The Sun Tran strike’s been on for 15 days now, without many changes regarding the negotiations. I wrote a recap this week involving the different voices there are in the issue.
A few days ago, someone in the negotiating table reached out to the Tucson Weekly with his insight.
Dan Linhart is with the Teamsters and has worked with Sun Tran for 34 years. He’s been with the negotiating committee for 18 of those years, so he knows a thing or two about what’s going on.
He sent the Weekly an opinion piece, and here it is:
Although the city doesn’t have a seat at the negotiating table; Transdev, previously Veolia; the 60% French Government owned, for profit management company, is contracted by the City of Tucson to manage Sun Tran. Transdev took over Tom Hock’s company; Professional Transit Management.
Mr. Hock has been repeatedly accused of stonewalling to perpetuate strikes in Phoenix, California, Texas, Massachusetts and New York. How much does Hock’s company get to keep for profit if he does not give the money allocated by the City of Tucson to the Teamsters? Hock showed up two days, with nothing to contribute at the table (already counting his chickens?) City of Tucson’s previous Transit Administrator: George Caria, the former General Manager of Sun Tran, an employee and stockholder of Veolia; (conflict of interest?); was signatory to millions of dollars in public funds with little or no oversight! Following the bouncing ball?
Approximately $4.6 million annually in public funds are spent on lucrative private Transit management contracts in the Tucson valley. The City of Tucson and the RTA both have Transit divisions, why the duplication of services? The City of Tucson was made aware in 1998; how they could effectively circumvent the City Charter and directly manage the bus system. Any change from this current arrangement seems to be outside of the City Manager’s ‘comfort zone’. The ensuing shell game with public funds is mind boggling!
It is a sad state of affairs when the City Council members express frustration over not knowing what is going on with the budget, one Councilman’s statement: “The city of Tucson Budget is designed so no one can understand what is actually going on with the budget” How convenient for the City Manager; when the General Fund Revenues are at their highest in 8 years. ‘The Mayor and Council have full discretion to program the General Fund to meet the City’s priority needs’. Where are they?
The current Sun Tran Strike is merely a manifestation, once again of the City of Tucson’s inability (unwillingness?) to manage their resources and to provide the oversight necessary to ensure public funds are in fact spent within the guidelines in which the funds are budgeted. Budget constraints are effectively created by the continual parade of Mass Transit funds diverted back to… the General Fund? Where then does the money end up? City staff refuses to provide the answers, even through numerous public information requests.
Sun Tran; ever under the threat of fare increases and reduction in service has, and continues to be a mere storyline for the citizens of Tucson. The City imposed a $2.4 million cut from the current fiscal year Sun Tran budget that is stated to be accomplished through route changes and consolidations; that directly impacts those dependant on Sun Tran, which, is wrong on so many levels, as Sun Tran is a core service, not one to be borne on the backs of the poor or the working men and woman of this community.
If, in fact Sun Tran has been the efficient operation that their very own marketing have made it out to be; how then has safety, security and health of the employees and the public they serve become a matter of such low importance?
The Union has greatly reduced their offer, taking into consideration the costs that would be associated with driver and passenger safety, security and health. Teamsters would like to get this settled, Unfortunately the Company rejected the offer, as ‘economically unfeasible’; standing firm behind their ‘line in the sand’.Contact the City Manager: Ask where the money is going? If the City Manager is robbing from Peter (Sun Tran) to pay Paul; what, or who the hell is Paul? Or should I say… Tom? Are our public funds on the express bus… to France?
Another short piece with additional information:
The AZ Star article of Sunday August 9 authored by Tim Steller stating ‘sooner or later, the City of Tucson will likely step in and resolve the Sun Tran strike”, which is correct…
Under the current conditions, the city does have to maintain an ‘arms length’ relationship in regards to the contract negotiations with the Teamsters; that, due to the fact that the city charter prohibits employees from striking; the City of Tucson in order to be the recipient of Federal Funds, must afford the transit employees the right to binding arbitration as well as the right to strike. Tucson relies heavily on Federal funds to be able to provide bus service.
In 2013 negotiations Sun Tran General Manager stated outright: “There is absolutely no money for wages and benefits”. Which led the Union to conduct an independent Audit with a contracted CPA; revealing $1,315,409 budgeted specifically for 2013 wages and benefits, and again $949,179 budgeted specifically for 2014 wages and benefits; all monies were in fact returned… to the General Fund? Total of $2,264,588.00 returned to… the General Fund? Those monies were not for expansion in service as Sun Tran management has put out in their ‘cover-up’ statement; on the contrary, the RTA which is responsible for expansion, reduced their revenue for this Fiscal Year, which is reflected in the October 5, 2012 revenue projection. The City of Tucson projects costs in their ‘Five- Year Strategic Transit Plan’ under the ‘Mass Transit System Five Year Financial Forecast’, which makes sense; it would be irresponsible not to project costs. Which means: The monies are budgeted.
