Gatineau commuters brace for possible bus strike

Bus riders in Gatineau are considering alternative ways to commute asthe city's transit service inchescloser to a work stoppage.

As of Tuesday morning, negotiations between the Socit de transport de l'Outaouais(STO) and its drivers and maintenance workers remained stalled, though the two sides are scheduled to sit down with a mediator on Friday.

• STO not an essential service, board rules as strike looms

Despite that glimmer of hope, many passengers waiting for their bus at theRivermeadpark-and-ride inAylmer were bracing for a strike Tuesday.

Among them was Dani Marshall, who was pregnant and living in Ottawa in 2008 when OC Transpo drivers went on strike. She now lives in Aylmer,and is once again pregnant.

"I depend on the bus to go to appointments. It's frustrating," said Marshall. She said she'll be forced to drive and park downtown in the event of a strike bySTO drivers.

MichelineBergeron,another passenger at theRivermeadstop, saidshe's considering carpooling if STO is no longer an option.

"At work, we've started figuring out who has a car and who we could get a drive with," said Bergeron.

Martin Rivard said he would likely avoid downtown altogether.

"That would suck. I figured [a strike]would happen in the dead of winter. Parking will be impossible. I guess I'll just end up working from home," said Rivard.

But for Sylvie Aspirot, a strike could actually provide an opportunity.

"I think I'll start skiing to work. Drive to theChamplainBridge, ski to the War Museum and then walk to work," said Aspirot. "At least that way I'll begettingsome exercise."

Vote Wednesday

The union representing the 485 drivers and 115 maintenance workers is set to hold a vote on Wednesday, asking members whether or not to go ahead with a strike.

A similar vote in December 2016yielded a 98% approval for a strike mandate. The president ofSyndicat uni du TransportLocal 591,Flix Gendron, said Monday he's given the STO the required 72 hour notice of a possible work action.

Gendron wouldn't specify what form the job action might take, but it could be anything from refusal to do overtimeto an all-out strike.

The union scored a victory Monday when the Canada Industrial Relations Board ruled against the STO, declaring that transit is not an essential service, much to the disappointment of DaniMarshall.

"I wish they would make these services mandatory, where you couldn't strike," said Marshall. "I don't want to say that to put down bus drivers, I'm sure they have their reasons. But it's more than a hindrance for most people, especially for people who don't drive."

According to the union, deteriorating working conditions and scheduling arethe key issues in these negotiations.

STO spokeswoman Cline Gauthier said Monday a work stoppage is still only a hypothetical scenario, and that the STO remains hopeful the meeting with an mediator on Friday will yield positive results.