By Canadian Press

Injured employees had complained of long commutes prior to bus crash: union

Jun 19, 2023 | 3:58 PM

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — The union representing housekeepers at a pipeline camp who were involved in a bus crash near Prince George, B.C., on Friday says they’re awaiting a grievance decision over complaints about the long ride to get to the work site.

Unite Here Local 40 spokesperson Michelle Travis says Horizon North, which runs the lodge as part of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project, decided in March to move the housekeepers from on-site to Prince George to make room for pipeline workers.

That meant a four-hour round-trip ride to and from work each day, which the union argues goes against their current collective agreement. 

Thirty people were on board the bus that ran off a forestry service road and flipped on Friday, and Travis says the 18 people hurt are recovering from injuries, including concussions and broken bones.

The union is calling on the company to go back to providing accommodations for its workers on-site

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Horizon North did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but said in a statement last week that it was “conducting a full investigation to determine the cause of the incident.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2023.

The Canadian Press