The bus strike is in its fifth week, with no Teamsters Local Union 104/Sun Tran deal in sight.
The city of Tucson said in a press conference last week (and Councilman Steve Kozachik said in a press release) that it would not modify its budget to end the strike. The city’s already established its finances for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes the money available for Transdev (France-based company that manages Sun Tran) and those figures are all they have to offer in terms of wages, etc.. In other words, they’re saying they can’t afford the Teamsters’ demands.
(At the press conference, the city also reminded us that, by law, the city cannot intervene with negotiations.)
Sun Tran has been able to add more routes to its limited service, in part because there are about two dozen management and administrative staffers helping out, as well as 15 others from out of state, who were hired by Transdev recently, according to Kozachik. (Even though Sun Tran repeatedly denied they had temporary drivers on board.) “While I support their efforts to staff the positions needed to run the number of routes we have demanded, I also understand the level of concern the outside drivers are causing,” Kozachik said in a press statement.
He proposed allocating the roughly $500,000 in fuel savings returned to the city’s general fund last fiscal year, and use the money as a “one time payment” at the negotiating table “as a way of bringing the sides back together to end their work stoppage.”
On Tuesday, Sun Tran announced it had added route 23. Now, 13 routes are running from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.:
Route 3 – 6th St./Wilmot
Route 4 – Speedway
Route 6 – Euclid/ N. 1st Ave.
Route 7 – 22nd Street
Route 8 – Broadway
Route 9 – E. Grant
Route 11 – Alvernon
Route 16 – Oracle/Ina
Route 18 – South 6th Avenue
Route 23 – Mission
Route 25 – South Park Avenue
Route 29 – Valencia
Route 34 – Craycroft/Ft.Lowell
Dan Linhart, who’s with the Teamsters in the negotiating table (has been a presence in the negotiating committee for nearly two decades) and has worked with Sun Tran for 34 years, sent us another opinion piece. Here’s what he has to say:
The Sun Tran strike has resulted in thousands of people void of transportation; lost jobs, health care compromised, students under the threat of losing funding; the poor, working poor, seniors, handicapped and all those unable to attend to basic needs have been severely impacted. Why? Simply because we do not have four City Council members with the gumption to collectively lead!
City Staff has taken advantage of our part-time reluctant leaders for some time. The mounting frustration, however has not reached the ninth or tenth floor star chambers of City Hall, wherein the Mayor and City Manager sit comfortably, waiting out the ‘storm’. The Mayor’s statement of August 18: “Under applicable law, mayor and council cannot intervene in, or dictate the outcome of, these negotiations”. What applicable law? “The City of Tucson, which owns the system, has final control and authority, through its duly elected Mayor and Council, City Manager”… quoted from Transdev’s contract solicitation with the City of Tucson. Plain enough?
How did we get here?
The Mayor and Council ‘manãna’ story from yester-year continues… The Mayor and Council, have, and continue to cede power and control to the office of the City Manager. This arrangement is wrong on so many levels; the proofs are manifested by who actually is being served in this, our community. City Manager’s office has, and continues to view Federal Transit Administration Funds, Mass Transit and General Funds as personal ATM’s, shielded by the records of the private management firms, developers, consultants, contractors and design engineers which are NOT public record. The City Council, being part time, has, and continues to spend their tenures trying to grasp what priorities are being driven by the City Manager and bullied in to fruition by the Mayor. The Mayor does not count in a quorum, yet he still votes on all the issues. The Mayor is attempting once again to ‘grab’ more power in the November election. More power for the Mayor equates to more representation for the developers, and less for citizens. Ask your Council member: what is going on with the City of Tucson budget; invariably they will express frustration from their lack of understanding. The City of Tucson has a ‘budget legacy’ of limited transparency, a lack of oversight and accountability; coupled with a City Manager’s staff unwilling to give-up their ‘cash cows’ (another $147 million for Ronstadt?) Could this become the Jonathon Rothschild Center?The apparent loss of control by policy makers in a democratic society has, once again, and will continue, to lead to governmental abuse of our tax dollars.
