Starting just after midnight on Friday, Phoenix bus drivers began a strike that has already affected passengers across the Valley. (Madeline Pado/DD)
More than 600 Phoenix bus drivers went on strike early Saturday morning resulting in reduced bus service and displacing passengers after transit services were unable to settle collapsed labor talks.
Veolia Transportation and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 failed to end a nearly two-year dispute over benefits and wages. The debated terms include increasing sick-leave, retirement benefits and health care coverage.
The Amalgamated Transit Union is the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the United States and Canada.
Early Saturday morning, bus operators started missing shifts at 2 of the 3 bus operating facilities. Phoenix’s Interim Public Transit Director Neil Young immediately worked with Veolia to fill the positions with backup drivers along the affected routes.
Only 24 percent of all buses were running as scheduled on Saturday and just 28 percent on Sunday.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton held a press conference Saturday afternoon to urge Veolia and ATU Local 1433 to continue labor talks so that public transit passengers did not have to suffer any longer.
“Providing quality bus service is critically important to the functioning of this city,” Stanton said.
The striking Veolia drivers operate 31 of the 46 routes in Phoenix. In addition, 19 routes in Tempe operated by Veolia drivers were affected by the strike, for a total of 50 of the 101 Valley Metro bus routes.
“I am frustrated that’s it gotten to this point. The city has worked hard to do everything that we reasonably could to get the two sides to get together and resolve their issues,” Stanton said.
Matthew Heil, city of Phoenix spokesman for 5 years, said, “There has never been a bus strike like this before.”
Dennis Paulson, part of the executive board for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433, said he thought Veolia was not bargaining with the union.
“(Passengers) want to get to work everyday. They don’t have that means of transportation, they don’t go to work and they get fired,” Paulson said.
Veolia released a company statement on Friday in response to the threat of the bus operator strike.
“This latest strike threat comes as a surprise to all who have been involved in what were productive labor negotiations the last three days,” Veolia officials said.
The city of Phoenix is unsure of what the situation will be in the coming weeks.
“We’re running at reduced services and we just don’t know when it will end,” Phoenix spokeswoman Marie Chapple Camacho said.
Phoenix bus passenger, Bill Murray, 60, said he has to stay at a friend’s house because it is closer to where he works during the strike but sees the intent of the drivers and the company.
“I drove Greyhound for 21 years. I understand both sides and I understand the company’s position and the drivers,” Murray said. “What I don’t understand is that this is tax payers’ money. It seems like everyone’s passing the buck.”
Veolia told ATU that it was willing to negotiate further, but the bus-operator union must stop causing hardship on Phoenix bus passengers, Veolia officials said at the press briefing Saturday.
“I have made this clear to both sides. I fully expect that they will stop the quarreling, get a grasp on the big picture and resolve this issue so our city’s residents can continue to live their lives, utilize our bus service and continue the momentum this city has to recover and succeed,” Stanton said.
Veolia Transportation has scheduled two more sessions of labor negotiations for March 22 and 23, according to Friday’s company statement.
The Metro light rail is not associated with the buses that have gone off route, but there could be an influx of passengers as a result of the strike.
Contact the reporter at cmeakem@asu.edu
It is so completely STUPID that they are fighting over shortening their routes by 2 hours. If they’re not happy with it then they to just quit, I for one am not happy with route 10, and if I had the power I’d fire all the drivers on that route and replace them all. They got their benefits and their 401K. Get over it and be that you have a job, there are so people out there don’t don’t have jobs and they’re crying over 2 hrs. Inconsiderate and Childish.
I think these busdrivers are ungrateful cry babies. Do they know how many people are out of work? They have better benefits than I do, work less and probably make more money than I do… So if they get the 2 hour reduction are they going to start making it to the bus stop on time? I have a bus driver… the Weekday 16 South at Thomas Road at 8:20 AM who cannot seem to make it to Thomas until 8:35 – 8:45 AM this guy picks me up and is just casually cruising down 16th street talking to some buddy he’s made friends with rather than focusing on the road and driving his bus… just cruises and chit chats with his buddy. Doesn’t care that we are 15-20 minutes late. I should just get a bike… Fire them all and hire a whole new crew of drivers… maybe some of these people that have been out of work for quite some time, who know what its like to be without would really appreciate a job with benefits.
JoAnn and Sammy,
Sorry, you guys don’t understand. Your arguments are “well everyone else is in a bad place these people should be too.” What sense does that make? Yes, it could be worse they could be unemployed, maybe they even get better benefits than you. I’m guessing you’ve never worked a crappy job before, never wished the working conditions were better, never wanted better benefits? Why do the members of ATU 1433 have to be brought down? That is childish and inconsiderate.
Veolia has been fired from several other cities due to bad labor practices. This is more of the same. It isn’t ATU 1433′s fault, they did everything they could to negotiate in good faith, Veolia broke off the talks.
I support local ATU 1433! Don’t believe the corporate propaganda! SHAME ON YOU VEOLIA!
