Via Rail warns of service halt amid strike notice
Noah Zivitz
Managing Editor, BNN Bloomberg
Unifor said in a release Thursday evening that it served 72-hour strike notice to the passenger-rail company after insufficient progress in labour talks. The union said 99 per cent of the affected workers — which include maintenance and front-line service staff - voted in favour of st
rike action, which could begin at a minute past midnight Eastern Time on Monday .
"We will do whatever it takes to get members the collective agreement that they deserve," said Scott Doherty, Unifor's lead negotiator and executive assistant to the national president, in the release.
He also claimed Via "continues to push concessions" that would be tantamount to a lessening of job security.
"Unfortunately, if no agreement is reached, Via Rail will be forced to suspend all services for the duration of the strike and until normal operations can safely resume. We recognize that this would be a major disruption for our passengers and for communities across the country," said Via President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Landry in a release.
A strike and suspension of service would be another blow to Canada's travel industry, which has been in turmoil for weeks amid rampant delays, cancellations, and long waits at the nation's airports as airlines and airports struggle to keep pace with pent-up demand.
Via said affected passengers will be allowed to seek a full refund for unused tickets or make changes to reservations at no cost.
"We will do whatever it takes to get members the collective agreement that they deserve," said Scott Doherty, Unifor's lead negotiator and executive assistant to the national president, in the release.
He also claimed Via "continues to push concessions" that would be tantamount to a lessening of job security.
"Unfortunately, if no agreement is reached, Via Rail will be forced to suspend all services for the duration of the strike and until normal operations can safely resume. We recognize that this would be a major disruption for our passengers and for communities across the country," said Via President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Landry in a release.
A strike and suspension of service would be another blow to Canada's travel industry, which has been in turmoil for weeks amid rampant delays, cancellations, and long waits at the nation's airports as airlines and airports struggle to keep pace with pent-up demand.
Via said affected passengers will be allowed to seek a full refund for unused tickets or make changes to reservations at no cost.
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