Members of Local 1596 (Charlotte, N.C.) have finalized new contracts with Transit Management of Charlotte and First Transit of Concord/Kannapolis. The three-year agreements provide for wage increases, improvements in pensions, an increase in the employer contribution to health care insurance, an additional number of personal leave days and better work rules. Leading the negotiations with [...]
Regional meeting workshops improved skills
August 27, 2012
By Bonnie MorrVice President – Bus Department The UTU regional meetings in Portland, Ore., and Memphis, Tenn., provided hands-on workshops – led by experts from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) — designed to improve skills of members and officers in pursing grievances where members’ rights have [...]
UTU offering treasurers’ workshop in October
August 8, 2012
The UTU International is conducting a Treasurers’ Workshop at its headquarters in North Olmsted, Ohio, Oct. 29-31, 2012. Attendance will be limited to 24 registrants. Those interested in attending the workshop should contact the office of the general secretary & treasurer to register. Call (216) 228-9400, or email Executive Assistant Nancy Miller at n_miller@utu.org. The [...]
Santa Cruz bus operators ratify new contracts
July 11, 2012
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — UTU-represented members employed as bus operators by the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District have become “the highest-paid bus operators in America” following ratification of a new three-year labor agreement, said Bonnie Morr, vice president of the UTU Bus Department. UTU Local 23 members ratified two agreements – the one by bus operators, [...]
New surface transport law a mixed bag
July 2, 2012
It’s not all we wanted, but, maybe more important, it’s not as bad as it could have been. Given the polarization of this Congress, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century – MAP-21 – is as good a new transportation authorization bill as we could have hoped for. Passed by bipartisan majorities in [...]
Death by rail: For crew, healing takes time
June 18, 2012
Suicide by rail is no stranger to operators of steel-wheel trollies on Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s Victory Division in suburban Philadelphia. UTU-represented members of this SEPTA property recall having to plead with management to replace the front facing of a trolley displaying a macabre embedded facial image of a man who chose to end his [...]
UTU-member bus driver murdered in Los Angeles
May 21, 2012
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – A Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) bus driver, and member of UTU Local 1563, was murdered aboard his bus here Sunday morning, May 20, by a lone gunman, according to media reports. Alan Thomas, 51, who began driving part-time for LACMTA in 2007, and became a full-time driver in 2010, was [...]
Calif. bus line 29th organizing win in 53 months
May 10, 2012
More than 170 bus operators, mechanics, service employees and store keepers employed by the Los Angeles area Montebello (Calif.) Bus Lines are now UTU members after overwhelmingly voting, “UTU, yes.” In the Los Angeles area, the UTU also represents employees of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) and Santa Monica Municipal (Big Blue) Bus Lines. [...]
Rails created early bus lines
May 8, 2012
By Calvin Studivant, Alternate Vice President, Bus Department – The relationship between railroads and bus companies has a long history not known by many UTU members. Beginning in the early part of the 20th century, railroads began acquiring or creating infant bus lines to extend their passenger networks to where rails didn’t reach. In 1926, Great [...]
