Tsawwassen stroke survivor impacted as HandyDART strike drags into second week

Pressure to solve HandyDART dispute A strike by Metro Vancouver buses drivers for people with disabilities is no closer to ending, leaving users and workers alike frustrated.

In 2019, Jonathan Ascencio’s world went dark. The then-29-year-old suffered a stroke that left him in a coma for month. When he awoke, the Tsawwassen, B.C., man had to re-learn everything from talking to walking. To this day, he needs assistance to get around.

“I use HandyDART for everything,” Ascencio said. “I go to church on HandDART, I go to my therapies on HandyDART, I go to the gym on HandyDART.”

Since HandyDART drivers in Metro Vancouver went on strike last week, available only for urgent medical appointments like cancer treatments, the now 34-year-old has been stuck at home.

“I have not been able to do my normal routines, which used to be going to the gym, going to my therapies, my rehab. I haven’t been able to do any of that,” Ascencio said.

On Tuesday, HandyDART drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office. While the employer they’re battling for a new contract is a French company called Transdev that was contracted to run HandyDART, the union believes TransLink can and should play a role.

“We are having no luck at the bargaining table, so we are here to pressure TransLink to step in and fix this mess with privatization and the for-profit nature of Transdev. We feel it’s time they did something to end the strike,” said Joe McCann, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union 1724, which represents the HandyDART drivers.

In an email, TransLink said it has no role in the labour dispute, which is between the drivers and Transdev. The union disagrees.

“TransLink says they are not involved. I mean, they hired this company,” said McCann. TransLink said it is reviewing how to best deliver HandyDART services when the contract with Transdev expires in 2026.

“I hope they don’t renew the contract with them, because they clearly don’t care about the drivers, they clearly don’t care about us, the passengers. They are just there for the money,” said Ascencio.

The drivers and Transdev will resume mediated talks on Thursday, but McCann warned the strike may not be a short one.

“Members have to agree it’s a fair offer, and the last offer was voted down 83 per cent. And I’m not feeling confident Transdev is ready to come to the table,” McCann said.

Ascenzio is worried if the strike drags on and he can’t get to physio, he will lose the progress he’s made.

“All the achievements I have done with my therapy right now will go down to waste,” Ascencio said. “I was very happy with my life, the way this was going, until this impeded me to be living my life to the fullest as I was.”