City of Tucson General Fund Revenue in Fiscal Year 2015: $476.9 million, which was the highest in 7 years, $9 million over 2014. The current Fiscal Year 2016 recommended budget includes a total of $493.6 million in General Fund revenue which is a $16.7 million increase over the Fiscal Year 2015 adopted budget. General Fund Transfers to Mass Transit: increasing $1.1 million to $46 million, from $44.9 million in Fiscal Year 2015. No Money?
Sun Tran management drew the proverbial line in the sand; in the form of the firm and final offer put on the table. At that juncture in the negotiation process, the Teamster bargaining unit members of Sun Tran had no other option than to vote on the firm and final; the results were very clear. Sun Tran Teamsters have been backed against this same ‘wall’ for years; Sun Tran management has repeatedly refused to address employees’ safety, security and health on the job. Employee pay and benefits have not kept pace with inflation for the past 34 years.
The citizens of this community deserve a top notch bus system, not one running on break-down maintenance, with scheduled maintenance unheard-of, simply performing the Federally mandated oil changes and inspections (PMI) and deferring defects noted for tomorrow (which in most cases only comes when the bus actually breaks down).
This article appears in Aug 20-26, 2015.
The citizens of Tucson and the surrounding areas do deserve a top-notch transit system, but they won’t get one as long as the Teamsters and third-party management companies are involved.
Well someone needs to bugde and get their shit together stop hurting riders and do some things
The French used to run the “Orbit” free buses in Tempe. Now the Brits run it,with service getting WORST to the citizens!!
Get rid of the French and Brits,and make ALL transit run locally!!! Why are the politicians in Phoenix area and Tucson TOO WEAK to do this ????????
The city spent over $200 million to fund the Sun Link street car that goes about 4 miles around downtown to the Mercado ending at Campbell. Sun Tran/or the city can certainly find $5-7 million to pay well deserved and abused/sometimes assaulted bus drivers a decent wage and safer working conditions. They work their asses off. The buses cover all of Tucson and are used by 66,000 passengers daily. The drivers help the handicapped and elderly get on and off the buses and serve the low income population, students, and those who believe riding the bus is better than clogging the roads with more cars and traffic. The street car is still running. I used it Sunday. There were 3 people on it. Ding! Ding! Pay the working people who help keep this town running and in turn you’ll be helping 66,000 people who struggle every day to get around town.
Unions are not thinking about the people getting fired for not being able to get to work. The union is a selfish group of bastards.
Guess who wants and needs more pay, everyone who works in Tucson. I know a person who works for Sun Tran maintenance during the night, he says he only works four hours a night. No one is killing themselves working for Sun Tran. The city needs to take control of Sun Tran, if we are expected to subsidize it. The only down side is there will be more people on the already over burdened pension plan.
One of the main reasons Tucson doesn’t have any cash left over, is due to it’s pension program for city workers. It’s all gotten out of hand, TPD and TFD recieve 80% of their pay afer twenty five years of service. Who else could afford such a generous plan but the city.
Here’s some food for thought…almost all of the mass transit (not public transit) systems that operate today in major cities were originally privately owned and operated transportation companies. Most electric utilities were originally subsidiaries of street railways and subways/elevated railways who found that they could make more money selling power to industrial customers and residential customers than off fares. Only three major subways-NYC’s Independent Subway; LA’s Gold Line and the Washington Metro were built by government. The two major NYC subways (Brooklyn Metropolitan Transit and the Interborough Rapid Transit) were privately financed and operated for several decades. The Metropolitan Line in London (the world’s first subway) was constructed and operated by a private corporation.
In many other advanced countries, the mass transit systems are privately built and privately operated and provide a far better service than we have. The big difference is the regulatory policies they have versus ours. Ours punished successful companies to be either transportation companies or utilities. Most chose to sell off their transportation departments, knowing that the governments would have to subsidize them as they would no longer be subsidized by the profits that the companies had previously made by selling electricity to a growing community of consumers who would also require convenient, comfortable transportation from their new suburban homes to their places of employment. Those same companies made reasonable efforts to provide for the comfort and safety of their staff, providing refreshment rooms at major terminals where the crews could relax between runs. A rested driver is more attentive to his duties and more courteous to the patrons. The conditions that transit employees must endure at Sun Tran are certainly less than ideal. Sun Tran could have done a lot to improve the conditions for the workers and they have not.
