Quebec ferry service limited due to strike action

Ferry service at several crossing points on the St. Lawrence Riveris either non-existent or very slow-going as workers strike.

TheSocit des Traversiers du Qubec, theunion representing navigation officers and mechanics that operate the ferries, began its strike at midnight.

Service betweenLvisandQuebecCityas well as betweenSorel-TracyandSt-Ignace-de-Loyolais cancelled starting Tuesdaymorning.

Service at three other crossingsIsle-aux-Coudres-St-Joseph-de-la-Rive,Matane-Baie-Comeau-GodboutandTadoussac-Baie-Sainte-Catherineis reduced.Other ferries are not affected.

The QuebecCity-Lvisferry carries an average of more than 4,000passengersper day, and the strike could mean busier than normal traffic on bridges.

It will be worse inSorel-Tracy.

MayorSergePloquinsays the strike affects hundreds of workers,adding a two-and-a-half hour detour to their drive to work.

Sticking points in negotiations with the government include salaries, parental benefits and retirement benefits.

GordonRinguette is the ferry union's spokesman.

"Unfortunately, people should be thanking the Liberal government and their austerity measures [for the strike]," he said.

A full list of schedule changes is available on the province's ferrywebsite.

Taxis step in to help

Quebec City's taxi union theRegroupement des intermdiaires de taxi de Qubecis hoping to help out during the ferry strike.

"We have full respect for the [ferry] union, we respect their right to strike... Having said that, we don't have to take a position, we have to serve our customers," spokesperson Flix Tremblay toldQuebec AM.

"Our customers this morning need to go from the ferry terminal on the south shore to the ferry terminal on the northshore and we're trying to come up with solutions to help them do that."

The taxis are offering carpools to help split the fare.