Where does that leave Sun Tran?Driver’s assaults: yet another in a long succession of story lines, including no money to pay for security; which leaves passenger safety at risk as well. Not acceptable!
Super High Concentrations of Mold: not only in the work place, throughout the buses as well; yet another story line; regardless of number of medical claims on file. No money to pay for a complete resolution and remediation. Not acceptable!
Safe? Buses: Given that Sun Tran buses have been on ‘cost saving’ ‘Break-Down’ Maintenance for years, with no scheduled maintenance, only the Federally mandated Preventive Maintenance Inspections (PMI) and questionable brakes; what are they running on now during the strike?
Mis-Managing: The wage and progression freezes implemented August 1, 2012 has resulted in approximately $1 million dollars annually spent on bus driver’s overtime, as Sun Tran is unable to retain employees as a direct result of the freeze; yet, Kate Riley has again, put it out to the news outlets; the annual pay of bus driver’s including benefits and overtime! Ludicrous, as City Staff directed Sun Tran to impose the freeze! Cost savings? Getting dizzy yet? In many cases Sun Tran did not inform the new hires that their wages were in fact, frozen; once the new hires discover that they will be ‘frozen’ at the starting wage, possibly forever; they take their CDL and run. The City of Tucson has not projected savings from the wage and progression freeze; for Police, Fire, City blue collar or Sun Tran employees; what then, was the intent? No savings projected, no money unaccounted for…right? And so goes the shell game…
Teamsters of Sun Tran are intimately familiar with the manãna story; going back thirty four years, enduring successive promises of recompense if we would collectively agree to wage concessions; history has taught us well, after having agreed, in good faith, the promise of recompense was never kept by the private management company. We won’t be fooled again!
The Teamsters of Sun Tran historically have been proactive in being part of the solution. Identifying millions of dollars in missing inventories in 1997, which lead to a strike, compensation study, and an audit of the private management company, Ryder/ATE; The strike was settled by then Mayor Miller, and Council, with a promise, and a proud display of integrity, keeping their word to Sun Tran employees; providing sufficient funds to bring Sun Tran employees up to ‘parity’ with City employees; this led to working with the City Council in 1998, which, together were able to identify an effective strategy to circumvent the city charter (which prohibits the right to strike, and inhibits Federal funding) allowing the City of Tucson to form a non-profit ‘arm’ of local government, which would enable the City of Tucson to manage Sun Tran directly, without the middle-man (PTM). At that time, the City of Tucson agreed to form a committee for the express purpose of forming a Regional TRANSIT Authority, with the sole purpose of establishing a dedicated funding source for transit.
Along came Mayor Walkup and company: realizing how much money was at stake; the Regional TRANSIT Authority committee was disbanded, another committee put in place, for what came to be the Regional Transportation Authority; very few in the community were even aware of the change.
2001: Teamsters of Sun Tran, unable to reach an agreement with the private management company Professional Transit Management; engaged in a twelve day strike, effectively ended by the onset of 9/11; settled with millions of dollars of savings in controlled health care costs, as well as concessions totaling an additional $4.3 million dollars. Savings and concessions all from Teamsters.
Mayor Walkup and company were so intent on using the regional Transportation authority spawned light rail to ‘revitalize’ downtown; after the well publicized failure of Rio Nuevo to the tune of $205 million, or was it $230 million; and, “oh shucks guys, don’t do that no more!” Sun Link’s price tag: $200 million; City of Tucson invested local money in excess of $52 million, counting the $15 million plus ‘robbed’ from road funds (can you say potholes?) to build the light rail bridge over the Santa Cruz River to the West side; which exponentially increased the investor/landowner’s land value. I’m sure the City Manager got a thank you ‘card’ for spending our road repair money.
