The dog is ready to run again

Greyhound Canada expects to have its service fully restored by the end of Sunday evening, after its striking workers narrowly accepted the two year deal hammered out between their union and Greyhound management.

The contract was accepted by only 51% of the drivers, mechanics, baggage handlers and ticket sellers who had been out on strike since May 17th.

Prince Rupert has two buses a day on most days providing transportation to the towns eastward to Prince George, with connections from there to the rest of the country.

Greyhound bus service resumes after labour deal reached
Last Updated: Saturday, May 26, 2007 2:07 PM PT
CBC News

Greyhound's bus service in Western Canada will be up to speed by the end of the weekend, the company said Saturday after workers agreed on a deal to end a week-long strike.

Up to 95 per cent of the company's bus service was operational as of the morning, said Stuart Kendrick, Greyhound Canada's vice-president of passenger service.

Greyhound's bus service in Western Canada will be up to speed by the end of the weekend, the company said Saturday.(CBC)

Service in areas west of Ottawa was suspended May 17 after contract talks between the union and the Calgary-based company broke down.

The ensuing strike forced thousands of commuters to shuffle their travel plans for the Victoria Day long weekend.

Representatives of the Amalgamated Transit Union said the two-year deal, announced late Friday, will provide wage hikes of three per cent each year.

Just 51 per cent of the drivers, mechanics, and ticket and baggage handlers who voted were in favour of the deal reached late Wednesday. About 1,150 unionized employees were eligible to vote.

Kendrick said passengers who have other questions should phone the Greyhound ticket information centre at 1-800-661-8747.

Greyhound to suspend service at midnight

The labour problems at Greyhound Canada have resulted in the bus and parcel transportation provider to cease services in most of Western Canada as of midnight Thursday.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union rejected the current offer as talks broke down on Wednesday night, they had previously issued a 72 hour strike notice on Monday.

Greyhound offers daily service in and out of Prince Rupert along Highway 16 to Prince George. The cessation of service starting Friday, will leave many in the Northwest looking for alternative travel arrangements on the Victoria Day long weekend.

Greyhound Canada suspends service in West
Canadian Press
May 17, 2007 at 11:49 PM EDT

CALGARY — Greyhound Canada has announced it is temporarily suspending passenger and parcel delivery services at midnight in Western Canada due to a labour dispute.

The move will affect service within British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
It will also affect service between Winnipeg and Toronto as well as Winnipeg and Ottawa, said Brad Shephard, senior vice-president of Greyhound.

"This current situation is unfortunate, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience it is creating for our customers," Mr. Shephard said in a release Thursday night.

Passengers scheduled to travel through or within the affected area may hold their tickets for future travel or turn them in for a refund, he said.

Greyhound said it will continue to operate service in Southern Ontario, as well as on Vancouver Island with Island Coach Lines.

A company proposal to the Amalgamated Transit Union last week was rejected by a majority of its members.

Talks between management and the union ended Wednesday without a deal.

Greyhound Canada employs about 1,200 unionized motor coach drivers, mechanics, ticket handlers, bus loaders, terminal maintenance and courier parcel staff.

The union gave the company 72-hour strike notice on Monday.

The main issues in the dispute are wages, working conditions and contracting out.

Are the Greyhounds set to stay in the dog house?

By Thursday evening, Trans provincial bus service between BC and Ontario may come to a screeching halt.

Employees of Greyhound Canada which operates more than 400 buses on routes from Prince Rupert and Vancouver through to Ottawa Ontario, the members of the Amalgamated Transit Union voted by 65% for strike action serving official notice of strike preparations on Monday night.

Three of Greyhound’s busiest terminals are found in BC, with Kelowna, Kamloops and Vancouver regularly crowded with travelers.

Despite a recent reduction in service to the Prince Rupert-Prince George route, Greyhound still provides on of the few regular east west transportation links between Prince Rupert and communities along Highway 16, VIA Rail also runs a passenger service on an every second day basis, though it’s the Greyhound bus that still is the backbone of travel across the Northwest.

The CBC website has details about the issues at hand and where the two sides are in their bargaining as the strike deadline of Thursday looms.

Greyhound workers set to strike this week
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 8:15 AM ET
CBC News

Workers at the Greyhound bus line across Canada could walk off the job as early as Thursday after serving official strike notice Monday night in a fight for improved wages and working conditions.

The job action could affect passenger service from Vancouver to Ottawa, along with parcel and courier service. The bus line provides service to 1,200 communities.

The Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents 1,600 drivers, mechanics and baggage handlers, said the main issue in the dispute is what it calls the "Americanization" of the company.

Laidlaw International Inc., based in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, took over Greyhound Canada 10 years ago.

"We're serious now," said Jim Higgs, president of ATU local 1374, which will be in a legal strike position as of Thursday.

Higgs said Laidlaw is going to have to engage in talks with its counterpart in Canada to prevent a strike.

"It's going to take money and it's going to take a lot of working condition changes to do it. If that isn't addressed prior to midnight of that date, we're going to be out."

Higgs said working conditions have deteriorated for Canadian workers since the takeover in 1997.

The union has attempted to negotiate with Greyhound management four times since last October, he added.

Company officials could not be reached for comment.

Greyhound Canada, which has a fleet of more than 400 buses, employs more than 2,500 people across the country, including more than 375 at its head office in Calgary.

According to its website, its most frequent passengers are students, seniors and young professionals.

Its busiest terminals, based on total numbers of passengers who used its bus lines in 2004, are Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, London, Ont., Sudbury, Ont., Kelowna, B.C. and Kamloops, B.C.

With files from the Canadian Press