When your health and safety is threatened in your workplace, and your managers tell you that they aren’t paying to make it better, and by the way, no raises for the next three years, and no money to maintain the equipment, and take our offer or walk, you walk.
Anyone who is blaming the Teamsters and the Unions in this strike is doing just exactly what the French Government owned Transdev wants them to do. Because the profits that they make here in Tucson go to pay for public services in France, so that they can keep their taxes low.
Yep screw those Unions guys, let’s support foreign public subsidies so we don’t have to provide a safe working environment or decent pay for workers in our own town.
What a tool…
So there is mold on bus, clean it up…
Feeling threatened, pick your words sometimes maybe even the way you look at people. your words sometimes maybe even the way you look at people.
Safety issues, there every where even at the bus stops….
Pay raise, isn’t your job a public service not just a paycheck.
Unhappy with your job while you drive in ac, switch jobs with someone in hard labor. TRY A JACK HAMMER ON PAVEMENT IN 112 DEGREE WEATHER DURING RUSH HOUR.
Wait a min are Suntran drivers capable of that. Hmm I mean less pay hot weather safety issues. Omg and possible dehydration. I doubt it. I really think Suntran transit center should look into alternatives like temp agencies or maybe old Suntran that would like their job back.. They might take a cut in pay just have a job. Your serve public ARE YOU AWARE OF OUR, THE PUBLICS, LOSSES? IF YOU DONT LIKE YOUR JOB MOVE ON INSTEAD OF BEING SCARED AND MONEY HUNGRY.
Be grateful for what you have. I know plenty of people who would love to take your jobs. Maybe they will last maybe they wont. Right its hard for people to get a job and they might go for yours. That could be a blessing in disguise. You want something go for it but don’t bring others down while your going for it
Suntran please provide safety for the employees. Employees need to feel safe at work. Benefits also take into consideration. But a pay raise should be the last concern. Teamsters your hurting people who don’t deserve to lose out either.
So sick of people who cant see past thier m” me”me” attidude who dont see this as an equal opportunity battle if your lil bro or sis where at a job doing the same thing you do and the pay for you was top dollar and she still makin the same thing. As when she started five years ago and was promised a wage increase every year then the french thief decided not happening for five years your pay will stay the same and if you want to apply at suntran GO AHEAD FIRST GET CLEAN OFF MEDICAL MARIJUANA THEN GET A C.D.L THEN PASS A BACK GROUND A .DOT.CERT A CLEAN M.V.R and work for suntran five years without c.ol.a. then they tell you oh by the way the new contracts says new hire.s with no knowledge of routes are going to be the only ones with an increase then just maybe we should all just quit.and see how fast they replace us truck drivers will not touch this company with a ten foot pole no one is knocking down the Door to apply and when they passengers they say made them quit wow imangine that suntran has a 35 percent turnover rate enough of vent call suntran tell them to get to the negiotatons thier wanting to keep people from movin up instead they want to keep fooling people drivers passengers and any body who believes thier..BUllSHIT
Seeing how Suntran is still on strike I would like to let everyone know that Quality Transportation and RedLine Xpress Cab Co. Has your back, we are running a promotion while the strike is ongoing, to make things easier we are offering discounts of upto 30% off. To take advantage give us a call if you need a ride, 520-777-0556 or download our mobile app from google Play or the appstore. Our app is called TaxiCaller
I think all striking drivers need to be FIRED A.S.A.P. to get Tucson up and running again these drivers dont want to work Hire NEW DRIVER UNION FREE there are so menny who wants to work im one of them ! AND SO MENNY PEOPLE WORKING HARD JOBS FOR SO LIL MONEY AND THERE COMPLAINING ABOUT SAFETY THERE SO MENNY IN TUCSON WORKING FOR “PEANUTS” TUCSON NEED DRIVERS WHOS WILLING TO WORK NOT BITCH
A suntran worker’s base pay is $20hr….so why does the union & some of the Sun Tran workers think that they need to make more $ than military personal does? Yes, u are at risk to be harmed but so is everyone else…everyday we all are at risk no matter weather we are inside or outside our house. Everyone’s safety is a all day every day risk….do u not understand how many ppl have lost their jobs n a state that employment is hard to find in the first place because it is a right to work state!!! Because ppl are having to walk miles in 100+° weather, heat stroke is @ a horizon right now…do u not realize exactly how many ppls life’s u are fucking with, how many ppl are struggling, & how many ppl are going to be homeless because ppl rely on the bus system & losing their jobs cuz they can’t get to work because of selfishness & greed…do u see military throwing a fit & not protecting our country anymore cuz they don’t make shit, really putting their life’s on the line for us everyday….a strike & ruining ppls life’s, all for a raise of $1hr more a yr….Karma will get u, u selfish greedy bastards!!!
