With no end in sight to the lock out of unionized workers the Rocky Mountaineer tourist train is forging ahead with a new route.
Ian Robertson speaking for Rocky Mountaineer was asked if there is way to end the labour dispute.
“I am not a labour expert and I don’t know what the next steps are I mean for us as an organization we are just focused on providing our guests, that come from all over the world, a great experience and they are having that and you know just looking forward to next year we have got a lot of new initiatives we are embarking upon including a new route down to the States. We are pretty excited about the future and just focusing on that right now.”
Robertson says he is not sure what can be done to bring the labour dispute to an end.
“The Rocky has put seven offers in front of the union since they took a strike vote and declared a strike on the company so there has really been no movement and it is unfortunate but you know we are where we are. Operationally we continue to operate our service continues to be at a high level but at this point in time there is no new news to report on the dispute.”
The increasingly bitter lock out has dragged on for over a year.
The move by Rocky Mountaineer to focus on new routes is not going over well with striking union workers.
Teamsters local 31 spokesperson Mike Hennessy.
“It just shows the character of the company right most senior person has been there for 22 years these people are the ones that helped them build this line.”
Hennessy says the union is aware of the new route into the States and is working to scuttle those plans.
“If it does come this year we have heard there are some dates and we are speaking with the people they are supposedly they are adding the new line with and we are hoping that they will see our point of view and hopefuly not allow them running on that line.”
He says union workers will not stop their job action until they get their positions back.
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