Violence aboard city bus highlights need for driver supports: union

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This article was published 29/08/2019 (2409 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A driver shield protected a Winnipeg Transit bus operator from a dozen stabbing attempts made by a violent passenger brandishing scissors during an afternoon rush-hour attack Wednesday, police say.

The incident has further led to calls for improved psychological supports for Transit drivers.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon, after he threatened passengers and the driver on a No. 11 bus near Portage Avenue and Arlington Street at about 5 p.m., police said Thursday.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Rob Carver said all passengers were able to flee the vehicle before officers arrived, but the driver was still on board. When the suspect refused to drop his weapon, police used a Taser electro-shock weapon on him, Carver said.

No injuries were reported. The suspect was in hospital for assessment.

“The shield in the bus was absolutely critical in preventing the driver from getting injured,” Carver told the Free Press.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 — which represents about 1,500 Transit employees, including drivers and mechanics — said its members need a better support program to address the psychological trauma resulting from such situations.

ATU Local 1505 president Aleem Chaudhary said the union spent years lobbying the City of Winnipeg for improved safety measures; the city is in the process of installing driver shields on all buses. Now, it’s pressing to update the existing peer-support program.

“Luckily, there was no physical injuries, but what about the psychological injuries?” Chaudhary said.

He said the city’s current peer-support system isn’t effective because it’s handled by upper management and the union doesn’t have any input.

Chaudhary said drivers should have more say, and be allowed to run the program themselves. “Who understands better than a co-worker that’s been through it? Who can really relate to it?”

An active support system for Transit workers would save the city money, since employees would have an opportunity to address stress concerns with co-workers before issues escalate and require extended time off, he added.

It is unclear what support the operator received in the wake of Wednesday’s incident; Chaudhary said he ended his shift early and was not working Thursday.

In an emailed statement to the Free Press, Winnipeg Transit spokeswoman Alissa Clark said the city has a number of supports in place to help employees involved in such an incident, including the peer-based support program.

Clark said a supervisor — who has been trained in stress management and CPR — is immediately dispatched to the scene to attend to, and evaluate the condition of, the operator. If necessary, the supervisor starts “psychological first aid” and connects a driver with a peer supporter, she said.

“The emphasis is on the wellness of the employee and not on the event.”

Transit operators also have access to free and confidential professional counselling, available 24-7 to all city employees and their immediate family members, Clark added.

The collective agreement between the city and Transit union expired in January. The ATU has been in a legal strike position since May.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie