Dear Editor,
News of medal winners from Canada and British Columbia in the Paralympics highlighted local support for people with disabilities in our province. While basking in the glory of the Olympics in France, little did we know they would precede a HandyDART strike.
A French-based conglomerate, Transdev, has its roots in the French government through and investment arm, Caisse des D茅p么ts. 鈥淐aisse des D茅p么ts organized the Caisse des D茅p么ts Global Forum which promotes long-term investment and public funding models for economic and social development.鈥� Transdev is refusing to provide a decent wage to HandyDART workers seemingly contradicting that statement.
A business review 2021-2022 regarding this investment arm of the French government is a glowing expression of hope for a sustainable future. Striking workers across North America have not felt the 鈥渁mour.鈥� Quite the contrary. Transdev has a history of strikes, lockouts and safety infractions in their transit operations in Canada and the United States of America.
It is ironic that the word for oppression in France is similar in pronunciation to English. Corporate greed is milking its favourite cash cow, tax dollars. TransLink incurs the cost of infrastructure for HandyDART including fuel, maintenance, computers and buildings. Transdev draws profit from the labour of workers who do back breaking work, are responsible for the well being of people unable to take conventional transit, and braved COVID.
Striking HandyDART workers are paid nearly 30 per cent less than conventional transit workers. This travesty has been going on since the introduction of HandyDART in Metro Vancouver in the early 1980s. When TransLink indicates that for-profit companies are cheaper than public, it's not the first time that working people have heard 鈥渓et them eat cake鈥�. It is evident to HandyDART riders sent taxis that cheaper is not better.
Working people everywhere should revolt against the profit barons and the government agencies that support them. Striking HandyDART workers want to feed their families, not multi billion-dollar companies.
Mark Beeching, 91原创 City
President of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1724
