(The Canadian Press circulated the following on July 21, 2009.)
MONTREAL — Via rail has begun canceling some departures of long-distance trains to ensure passengers are not stranded by a strike by its locomotive engineers.
The 340 engineers, represented by the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union, have set a strike deadline of noon Friday EDT.
A strike, coming at the height of the summer travel season, would be a nightmare for the tens of thousands of people intending to use Via to get to their destinations.
A federal mediator has been appointed to assist in the contract talks in Montreal and VIA says it remains hopeful that an agreement will be reached before the strike deadline.
However, Via says it has already begun canceling certain departures, to prepare for a possible strike.
It is also issuing refunds and rescheduling trips of passengers who bought tickets on trains that would be affected by any labour action.
“Without engineers you can’t have the trains running,” said Via spokeswoman Ashley Doyle.
The railway issued a statement Tuesday evening that it will ensure passengers leaving before noon Friday EDT get to their destinations either by train or by alternate means.
After that, all Via trains will be cancelled, until a settlement is reached, and no alternate transportation will be provided.
Trains on the Sudbury-White River and Victoria-Courtenay routes will remain in service, as they are operated by third parties on Via’s behalf
The union’s 340 engineers have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2006.
They’re looking for improved wages and benefits, scheduling that allows them two consecutive days off, and increased training schedules for engineers.
“Many of the issues related to what we’re trying to achieve here are quality-of-life issues,” TCRC president Dan Shewchuk told the Globe and Mail.
The union and company both say they’re hopeful a deal can be reached.
After the union set its strike deadline, negotiations did move forward Tuesday, only to stumble towards the end of the day, Shewchuk said.
“We kind of stepped back, which was unfortunate,” Shewchuk added Tuesday night. “But we’re looking for an early morning refreshed look.”