I am with GabeZ! Shame on Veolia! Our city deserves a better company …
In my opinion the bus drivers are not really to blame fully. I blame the Unions for manipulating the drivers to take such unnecessary actions. Times are tough for everyone. People do not seem to understand that when minimum wages goes up, as it did this year, prices go up as well. Bad enough gas prices are up, hence, the gas bill for the buses go up as well. Sure it might be tough being a bus driver dealing with rude and stupid people and having to deal with road hypnosis and many other factors. But for them to ask for raises for every single bus driver only takes away the true meaning of good work for a bonus. The unions are just brainwashing them and making this worse. Some of us depend on the buses for school, work, and other important issues to get from one place to another. We as citizens should go up to the union leaders and speak some sense into their foolish rhetoric. They are making money from this sitting and protesting
I don’t care how horrible and terrible Veolia is. If you don’t like your job, quit and let someone else take it. Just like any other job, you don’t HAVE to work there! That’s the wonderful thing about this country – you can actually make your own decisions!
Fire Veolia and either give the business to First Transit, or run it ourselves and cut out the middle man. (Contrary to what the Right claims, privatizing govt operations costs the taxpayer MORE.)
I fully understand why riders are upset, however this french company has done nothing but cut corners The past 2 years! Do you really believe they care about their passengers? They dont even care about their employees! They only care about The money! Phoenix should be running its own transit system!
I thinks its bogus… this is exactly why unions aren’t for the greater good. Is valley metro going to credit those of us who’ve purchased monthly passes and cant use them while these cry babies affect the lives of 200,000 riders? No we don’t understand, I’m sorry your not happy with your inflated rate of pay and longer shifts… then why did you except the job? I just don’t understand and I probably wont, I am still upset and angered by the fact that people are losing jobs and the most affected people by this make less than HALF of the wages these people on strike make… what kind of sense does that make? I pray this is dealt with quickly so that people can get to work and around town to take care of their families.
Really? Dig into The facts about Veolia, they recieved millions and millions to provide this city with quality transit instead they cut The routes cut The frequency and are trying to cut The benefits Of their employees! That extra money doesnt go back to The city it goes into Veolias profits! Dont blame The drivers for asking for a 2% raise blame Veolia for their corporate greed! They arent The ones working for The public The drivers are!
Why is this service even privatized?
There is GREED in every company, how will this change anything?
To GabeZ
Yes, I have had a lifetime of crappy jobs. But the worst job I have had was no job at all for close to 2 years. The drivers start at $13 an hour, us little people start at minimum wage and bearly no insurance. They have no idea how good they have it making the money. They have nice cars and homes, I would imagine. There are so many people out of work right now or struggling to make ends meet, or both. Like I said, they don’t like the work then just quit. Then see how much they should have appreciated the job that they had when they had it.
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!!! You are currently minus 1 passenger who passed away this morning. My father was elderly, a vet, and on dialysis. Because of the drivers childish behavior, and the company they work for not giving a damn he missed his dialysis treatments 4 times in a row and went thru liver failure and died this morning. Yes I know I could have taken him to these appointments even tho I live in Flagstaff. My father was givin info before he died on what time the buses would be showing up so he could plan effectively to be on time…YOU FAILED HIM, YOU FAILED THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY, AND YOU DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED!!! BE PREPARED FOR A WRONGFUL DEATH SUIT.
I agree w’alot of the other riders, with all the complaints and bickering about all the “better” things that are being requested, what is being done about all the drivers that (in the past 16yrs i have been riding VM) take advantage of “their jobs” not really giving a care weather they are on time or not and yes chit chatting with the passengers instead of watching the road. Some drivers only go about 15 to 20 miles an hour on regular streets when the speed limit is posted at at least 35-45 mph. I have been on busses where the driver has been so rude and abusive to passengers, the driver was very unsafe and was talking to his self, infact yelling that he had to stop for a passenger. I have to get on these busses and let them play russian roulette with my life and MY JOB? because they are not happy w’theirs? BS . . . Fire all the cry babies, let them go in the line they need to be in, the one that will get them a job at the local burger joint, at least they will be able to have a meal for every 4hrs worked. I am angry that they are allowed to act like children and it’s ok. Any one else would have been told to get out, they would have been fired.
One last thing, with all the complaints and problems I have had, I have called customer service to place my complaint and all I get told is that they can take my # down and a supervisor will call me back. Guess what? They never call me back and nothing ever gets done. I did on one occation have a complaint about a driver passing through very early and the next morning that driver was angry with me, (I guess she did get talked to) she didn’t even wait for me to sit down and she was literally speeding off from the stop, I almost fell onto the backs of seats. Why can’t customer service do anything about these serious complaints and issues? Why do I have to wait for a Supervisor (imaginary i assume) to call me? I work in the customer service field in call centers, THERE IS ALWAYS A SUPERVISOR AND OR MANAGER AVAILABLE TO SPEAK WITH CUSTOMERS WHEN IT IS NEEDED!!!!!!!!! I always get told that isn’t how they do things. I don’t believe a word of that.