you can access the bike path from the parking at the zoo, north side? I am talking hours before the zoo opens? My choice will have to be driving to the Zoo and biking it in the rest of the way.

If your talking about the LRT station across Memorial then it does have access to the bike paths.

[Titan]

All I know is that when I worked at the City as non-union staff my friends were able to work in the bus barns for time and a half of their own wages. There were lawyers sweeping out the bus barns and handing out vouchers. I know one guy that made mucho dough this way.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

Does anyone know if you can access the bike path from the parking at the zoo, north side? I am talking hours before the zoo opens? My choice will have to be driving to the Zoo and biking it in the rest of the way.

both of the zoo parking lots are definitely bike path accessible.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

If your talking about the LRT station across Memorial then it does have access to the bike paths.

Looks like it:

http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/BU/...s_map_2002.pdf

[Bobblehead]

I know at the last strike the Transit union was complaining that the smaller buses get paid much less and so the city was replacing the big buses with the little ones.

But almost all the media articles I read simply talk about money. The CBC article only mentions the smaller buses.

The city was offering a 12 per cent increase over 36 months, with extra hikes for C-Train operators and community shuttle bus drivers, but the union wants a 13 per cent increase over 30 months, said Mahar. One of the main sticking points is the size of bus driven by community shuttle bus drivers and their subsequent wages, he added.

[Ayrahb]

I was thinking to start a carpool for the people in my building if the strike happens. What do you guys think is a reasonable amount of money to charge without taking advantage of the situation?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Ayrahb

I was thinking to start a carpool for the people in my building if the strike happens. What do you guys think is a reasonable amount of money to charge without taking advantage of the situation?

I'd split parking and then just get a few bucks for gas.