Vacations By Rail Highlights National Parks in Packages
By James Ruggia
April 10, 2012 11:03 PM
Vacations By Rail is highlighting North America’s National Parks in a series of train packages its offering this summer. The 14-day America’s Great National Parks is an escorted tour using the Empire Builder and the California Zephyr to visit Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Arches and Canyonlands with departures on June 19, July 17, Aug. 11 and Sept. 10.
The 12-day Grand Canyon & America’s West Coast rides on the Southwest Chief, Grand Canyon Railway and Coast Starlight to explore the Grand Canyon with daily departures from May through October. The 12-day Trans Canada By Rail and the Rockies rides from Vancouver to Toronto, through the Canadian Rockies and the alpine towns of Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff on VIA Rail’s Canadian with departures May 3 through Oct. 13. The seven-day Lakes, Mountains & the Rockies visits Calgary, Lake Louise and Vancouver on VIA Rail’s Canadian, departing April 27 through Oct. 14. Using the Rocky Mountaineer, the rail-drive independent vacation Banff the Beautiful departs April 23 to Oct. 1.
Clients who book a Rocky Mountaineer rail vacation of six nights or longer with Vacations By Rail by April 30 will receive a complimentary additional hotel night in Vancouver and a complimentary dinner or sightseeing tour. Couples will save up to $300 on such Select Escorted Tours, if booked by May 15 include California’s Wines and Trains, Trains Across Colorado, New England Rails and Sails, Scenic Trains and Canyons, Europe by Train, and Best of Scandinavia.
4/12/12
Regardless of your experience on Rocky Mountaineer you should be aware that on June 22, 2011 Rocky Mountaineer locked out over 100 dedicated onboard attendants.
RMR has boasted that they are a 200 million dollar company but refused to give employees a reasonable wage increase after 3 years at the same pay rate.
The attendant’s years of talent and experience have been substituted for replacement workers – scabs – who have little to no training and little to no practical knowledge. The use of scab labour undermines the right to fair bargaining by the employees.
Rocky Mountaineer does not want its guests to know about the lock out; if information is provided it is often partial and misleading. Guests are left to face a difficult choice: violate their ethics and cross a union picket line or forfeit the cost of their holiday.
Complaints regarding substandard service have often been ignored, disregarded, or responses met with great delay before being addressed.
On two separate occasions Rocky Mountaineer’s actions have been denounced in the Canadian Parliament. Many provincial and municipal politicians have written the Company urging them to return to the bargaining table and end the lock out.
The company has not returned to the bargaining table since July 7th where they sat for exactly 11 minutes and offered a 2% wage DECREASE. Further, it has begun recruiting for the 2012 train season with no effort made to renew talks.
I have taken the train and quite enjoyed myself, but part of what made the trip so exceptional was the amazing staff on board. Knowing the difference of how the service should be and what it is now, I would never take the train again, and I would not cross a picket line.
You can do your part by voicing your displeasure to the company, write to the company, or postpone your trip until the dispute is over.
For more information go to http://rockymountainlockout.wordpress.com/.