Acadian Bus Lines Closure as of November 30th, 2012 [Updated]

The buses have been running since the middle of May after a six month Lock Out/Work Stoppage. As a reminder they threatened to go on strike, and in return the company locked the employees out. Months of negotiations went horribly wrong due to the negligence of both sides until a new Vice President stepped in, and the lock out ended.
A few days ago this notice appeared on the Acadian website upon entering it. Highlighted along the top is a closure date of November 30th. They company is in debt, more so then they would probably like to admit to the public. As of the work stoppage they lost out on Christmas, Easter, March Break, and the End of the School year regulars they would have received. Since they have returned their service the company has had to cut several routes, as well as schedules due to lack of employees. This is going to affect all of the Maritimes this time, including Nova Scotia which was lucky enough to have a different union during the lock out, and received raises unlike New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Around 120 employees will be losing their jobs as of the closure. Acadian Bus Lines Shutting Operations by November - Prince Edward Island - CBC News is a shorter article which entails most of the information from the notice on the site.
As the lock out occurred several companies tried to step in but the government would not allow it. Acadian was still around technically, and paying the government. With Acadian leaving completely there is more of a chance that a new company will step in. Trius a tour bus company is already planning to attempt that as noted in this article: Trius Bus Company Plans  to Fill Void Left by Acadian - New Brunswick - CBC News.
N.S. Government, Union Open to talks with Acadian Lines - Prince Edward Island - CBC News This last article entails the fact that Acadian might have been able to stay afloat if the government would allow them to change some of the routes that are existing. There are times when there are only two, or three customers on the bus, and personally I have been in that situation before.
This announcement is the beginning of a lot of turmoil. Personally I am upset because that is how I get home for Christmas, and once again this year I will be fighting to get home. Now once again not to mention all the other students who depend upon a bus system. The VIA Rail does not go to every single city in Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, and not to mention there no longer is a train to the Capital of New Brunswick, and there hasn't been for at least 20 years. Hopefully another bus system can step in, and everything will be okay.

--{UPDATE}--
There has been news of VIA Rail helping out a new bus company if we get another one in the Maritimes because VIA Rail has not been doing well financially either lately.

Acadian Bus Lines May Be Back But the Service is Still Awful

Taken at the Terminal in Moncton,
New Brunswick by me.

 Acadian Lines had a promotion from May 16th, until the 23rd; trips were free if you picked up a ticket in New Brunswick, or Prince Edward Island. I ended up taking advantage of this because it was a once in a life time thing.
The buses were packed since it was a long weekend due to Victoria Day. On my way from Fredericton we were half-an-hour ahead of schedule which is unheard of, there is a first for everything. I had no problem with this at all because usually the bus is about an hour late coming out of Quebec.
I was travelling back on the last day, and this is where the nightmare begin. We arrived in Moncton to transfer like we always do. They loaded the bus around 5:30, and myself, and about 10 others learned the bus was full. We were promised that another bus was coming. We waited until 7 o'clock to find out there was no other bus, and the other bus that was full left about an hour-and-a-half late from Moncton. We were all stranded in Moncton overnight. I got lucky because I have several friends, and my Aunt who live in Moncton. I felt bad for the others, everyone was freaking out, and crying, and I do not blame them.

The ticket I received. Photo taken
by me.

I called Acadian the next morning. A lot of help that was.... They said they tried to accommodate everyone during the time of the free tickets, and that they did not have enough buses. They also were not going to do anything about the fact that I was stranded in Moncton overnight, and it was all their fault. Completely useless still. I went to the terminal, and was going to pay for a ticket, and then I mentioned the situation that occurred the night before, and the man who was working wasn't working the night before but knew more about it then the employees that had been working that night, and gave me a new free ticket for what had happened.
I am tired of this company, and all the problems they have been giving me for the last four, or so years. It is time they get it together, or just get out of the province. You would think the company would be trying to keep their customers happy after no service for six months but that would never happen. Acadian is suppose to be more stress free than asking a stranger on Kijiji, and it is still about the same. I do not want to travel for a while, and even if I have to I really do not want to take the buses. The only solution is to learn how to drive, and purchase a car.
They now have a promotion on until the end of the month for 50% off adult round trip tickets. They are going to have to do a lot more to bring back some of their customers I can imagine because people are creative, and can find other ways to travel other than the bus company that left us all stranded for six months.
I have sent them another email to the customer service side of the business, and I doubt i will hear anything back because I never heard anything back from the other five emails they sent in the past. Acadian is really good at frustrating their customers.

