A month-long strike by 500 Handydart workers in Metro Vancouver has escalated, with the storming of a downtown hotel by members of the Amalgamated Transporation Union.

They made their way into the Renaissance on West Hastings where community leaders are holding a transit forum.

Speaking with CKNW's Bill Good, union leader Dave Watt says the workers are just trying to protect their benefits and pension.

Union leaders have been pushing for binding arbitration, but those demands have been rejected by MVT, the U-S based company contracted by Translink to run Handy-dart.