Buses are running in Whitehorse this morning, but riders should expect delays after transit workers launched a work-to-rule campaign over a contract dispute with the City of Whitehorse.
Transit workers will be showing up for shifts and leaving work exactly on time, refusing overtime and any optional work, and taking breaks exactly as scheduled.
Yukon Employees Union president Steve Geick said drivers may pull over and ask riders to get off the bus while they take their breaks, though they won’t do that anywhere that would be dangerous for passengers.
“We don’t want to incovenience the public, but we have to to some degree to put pressure on the city,” Geick said.
The city is urging transit riders to consider alternate travel arrangements. But as of 6:3o a.m. conventional transit and Handy Bus services were both operating.
The Yukon Employees Union, representing 340 municipal workers, including 34 bus drivers, maintenance workers and administration staff, says it offered economic concessions in exchange for the city dropping changes to severance pay and long-service bonuses. City manager Linda Rapp has said those changes are a priority for the city.
On Twitter, the city said several bus runs would be cancelled Monday afternoon and urged rides take alternate routes.
5:00pm, 6:00pm and 7:00pm #4 Porter Creek Crestview – Please take the Porter Creek Express at 5:40pm, 6:40pm or 7:00pm (2/2)
— City of Whitehorse (@city_whitehorse) March 19, 2018
The city is also posting updates on its strike information page.
Contact Chris Windeyer at editor@yukon-news.com