Acadian Bus Lines New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Work Stoppage Finished

The tentative deal was made up in the late evening of May 2nd with the help of a mediator, and the new Vice President Denis Gallant for the company who hails from the Maritimes in Moncton, New Brunswick.
Voting of the Amalgamated Transit Union 1229 occurred Sunday May 6th. Even before the voting Glenn Carr, president of the Union said his co-workers would probably accept it, and they did with 92% in favour.
After a "five month contract dispute" (They were locked out by the company after voting 98% to go on strike December 2nd, 2011, so more like 6 months) buses will be gradually running within ten days. They are giving time to get employees back as well as buses, because a lot of them were sent out of the province after the strike started.
It wasn't even money that was the problem to begin with it was the working conditions as well. I still did not see it fit to have a company over four provinces, and give raises, and better benefits to Nova Scotia, and Quebec, and not Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick.
A lot of people are still throwing the "I am never using your service again", and honestly they can throw that threat around, but the train is limited in schedule, and locations like mentioned in a previous entry. Some people do not like the idea of Ride shares too so they are stuck riding the bus. There are also others trying to get Greyhound into the province. With Acadian back we do not need another bus, I mean I have heard about Greyhound being amazing, but it would take time to move it out here, and it would probably be difficult. Common sense doesn't exist sometimes.
I am very excited to have the company working again in New Brunswick as it will be easier to travel. At the first of the strike I was infuriated, and sent the most ridiculous email saying I would never use their services again. I emailed them two months later with a more well written, and respectable email saying mostly what I have been in previous entries about the strike.
Great to have them back, now hopefully now that there is better work conditions coming for the employees the service will improve as well.


Older Posts About the Strike (Newest to Oldest):
Acadian Bus Lines Strike End in View
Acadian Bus Lines Negotiations Fail
Acadian Bus Lines Possible Arbitration
Acadian Bus Lines New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island Strike

Acadian Bus Lines Negotiations Fail

Photo taken by me in Sackville, New
Brunswick.

Almost a month went by with no news showing up from the Acadian Bus Lines in the news, or on their FaceBook page. The this showed up out of nowhere after I checked on February 4th: Acadian Lines Employees Pick Up Work (PEI CBC News). This basically told everyone that the works of Amalgamated Transit Union 1229 employees are picking up work at other establishments to make money, which is great for them but it really isn't what the public wants to see, and it was quite infuriating.
Two days later on February 6th another article was released from the local newspaper on Prince Edward Island called "The Guardian." Bus Line and Locked Out Workers Going Back to the Negotiating Table (The Guardian - PEI) ATU 1229, and Acadian Lines Respresentatives went back to the table on February 11th with the help of a mediator, and negotiations lasted all day, and continued into Sunday. The workers, and Acadian have not spoken since November 25th, and the lockout and strike had lasted since December 2nd.
According to this article: Acadian Line Contract Negotiations Continue (PEI CBC News), Acadian lost around $2 million dollars running the intercity coaches in New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island in the last year. This is not surprising because there are so many routes that are unneeded, and unprofitable in the province of New Brunswick where as there are two daily trips to one stop on Prince Edward Island. But in the two plus months that there was no service in either province quite a bit of revenue was lost because it was one of the busiest time of year being the Christmas/New Year season. Acadian has probably received their share of angry emails, and even on FaceBook you can see people are angry, but a lot of stupid/amusing things are said. The workers did want to work this out from the beginning. The economy is horrible, and the price of living has increased, and honestly I do not think it is fair that the Nova Scotia, and Quebec workers received a raise while New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island were left high, and dry. The strike/lock out is always the worst way to deal with these types of problems though.
We are in the third month, and after the negotiations this weekend it failed horribly, and I quote "In fact we feel that there is a lack of seriousness, and willingness to resolve the issues on the part of the union. No dates are set to return to the table." The company was better run when Irving owned Acadian, and even when we had the Greyhound buses in the province. This is getting quite ridiculous, and I cannot believe they are still going to leave two provinces with an intercity bus system." To wake up to this this morning is ridiculous. Acadian Lines Talks Fail to Resolve Dispute (CBC News PEI)
During this strike shuttles are available so I peeked on the prices, and the bus is a lot cheaper, and so is the train if you are lucky enough to live in a town, or city with a train. The prices for a shuttle are ridiculous considering you had to book it, and share it with people but it is hard to find people who would be traveling to the same place. Also they are the 15 passenger vans that have been banned in New Brunswick after an incident  in 2008 that killed seven school students, and the wife of the coach from Bathurst High. I won't go in any van bigger than a standard size myself after hearing about that incident. I was in high school myself at the time in grade eleven, and it was a horrible tragedy.
For previous information on the strike I have written two other blog articles:
Acadian Bus Lines New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island Strike
Acadian Bus Lines Possible Arbitration - Update

