Metro Vancouver HandyDART workers ratify contract to end strike [Video]

Workers at Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART accessible transit service have ratified a contract with their employer, ending a 20-day strike.

Drivers, dispatchers, mechanics and schedulers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 had walked off the job on Sept. 3, leaving the service at around 18 per cent of normal levels.

HandyDART is a door-to-door shared transit service for people with permanent or temporary disabilities.

The union said its 600 workers decided to strike their employer, Transdev, over wages that weren’t competitive with other transit drivers, as well as staffing shortages, high worker turnover and the contracting out of services to taxis.

After 20 days on strike, the union announced a tentative deal on Sept. 20, which workers have now ratified.

“We are thankful for the outpouring of support from our riders, fellow union members, and elected officials, many of whom walked our picket lines,” said Joe McCann, the president of ATU Local 1724, in a statement.

“After months of negotiations, this contract recognizes our members …