Hundreds of transit workers voted Sunday to reject their latest contract offer and report to the picket line today.
Since workers on Sunday rejected the Regional Transportation District’s last contract offer by 55 percent, they were to go on strike at 2 this morning. There hasn’t been a transit strike in Denver since 1982.
Dozens of bus routes – including the popular 16th Street Mall shuttle, the B route between Boulder and Denver and most of the routes to Denver International Airport – as well as all light-rail service – will be shut down.
“Nobody can afford to do this,” said union member Joseph Ryan, who voted against the contract. “But you’ve got to take a stand somewhere.”
RTD pledged to keep about 45 percent of its bus service running in the event of a strike by using its private-contract drivers. Many of the routes, including such high-volume routes as the 0 on Broadway and the 15 and 16 on Colfax Avenue, would operate on limited schedules.
“We are prepared to roll out the strike service plan,” said RTD spokesman Scott Reed.
The contract was largely the same one union members rejected by 95 percent a week ago. RTD offered union members a minimum of a $1.80-per-hour raise, to be phased in in 15-cent increments, over the three-year life of the contract. Some workers could see as much as $2.05 per hour extra by the end of the contract.
Sunday’s proposal also had two new features: a $250 bonus per employee and an agreement to cover half of any health-care cost increases. The latter was to alleviate union concerns that potentially soaring health care costs could in three years wipe out the benefit of the raises.
Leaders of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001 recommended their members approve the deal. But early Sunday, there appeared to be no consensus.
About two dozen union members stood outside the hall where voting was taking place, waving signs reading, “No means no!” and encouraging workers to vote down the offer.
“I took a sacrifice for RTD the last time,” said bus driver George Abraham, referring to the wage freeze union members agreed to three years ago for their current contract. “And then they come back with the insult of $1.80 per hour.”
About 300 people attended a question-and-answer session with union leaders Sunday morning. By the end of the session, the atmosphere had grown tense, even angry. As one union member shouted a question at Local 1001 president Yvette Salazar, she shouted back, “I’m recommending this be accepted. This is the best it gets short of a work stoppage.”
Union leaders were concerned that a strike would drain the workers’ health-care fund while possibly not improving their bargaining position, union spokesman Dave Minshall said.
“We’re saying that this is the last, best and final offer and there will be no additional funds put into the contract because we know it is easily the largest wage rate offer RTD has ever made,” Reed said.
But on Sunday evening, as the voting concluded, RTD officials and workers, as well commuters and city leaders, could do nothing but hold their breath and wait for the final count.
“I think it may go down,” bus driver Shonna Henderson-Randell cautiously said of the contract. “It’s a tough call, though. It may come down to the last vote counted.”
In the event of a strike, go to www.rtd-denver.com or call 303-299-6000 for information on RTD’s strike schedule.
Staff writer John Ingold can be reached at 720-929-0898 or jingold@denverpost.com.
