(The following story by Dave Battagello appeared on The Windsor Star website on July 23, 2009.)
WINDSOR, Ontario — Saba Afraz doesn’t often take the train, so the Toronto medical student was exasperated Wednesday after learning she may get stranded for a ride back to Windsor this weekend because of a possible Via Rail strike.
“It seems to be very Canadian with these strikes,” said Afraz, who boarded a train in Windsor to go home for a few days during a break from her internship at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in the Detroit area.
Afraz is scheduled to return by train on Sunday, but was unsure of how she will get back if there is a strike.
“It’s very inconvenient for me,” she said. “I was very frustrated to hear about it.”
A 5:45 a.m. Via Rail train leaving Windsor Friday for Toronto could be the last rail passenger service locally for awhile. The union that represents the company’s locomotive engineers has issued a 72-hour strike notice meaning workers could be off the job starting at noon that day.
“Barring successful completion of the negotiating process, we will begin legal strike action at Via Rail at noon Friday,” said Dan Shewchuk, president of Teamsters Canada Rail Conference in an e-mail to union members.
Via has already started to cancel some cross-country trains so travellers will not be stranded in the middle of their trip.
Service between Windsor and Toronto will not be affected until the strike deadline, said Via officials.
What happens for those with tickets after that remains unknown, said Julie Bellissimo, spokeswoman for Via in Ontario.
“At this point we don’t know,” she said. “Both parties are committed to stay at the table this week and we hope to reach a resolution by Friday.
“After that, it’s wait and see.”
A strike would include 340 engineers who are members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference Union. A mediator has been working with both sides to reach an agreement before the strike deadline.
The main issues during negotiations are wages, benefits and work schedules, Bellissimo said.
“We remain hopeful there will be a resolution to this,” added Malcolm Andrews, spokesman for Via’s headquarters in Montreal.
Only train service along the Sudbury-White River and Victoria-Courtenay routes will operate as usual during a strike because they are run by third parties, according to Via’s website. A full list of cancellations is available on the website.
Afraz and other passengers boarding a Via train to Toronto on Wednesday afternoon said they will consider taking a bus or hitching a ride with friends if needed to get back to Windsor in the event of a train strike.
“I’m not really too concerned,” said Carlos Joseph of Toronto. “I will just use another method of transportation.”
But a Via Rail strike will have a huge impact on post-secondary students who rely on the service to travel back and forth to home on weekends or other school breaks, said Matthew Daher of Grosse Pointe, Mich.
The 22-year-old was headed for Montreal on Wednesday where he attends McGill University and will soon enter his fifth year as a music student.
“Wow, if there is a strike, it will definitely be something (difficult) for sure,” Daher said. “I have friends with a car, but they are not always going back at the same time. I’ll have to either bus it or fly. A bus takes a lot longer and flying is a lot more expensive.”
Customer information is also available by calling Via at 888 VIA-RAIL (842-7245) or 800 268-9503 (hearing impaired).
ATHLETES’ TRAINS
Many athletes and family members are scheduled to arrive by Via Rail for the Special Olympics in Windsor that begin today and run through Sunday. Two designated Via trains will be met by games’ officials, dignitaries and several members of the Windsor Spitfires. Should a strike occur Friday, games organizers say they have made alternate arrangements for athletes and others to get home on Sunday, an official said Wednesday. There are 650 athletes, 170 coaches and 12 team managers involved in the games, which begin today with the opening ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. at the WFCU Centre.