Government & Community Relations

TransLink shirks leadership for people with disabilities

Disability advocates ask: When will TransLink show leadership in the HandyDart strike? Published in Vancouver Sun December 8, 2009

Our organizations work with people with disabilities who use HandyDart to overcome the daily challenge of living independently in the community.

As this strike drags on into its seventh week, our hope fades that it will end soon. On the one hand, MVT Canadian Bus, the company that operates HandyDart, continues to refuse the union's suggestion to enter into binding arbitration. On the other hand, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, the union representing Handy-Dart drivers in the Lower Mainland, has not taken up MVT's suggestion to return to the bargaining table.

Where is TransLink? Their silence is deafening. TransLink chose MVT to be the custom transit provider in Metro Vancouver. TransLink is ultimately responsible to provide transportation services through HandyDart to people with disabilities, but it refuses to intervene when clearly the relationship between management and workers has completely broken down.

Seven weeks is too long to strand people with disabilities in their homes.

We urge MVT, the union and TransLink to come together and to end this strike immediately.

Faith Bodnar, BC Association for Community Living

Jane Dyson, BC Coalition of People with Disabilities

Janet Palm, MS Society of Canada, BC and Yukon Division

Emese Szucs, Social Planning and Research Council of BC

Back to Current Issues