2010: Teamsters of Sun Tran, once again engaged in a seven day strike, prompted by the same ‘line in the sand’ mentality faced with today, including the ever popular City of Tucson theme of ‘no money’. The Teamsters rallied behind the concept of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) taking control of Sun Tran; however the perception of the RTA having money was a delusion, and was exposed to be nothing beyond a power grab by the RTA in collusion with Professional Transit Management. Teamsters conceded, only to have Professional Transit Management renege on every promise made; resulting in the worst contract settlement In Sun Tran history.
The Sun Link annual operating cost and debt service, in excess of $2.3 million (which the City of Tucson had neither projected, nor budgeted for); will forever be a burden to local taxpayers. The City of Tucson demanded savings from Sun Tran’s budget this fiscal year alone in the amount of $2.4 million (coincidence?). The fact that the General Manager of Sun Link, an employee of the private management company RAPTA-DEV; earns $247,000.00 a year in a lump sum payment; just might be a factor in that burden. At the end of the day.The concept of the City of Tucson forming a non-profit ‘arm’ of local government, remains a viable alternative for today; until such time the City and Pima County decide to ‘grow-up’ and meet the needs of this community; forming a Regional TRANSIT Authority, providing a dedicated funding source, wherein complete transparency exists, ensuring all monies budgeted for Transit, are in fact utilized for Transit; in the stead of spending in excess of $4.6 million annually on lucrative private Transit Management contracts, with limited oversight and questionable accountability.
As taxpayers we should not have to pay for the continual parade of our tax dollars being siphoned out of state, and even out of the country. Our tax dollars should be invested in their entirety in the local work force so it can be a viable component of the local economy.
If Sun Tran employees, as an organized work force, cannot attain a safe working environment and a livable wage, what hope is there for workers without the protection of a Union?
The decision to strike is not taken lightly by the Teamsters of Sun Tran. Striking is always the last resort. Union representation grants us the right to negotiate as equals in regards to wages, benefits, and working conditions. Unions are the last defense against corporate greed, and preserving the American dream for all working men and woman. There once was a time that politicians lobbied for the ‘working man and woman’, that has been greatly minimized by the allure of money, power, stature, and grotesque golden parachutes obtained by effectively outsourcing good American jobs.
America’s work place today is a direct result of the Unions fight for everything that we enjoy today in our work environment. Corporate America wants to take it all away, and bring our standard of living down; which is even more reprehensible when local government buys in to this concept in the midst of rampant spending.
The Regional Transportation Authority taking over control of Sun Tran; is not a viable option, as that would lead to competing with yet another number of entities for funding, which, is the inherent problem; as Sun Tran currently competes with Police, Fire and Solid Waste, as well as other City departments for funding.
Surreal trying to grasp the concept that our democratic Mayor and Council would support out of state strike breakers over exercising their collective leadership to end this strike. Evidently 66,000 passengers stranded do not qualify as a ‘priority’ with our elected officials.
Mayor and Council: Step-up to the plate! You have the Power, you have the authority, and you possess the tools necessary to bring this strike to an end!
It is the Mayor and Council’s moral and ethical responsibility to serve the citizens of Tucson; not the corporations. This struggle is only a small chapter that may yet serve as a large stepping stone for what the future holds for livable wages in Southern Arizona.
Management contracts annually:
PTM – Veolia – Transdev Sun Tran/Sun Van: $660,000.00
Ryder Logistics/Sun Van Maintenance: $1,406,136.00 + mileage
RAPTA Dev/Sun Link: $787,922.00
Total Transit/Sun Shuttle: $1,753,932.00
Total: $4,607,990.00
Not Included: Oro Valley, Sahuarita
This article appears in Sep 3-9, 2015.
If anyone believes the mayor and council are out for the taxpayers, forget it. They have overwhemingly, shown support for developers and special interest groups. The “consulting firms” in Tucson are making a small fortune off of the city, mainly because the city can’t seem to make a decision without them.
