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Transit talks fail to end strike
Transit talks fail to end strike
Seniors ‘stranded’ as union, city continue debate
By Yolande ColeDecember 22, 2008 8:00 AM
OTTAWA — Two days of talks over the weekend between city officials and union leaders representing OC Transpo’s 2,300 striking drivers, mechanics and dispatchers failed to produce a settlement, but talks are expected to continue Monday morning.
A media blackout has been imposed on the talks, so it is not known whether the two sides are any closer after their weekend meetings.
The strike began Dec. 10 after negotiations collapsed over the municipality’s insistence that it should control the drivers’ scheduling and route assignments. The city says it needs to control scheduling to make the transit system more cost-effective.
The strike has had an undeniable effect on the city, from the thousands of transit riders who rely on the service to get to work, shopping centres and medical appointments, to commuters who have to share the roads with even more vehicles.
Local support centres say some Ottawa senior citizens have been “completely stranded” by the transit strike, to the point where they’ve even had to cancel surgeries.
“I had one lady who had been waiting for cataract surgery and she had to cancel it, because she couldn’t get there,” said Elayne Schacter, the transportation manager for Nepean Support Services. Long waits for taxis and delays in traffic have been big problems, she said.
The resource centre is strapped for volunteers, and has been struggling to keep up with a 30- to 40-per-cent increase in demand for its transportation services for seniors and adults with disabilities.
The centre has had to turn down requests for lifts to non-medical appointments, Ms. Schacter said, but has put some seniors in touch with volunteers who’ve called to help out during the bus strike.
“A lot of people are just trying to get to the bank or to get groceries that normally they would take the bus for,” she said.
The Good Companions seniors centre is normally busy, with seniors sharing a hot meal or taking part in organized activities — but this week the potluck had just one attendee, said Judy Bedell, the centre’s director of community support services.
“The emptiness of the building really tells the story.”
The centre has had to turn away volunteers wanting to help out temporarily during the strike because the police background checks that are mandatory for new volunteers can take as long as four months.
The Good Companions has also had to scale back its home-helper program for seniors as many of the helpers can’t make it into work without public transportation. Workers help seniors with chores such as making meals, washing laundry and putting groceries away.
“We know some of them have not had anybody in their home since the bus strike, because the workers simply can’t get there,” Ms. Bedell said.
At Ottawa West Community Support, they’ve also had to turn down requests for rides to non-medical appointments because they don’t have enough drivers.
Susan Stranks decided to volunteer for Ottawa West Community Support when she heard an interview on CBC radio about the need for more drivers during the transit strike.
“It’s been a fascinating way to meet some really wonderful people,” she said. “I spent an interesting afternoon with a woman who’s 98 years old. We were waiting for her appointment and we just had a wonderful chat about her life, which has been fascinating, as you could imagine, for 98 years.”
Ms. Bedell said it’s already a challenge for seniors to get around during the winter. She’s worried the transit strike could not only add to these difficulties, but contribute to a broader trend of social isolation among seniors. She estimates there are about 10,000 seniors in Ottawa who are isolated.
“It points to a bigger crisis where people are socially isolated, period, and that is a trend that’s growing,” said Ms. Bedell, who has a background in gerontology.
She said it’s the little stories that drive home the impact of the transit strike, like that of a senior who had been planning to attend a birthday party at the Good Companions, but was unable to get there without the bus.
“He lives very close, but he just physically can’t come, and this would have been his big outing, and he was just so disappointed,” she said. “He’s one of so many we haven’t reached.”
With files from Brendan Kennedy
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Transit talks fail to end strike
Seniors ‘stranded’ as union, city continue debate
By Yolande ColeDecember 22, 2008 8:00 AM
OTTAWA — Two days of talks over the weekend between city officials and union leaders representing OC Transpo’s 2,300 striking drivers, mechanics and dispatchers failed to produce a settlement, but talks are expected to continue Monday morning.
A media blackout has been imposed on the talks, so it is not known whether the two sides are any closer after their weekend meetings.
The strike began Dec. 10 after negotiations collapsed over the municipality’s insistence that it should control the drivers’ scheduling and route assignments. The city says it needs to control scheduling to make the transit system more cost-effective.
The strike has had an undeniable effect on the city, from the thousands of transit riders who rely on the service to get to work, shopping centres and medical appointments, to commuters who have to share the roads with even more vehicles.
Local support centres say some Ottawa senior citizens have been “completely stranded” by the transit strike, to the point where they’ve even had to cancel surgeries.
“I had one lady who had been waiting for cataract surgery and she had to cancel it, because she couldn’t get there,” said Elayne Schacter, the transportation manager for Nepean Support Services. Long waits for taxis and delays in traffic have been big problems, she said.
The resource centre is strapped for volunteers, and has been struggling to keep up with a 30- to 40-per-cent increase in demand for its transportation services for seniors and adults with disabilities.
The centre has had to turn down requests for lifts to non-medical appointments, Ms. Schacter said, but has put some seniors in touch with volunteers who’ve called to help out during the bus strike.
“A lot of people are just trying to get to the bank or to get groceries that normally they would take the bus for,” she said.
The Good Companions seniors centre is normally busy, with seniors sharing a hot meal or taking part in organized activities — but this week the potluck had just one attendee, said Judy Bedell, the centre’s director of community support services.
“The emptiness of the building really tells the story.”
The centre has had to turn away volunteers wanting to help out temporarily during the strike because the police background checks that are mandatory for new volunteers can take as long as four months.
The Good Companions has also had to scale back its home-helper program for seniors as many of the helpers can’t make it into work without public transportation. Workers help seniors with chores such as making meals, washing laundry and putting groceries away.
“We know some of them have not had anybody in their home since the bus strike, because the workers simply can’t get there,” Ms. Bedell said.
At Ottawa West Community Support, they’ve also had to turn down requests for rides to non-medical appointments because they don’t have enough drivers.
Susan Stranks decided to volunteer for Ottawa West Community Support when she heard an interview on CBC radio about the need for more drivers during the transit strike.
“It’s been a fascinating way to meet some really wonderful people,” she said. “I spent an interesting afternoon with a woman who’s 98 years old. We were waiting for her appointment and we just had a wonderful chat about her life, which has been fascinating, as you could imagine, for 98 years.”
Ms. Bedell said it’s already a challenge for seniors to get around during the winter. She’s worried the transit strike could not only add to these difficulties, but contribute to a broader trend of social isolation among seniors. She estimates there are about 10,000 seniors in Ottawa who are isolated.
“It points to a bigger crisis where people are socially isolated, period, and that is a trend that’s growing,” said Ms. Bedell, who has a background in gerontology.
She said it’s the little stories that drive home the impact of the transit strike, like that of a senior who had been planning to attend a birthday party at the Good Companions, but was unable to get there without the bus.
“He lives very close, but he just physically can’t come, and this would have been his big outing, and he was just so disappointed,” she said. “He’s one of so many we haven’t reached.”
With files from Brendan Kennedy
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