Did u know that Tucson Sun Tran bus drivers are the highest payer city bus drivers in the country…really?! & u want more $ than people who really put their life on the line for us, our country, & our freedom everyday…come on now…ur job really isn’t that hard, yes u might have to put up with some shit but that’s every job!!!!
not very many qualify to drive with a cdl.drug test ,no DUI,clean record,work slit shift for years,ect,ect.notice how few people have showed up for this great job.
No qualified driver will cross the picket line for what Transdev is offering. Temporary drivers will be terminated at the end of the strike or leave of their own accord for the most part. All of the union drivers and mechanics will return to their work and most new hires will join the union. There are better commercial driving jobs out there that CDL holders can get without having to cross a picket line. Plus there’s already a driver shortage, so think about that.
Why don’t we convert to the “Living Wage” and pay them $15 per hour? That’s sustainable.
Strike over. I can’t wait for Trump!!!
It’s absolutely amazing to read a lot of these negative complaints directed at the teamsters and the Sun Tran drivers. Where was your voice when the city blew 300 million dollars on the Rio Nuevo project which could of help provided many jobs for people or even been used to give the police and fire department a raise,you know the one’s that’s there to save your life the ones you see at the RTC and Los.Unfortunately there are just some people out there that will complain about everything and stand for nothing because they have no back bone.How in the world did we as Americans get the rights that we have today, we sure didn’t get them by being spineless we got them by someone fighting for them. So hopefully after you have seen those Sun Tran drivers out there willing to walk in a 107 degrees for hours with out pay to fight for what they believe in maybe you’ll change your perspective.
Little do they know, the city will just end the contract and the bus drivers will be screwed.
(striking is voiding a contract)
Tell me again why I’m supposed to feel sorry for low-skilled workers making $15-20 an hour who also, by the way, pay ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for 100% health care coverage for themselves and their families (a benefit worth anywhere from $1.5-$8/hour additional)? There are plenty of people working jobs that pay 50-75% of what these drivers make with a fraction of the benefits package that are significantly more skilled and better educated. Many of these same people are the ones being left out in the cold by the strikers who are seeking nothing more than entitlements. If you want to prove it’s not about the money, agree to a structured and tiered grading system that determines what, if any, pay increases are appropriate and center your fight around the mold and driver safety issues. Also force the drivers to undergo communications skills training because, frankly, a lot of the drivers are SERIOUSLY lacking in people skills (which I have seen first hand as a former rider). Unions were great for America in a post-War society but these days they’re all about greed, entitlements and enabling the inept to remain employed through archaic tactics.
Before you shoot your mouth off Mr so called common sense you need to get the facts.First off there are a lot of well educated drivers and retired military personnel who drive for Sun Tran. Now let’s talk facts when the drivers at Sun Tran got employed there they all signed an agreement with Sun Tran that they would receive health and dental insurance and a pay progression for the first year up to the fifth year or for some the first year to the forth year and our awesome city of tucson decided to freeze their pay so they would not reach their progression, this is what you call breach of contract and this is exactly one of the things they are fighting for not a raise. If someone breached an agreement with you what would you do sit there and let it happen.Now if you agreed to work at a place that doesn’t include health and dental insurance then thats your issue so stop hating on Sun Tran drivers because their agreement does and the city of Tucson should abide by this agreement. Sun Tran drivers aren’t looking for your sypathy their doing one hell of job standing up for themselves.Why is it that we keep hearing how much Sun Tran drivers make and there benifits but we don’t hear you talking about the city council salary and benifits I guess your okay with that. Didn’t they just ask for a 15% raise just recently? But when it comes to paying the working man and woman of this city they all of the sudden don’t have any money. WOW
Someone’s making a lot of money and it isn’t the Teamsters or the citizens of Tucson. No solidarity, and a chokehold getting tighter and tighter while the middle and lower classes demonize each other. Yay America! I really need the bus back up and running, very, very badly, but the Teamsters aren’t the thieves and it seems the majority of Tucson (and America) is too stupid to figure out who pickpocketed them, or that their wallets are even missing.