The simple fact is, Sun Tran will never make money or break even with it’s current ridership. As hard as it is to swallow, rate increases must happen. It isn’t fair to the taxpayer to continually subsidize transportation to the many who can well afford a rate increase.
Selecting a new management company would seem to be an acceptable short term solution. The city cannnot afford to absorb Sun Tran nor should it, unless taxpayers are willing to cough up more money.
I posted this in the comments section of last week’s article regarding the bus strike, but I am re-posting it here, so that anyone who is on either side of the argument (for the drivers, or for the riders), can have the perspective of another person who is being severely affected by the strike. I am probably only one of a number of people in Tucson and its vicinity who are being somewhat more than “inconvenienced” by the strike, and I would dearly prefer that the Teamsters, the transit management company, and the mayor and city council, think of us, the RIDERS, whose lives they are, in some cases, destroying.
Due to the bus strike, I have been unable to look for work as a temporary employee because I would not be able to travel to most work locations. Upcoming major surgery that should not be postponed will sideline me for a couple of months, so no employer will presently hire me full-time. Although friends have been able to help somewhat, I have no right to expect them to be able to do so for that entire length of time. Therefore, to me, the cost to me of this bus strike is that I am very likely to become homeless–I am a UA student, so I have no short-term disability to rely on , and I am old enough to have outlived my immediate family, so there is no help there. The homeless shelters are full. Even if I could find a place to stay, I would be on the streets during the day, and the surgical incision could become infected, or septic, if I am unable to keep it cleaned properly; homelessness is not known for being the most hygienic of living conditions. I know that not a few of those who read this will sneer or have some sarcastic answer to my comment, but please understand–the cost of this strike may not just be unemployment for a considerable number of people, and homeless for a percentage of those, but also up to and possibly including the lives of some of the people who are being affected by it.
Perhaps the mayor and council members, the drivers, and the Teamsters union, are unmoved because they themselves are not in such straits.
Also, those security conditions that the bus drivers are concerned about? Well, those situations are also an ongoing concern for the riders.
The Middle Class that I know simply wait for their yearly raise, put their money in the saving, then, they buy their car, house, etc. What I see is a team of people who want it now are they’ll cry until they get it. The City of Tucson is in debt. If the City gives into the Union, that mean, they got to get the money somehow. So how will they get it??? More taxes at the stores? Meaning everyone will pay for Sun Tran raises – the poor, the middle class, and the rich. Will the City of Tucson take money from food stamps and healthcare affecting the sick who are poor and weak? Who never even had a chance at a decent life. Will the bus fare go up? What I see is a group of people who really want what they want. Not caring who they hurt to get it, The Teamster called out the City saying, this is illegal and so is this, With a smirk on his face. He mention – there too many people on the bus. I can’t understand why he didn’t say “Oh NO! These people are so desperate they’re getting on an overcrowded bus. Let’s go ahead and find 15 drivers and get them back work. While we’ll cont. the strike. So the sick don’t become weaker, and those who make minimum wage (who support us by paying taxes and buy taking the bus) don’t lose their job.” A caring person doesn’t allow hardship to fall on the innocent. How can I support the Union when they have no conscious about putting Tucson into a greater debt? A debt that will affect our children and one day will be paying this debt off. DOES THE UNION CARE?? Who does this? Oh wait, the Union does. Every day I suffer physical, finically, due to Birth defect. I can’t work right now, I’m hungry because I’m in pain. And I say wait. I never made more than $6.25. And yet I did it. So why can’t these people who are making $13.00 or more? That only one adult in a family working. Hopefully Sun Tran employees waited until they could afford children before making them. Shame to the Union. Oh the boxes of food that you’re giving to the drivers are you making sure diabetic are getting the right food? So they don’t need to go to the doctor. How about people with food allergies? Etc.etc. Again! What kind of person does this to the sick and minimum wage employee? Let’s say to the City of Tucson THANKS. They are fighting for the City “that us”. The Union are fighting for themselves while putting us in greater debt.
