About one-third of SamTrans bus operators called in sick on Thursday, Sept. 5, in response to unresolved contract negotiations between the agency and union members.
The most recent contract between SamTrans and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1574 — which includes bus operators and maintenance workers — expired in July but negotiations for a new three-year agreement haven’t been successful.
The agency offered operators an 18% pay raise over three years, a 22% raise for maintenance and utility workers and 11% for customer service representatives. But Ernie Solero, president of the ATU Local 1574, said it’s still much lower than other neighboring agencies, and issues with unpaid work breaks for first-year employees have also not been addressed. Their wages also fell behind during the pandemic when they worked for a year and a half without a contract, he added.
“Our bus operators and mechanics have fallen behind the industry standard compared to [Valley Transportation Authority] and MUNI,” Solero said.
The union and agency are also at odds over who is responsible for initiating further contract discussions. According to a SamTrans statement, “it is the responsibility of union leadership to put forth a revised contract proposal,” since they rejected the agency’s offer on Aug. 14.
Solero said he has made clear the union’s demands since Aug. 14, but the district is not interested in further negotiations.
“I reached out to the district’s lawyer on Aug. 26 ... and asked ‘What’s the plan?’ He said there is no plan, so they are not budging,” Solero said. “I made a lot of proposals, and they have rejected everything.”
The sick-out — which is a type of strike that skirts legal ramifications — sends an important signal to SamTrans, Solero said, adding that a full-blown strike could be on the horizon if the agency isn’t amenable to further negotiation.
Randol White, SamTrans spokesperson, said in a statement that the agency and union continue to speak regularly and are “exploring options for a path forward,” adding that the agency is not aware of new proposal submissions.
SamTrans also urged riders to seek alternative modes of transportation on Friday, Sept. 6, adding it had to rearrange countless bus routes to minimize disruption.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
Daily Journal staff
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LittleFoot said:
What happened that day was not a "brutal attack" - that's just false. Delusion at best - malicious lying at worst.
Dirk van Ulden said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
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(5) comments
"Ernie Solero, president of the ATU Local 1574, said it’s still much lower than other neighboring agencies" Has it occurred to Mr. Solero that they are perhaps overpaid in the other agencies? Are the job duties identical? If they feel so underpaid at SamTrans, I understand that MUNI is hiring.
Goodness, we don't even pay our transit workers comparable to MUNI? That's shameful. Folks in public service jobs deserve a living wage!
Let's use the Juarez, Mexico public transportation model. Most busses are owned by a driver and the driver determines the route. Somehow it works. See http://juarez-mexico.com/HTML/Transportation/Autobuses/Buses.htm.
A third world country is light years ahead of the U.S. on local transportation.
So now we get the third part of the union playbook - let’s inconvenience riders who are paying for their existence. I say we send an important message to SanTrans bus operators and seek alternative modes of transportation, not just on Friday, but every day. Because you know that SamTrans will need to raise fares to pay for any concessions greather than a COLA. That would also send a message to SamTrans – you can begin cutting SamTrans employees and become more fiscally responsible.
Terrence, public employee unions should NEVER be allowed to strike. As you said, they exist because of the public who pay their salaries, yet they never have a problem giving the middle finger and asking for more, more and more.... Too bad these people can't learn to be grateful and happy that they have a job and great benefits. But unions are the same as our government, their insatiable appetite that cannot be quenched.
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