To Mr “Backbone”, last I checked pretty much everybody knows that city council people in ANY city lack ethics. That is not in dispute here. You try to divert the topic but the fact is that the city council isn’t making a selfish decision to screw over their constituency for selfish means. That is exactly what the Teamsters are doing. And you said it all, it’s all about the money, not about the health or safety. Again, I’m not going to lose any sleep about overpaid employees not getting more entitlements. Maybe some of that money should be TAKEN from them and given to teachers, first responders and other people who have actual skill (unlike the supposed “well educated and former military” you mention but still fail to quantify any actual SKILL). The fact is that $15-$21/hour to drive a city bus is a joke and these people should be counting their blessings, not punishing the people who rely on their services to be able to get to doctors, school, work and so on. This is about NOTHING MORE THAN SELFISH GREED. Plain and simple.
Common Sense I agree with you. They are hurting people who are not even involved. Honestly I think that they dont need that kind of pay since they do sit and drive in ac. Construction workers make less and they are in unsafe areas and risk there health also. I think that Suntran should use the pay increase amount not for hourly wages but for safety and health issues. Sun Tran should have them take classes on safety and customer service skills. As for health a professional cleaning can be hired with that money also. Especially since Andrew Marshall stated that its that’s it crazy to have sun Tran employee clean up.
Honorable Mayor Rothschild, How long are you going to remain silent while the citizens of Tucson suffer because of the bus strike? It’s time for you to exercise your leadership role and serve your constituents!! If you are not willing to step up, then step down!! Tucson citizens deserve a Mayor that works for all who live here!!
Teamsters and Union 104 I have a safety alert! While your on strike and walking down the streets is a safety/health issues issue. You could get skin cancer, hit by a car, assaulted,or dehydrated. Maybe you should make the city pay for those safety and health concerns. Mr. Marshall you better get on this and cause the public more jobs and stress
I don’t know where you’re getting your info, but Sun Tran workers didn’t even make the top 100 list of highest paid city bus drivers in the country. Google is your friend, I understand you’re trying to make a point, bu yout don’t have spread misinformation to do so. Opinions are important except when they are filled with misinformation!
Comparing getting stabbed in the neck and the chest by a crazed dope fiend to being dehydrated or any of that other nonsense Persis G Martinez mentions is strictly trollsville. She should stick to what she knows, which is obviously not a whole hell of a lot.
First driver safety is important and a must yet while suntran employees are on strike there are those of us like me and my family who rely solely on suntran for transportation. Schools who have supplied students that are out of zone with bus passes are getting no help getting students to and home from school. There are many in this city that can not afford a car and have no option but to use the bus. I have seen crazy and unsafe things happen yet how do we find a solution for our children in the community to strive for knowledge and get it when we are denying them this buy not helping them with transportation. Let’s get past the bull and find a means to end this now. Look at what we can teach our children here and keep the safety of all.
I want to set something straight about the wages and pay that these drivers are getting a lot of you guys are saying that these drivers are making a base pay of $20 an hour I’m a former Transdev operations supervisor and I can tell you unequivocally that that is furthest from the truth. The majority of these drivers start out at like $10 an hour while in training and then go up to about $12 an hour for the first 60 days that’s the way that the contract is written here in Phoenix they get a additional raise all the way to top out at 2265 but that’s not after 5 years. A lot of the drivers don’t even make it to five years hell they don’t even make it past the year when the the stress gets to you and a lot of the drivers simply just quit for one reason or another. Sun Tran drivers are no exception they start at around $10 an hour and on average probably are making between 12 and $14 an hour this idea they make that they say that they make $20 an hour is completely laughable and completely untrue. I support these guys and their strike against this French company because they have shown themselves here to be nothing but greedy bastards are lining their own pocket. A lot of you are saying that these people should just be fired and people are knocking down the doors you know in fact the federal requirements to get a CDL are so stringent that a majority maybe 8 out of 10 applications are rejected and those two out of those two applicants maybe one will make it to graduation and obtain a CDL so if you believe that it’s so easy to get a CDL I challenge you I’ve had mine for 16 years with a clean driving record and I tell you the first year to keep your license clean is the toughest so if you think that you can do this job I challenge you go down there a reply go through the training go through the screenings go through the federal mandated requirements to obtain a CDL I guarantee you will not last the training. And that’s why a lot of people who are unemployed will apply for these jobs just don’t make it to standards