Acadian Bus Lines Possible Arbitration

I have been watching the Acadian Bus Line situation since before the strike. The company has locked out the workers, and they are on week two of the lock out. In many cities supporters have joined the ranks of Amalgamated Transit Unit 1229 in the picket lines, some with creative posters like the Grinch. This has been happening in Moncton, and Fredericton. An Arbitration Representative has been chosen to pick a side, and if all goes well the buses could be running soon as mentioned in the following article: Arbitration Possible for Acadian Coach Lines. This could be good, or bad depending on where it goes, but it could possibly lift the lock out, and workers could go back to work. This is a crazy time of year to lock-out workers, and discontinue the only intercity coaches in the province. Not only are the New Brunswick students stuck but anyone from elsewhere that isn't travelling by train, car, or plane to specific designations past New Brunswick, or within the province. Some places have organized charter buses while others solutions are finding rides with other students home.
In the end since the workers were going to strike they were locked out so patrons of the service lost either way.
While looking for an image for this article I came across this: Driver is N.S. Bus Plunge Had Previous Crash. Now that is slightly scary. I used VIA Rail in 2010 on the same day as this: VIA Rail Train Derails in Quebec, but thankfully I got off in New Brunswick as I had been coming home from a March Break Trip. This completely scares me off from transportation because you never know when this could occur.

Acadian Bus Lines New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island Strike

Acadian Lines Intercity Coach picking
up passengers at a designated point
along the routes. (Photo taken by me).

I have been hearing since October that Acadian Bus Lines, an Intercity Coach might go on strike in early, middle, or the end of November. There usually is no, ifs, ands, or buts, there usually is a strike...  Great time to go on strike though, next month is Christmas season, and thousands of university, and college students that use the bus to travel home will be out of luck.
It all started with Acadian Bus Talk Falls Apart - Prince Edward Island, this was released on CBC News on November first, and says there would be a strike starting November first. The management walked out before wages were even discussed. There is all disagreement on the bus drivers scheduled shifts but these are set by rules already made up. The negotiations where shut down a day early.
Today November 24th this: Acadian Lines Workers Give Strike Notice - New Brunswick was released on CBC News. There was negotiations this morning to try, and prevent a walk out. Orleans workers in Quebec received a raise as well as Acadian Nova Scotia workers. New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island workers did not. Most of the Acadian Routes in New Brunswick, are unprofitable. This is because there are a lot of stops at smaller towns, and there are not a lot of customers in those towns that there are stops at.
In my opnion there should be stops at these locations in New Brunswick: Sackville, Moncton, Fredericton, St. John, Miramichi, Campbellton, Edmundston, and St. Stephens.
They are officially not operating as of Friday, December 2nd.
My general opinion on strikes is not a good one. While yes the workers want a raise this is quite the immature way to go about it. It speaks to me as "We want more money, and until something is done about it we shall not work for." It was the same when the teachers went on strike about six years ago, and when my Father's workplace went on strike around ten years ago. Though sometimes there are others that actually want to work, and still get paid depending on the situation that is not a possibility. I use the Acadian Intercity Coaches to travel, and I have received horrible service in the past two years, and this has made me dislike them further