It’s so sad that citizens of Tucson are led by the city council & Mayor like blind sheep. Get educated, vote!! All our money is falling into deep pockets instead of being spent on bettering our community. Without our voice nothing will ever change.
“If Sun Tran employees, as an organized work force, cannot attain a safe working environment and a livable wage, what hope is there for workers without the protection of a Union?”
The “protection” of this union, the Teamsters, hardly seems to be securing a safe working environment for its members who already enjoy a livable wage and extremely generous benefits. We can look to the Tucson Education Association to understand the flip side of union effectiveness in the world of publicly supported workers. The teamsters definitely need to be heard on the issues of mold contamination and physical assaults on its members; no worker should be expected to endure those sorts of workplace conditions.
That said, union reps like Dan Linhart need to make the case that the mold situation is real and has been ignored by the city despite its having agencies on board to handle those sorts of public safety complaints. Specifics? The same for physical assaults. How many have been recorded and reported to the police? Are the alleged assaults much higher in frequency than those occurring against teachers in TUSD?
Unfortunately, Arizona is a right to work state (with a vengeance). Also unfortunate is the fact that Tucson is a Democratic stronghold that routinely looks after the interests of its highest ranking AND best connected party members at the expense of those they claim to represent as progressive liberals. Any union expecting a reflexive support of its membership is bound to be disappointed. Even the Teamsters.
I do ride the bus to work every day. It has made a huge impact on me and others not having a bus service but I hope all the city holds out. Even though it has been a total pain. Many buses (in-fact the one I use) is never even 1/4 full. They have them run 15 min apart instead of 30 to 45 minutes apart.
Getting 100% on insurance, retirement and a raise on top of that just is not right. They should be expected to pay at lease a small percentage to offset our state’s budget. I’m not a fan of unions. I don’t believe they are for the people anymore. Just a big business that makes money now. We have all kind of labor laws to protect people now.
I hope the city fires them and gets a new company or at least new drivers. Maybe then they won’t be so greedy. This strike mostly hurts the less fortunate, senior citizens, handicapped, and many students. Shame on them when our state is in such financial problems.
If this city elects Paul Cunningham, Regina Romero or Shirley Scott into the City council again, it will be proof positive that we the people are stuck on stupid! This is an absolute cluster f…k! We have a City Council that cannot prioritize. Can anyone think of any other city of this size, with the poverty rate at one of the highest in the country that does not have a viable and reliable transportation system!??? What a disastrous mix!!! Our young, elderly, poor, disabled are getting killed by this strike. I would hope with all the people losing jobs, homes, health, that there could be a class action lawsuit against the City, State, or Federal Government. I read an article today Regina’s only concern is that Sun Tran is hiring bus drivers. This city council actually wanted to shut Sun Tran down from hiring temp bus drivers!! but Steve K was the lone vote that blocked that decision!!! Outrageous! This year vote in the three new bloods all republicans, but who cares at this point. They cannot be worse! Teamster members get fully paid health insurance, fully paid pensions, they should be forced to pay into both of these benefits like the rest of us, and the average wage is $16 per hour. They should only be allowed cost of living wage increases like the rest of us. These city/government workers are becoming a class of their own. Who gets fully funded health benefits and pension in the private sector? The sorry management company that the city council hired should fix the dang mold problem and provide security for the riders and drivers. The City needs to increase fares and adjust routes! Come on! I am sickened by this.
I am disappointed in everyone involved here.
End this strike already. Tucson and it’s citizens are suffering.
I am a bus rider and single mother of a special needs child. After reading this article it seems there is no hope in sight that the bus strike will end anytime soon. And the strike has already hurt me so deeply. If this is going to continue, I desperately need a car!!! I Need to get my child to his important neurology appointments, therapy, and I need to get to jobs since I am now self-employed. I lost my original job because of the strike. I am asking the wonderful peoplecof this community to please help. Thank you!
https://www.gofundme.com/2e2s7qhk