All RTD drivers now unionized

By Kevin Flynn, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Drivers at the last of RTD's three private contractors have voted to go union, completing a campaign by the Amalgamated Transit Union to once again represent all of the transit agency's drivers.

ATU Local 1001, which represents drivers, mechanics and other hourly wage employees who work directly for RTD, won an election among Laidlaw's 262 drivers last week.

Last summer, Local 1001 won an organizing election among drivers at Veolia Transportation, and several years ago, it organized a local at First Transit, which has since merged with Local 1001.

For the first time since 1989, when the state started to require RTD to farm out some of its operations to private companies, the drivers and operators of RTD's fixed-route buses and light rail are all union. Under current law, RTD can privatize up to 55 percent of its bus services.

"It's almost like a reunion," said Holman Carter, president of Local 1001. "Back in the '80s when we got split up, we didn't have any idea that we'd be successful."

The strategy could assist the union in contract negotiations, expected to start at the end of this year.

In 2006, RTD was able to use drivers from Veolia and Laidlaw to substitute on the busiest routes that striking drivers handled. Now RTD said it most likely wouldn't be able to call on them to fill in again.

• January 15, 2008

  11:34 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  SASQUATCH writes:

  On Strike...no bus service today.

• January 19, 2008

  11:06 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  cakeckh writes:

  Get ready with your wallets! Union = Increase Fares!

• February 1, 2008

  11:56 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  clyde writes:

  No strike... Just a "Job Action".