GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado's second-largest transit system is at odds with some of its union bus drivers.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local (ATU) 1774 is threatening to strike due to concerns about wages and benefits at the Roaring Fork Transportation Agency (RFTA).
The union filed a notice of intent to strike on Sept. 10.
ATU 1774 President Ed Cortez says the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), which has the power to permit the union to strike, issued a decision Friday to not have an opinion on whether the union strikes.
Cortez says the next step is for the ATU and RFTA to mediate. If mediation fails, the parties would arbitrate.
"If we have to strike, we're going to strike," said Peter Magierski, an RFTA bus driver and union member. "Nobody wants to strike. I don't think anybody at all wants to strike."
In a letter to ATU 1774's members, Cortez said they are "standing firm" in their demands, which include:
- Wages that "exceed inflation," topping at $46.41 an hour ($96,532.80 a year for a 40-hour work week)
- A housing stipend of $800 per month
- "Equitable" overtime opportunities
- More unpaid leave
RFTA bus drivers are currently paid anywhere from $30.60 an hour ($63,648 a year for a 40-hour work week) to $38.76 an hour ($80,620.80 a year for a 40-hour work week). Magierski said that's not enough money to live on in the RFTA coverage area, which stretches about 70 miles from Aspen to Rifle.
"You want to rent the studio right here, that's $4,500 a month minimum for a studio," said Magierski.
In a statement, an RFTA spokesperson said the organization at one point proposed:
- Increasing the starting wage to $31.05 an hour in 2025 ($64,584 a year for a 40-hour work week)
- Increasing the maximum wage to $40 an hour by 2027 ($83,200 a year for a 40-hour work week)
RFTA said it currently houses 80 to 90 front line personnel in RFTA-provided housing. The company said the rent price of its housing is typically 18% of the employee's monthly gross pay.
Denver7 asked whether RFTA intended to offer more housing support to bus drivers. A spokesperson issued a response saying, "During negotiations, the ATU was aware of RFTA’s plan to develop a housing stipend for the work force and instead proposed a cost of living/housing stipend of $800 per month per operator. RFTA countered their proposal by stating that they would be able to participate in any housing benefits available to other RFTA employees, if they met the eligibility criteria, which the ATU rejected."
As negotiations continue, Cortez said RFTA's current salary and benefits package isn't enough to entice drivers to stay on the job.
"They don't stay long enough because, A, it's too expensive," said Cortez. "And, B, if they're going to have to work under extreme conditions like weather conditions like this, they feel like they need to have a higher income."
If a strike does take place, it could happen early next year.
"We're trying to make a stand," said Magierski. "You know, this is very serious."
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