After Long Fight, Local 1637-Las Vegas, NV, Members Ratify Strong Contract
After numerous strike threats and an aggressive campaign, our Local 1637-Las Vegas, NV, members ratified a strong contract with Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) contractor Transdev in March.
The Local and the International started bargaining on July 1, 2023, with Transdev for a new agreement, focusing on real wage increases and better working conditions for the bus operators. Despite a lucrative contract with the RTC for over half a billion dollars over four years, Transdev had been stalling at the bargaining table and failing to negotiate fairly. The company used prior wage increases provided by the RTC as a justification for not offering further raises.
In an effort to ramp up their campaign, the Local’s members hit the streets for an informational picket at the Simmons Bus Garage. “Our Bus Operators are at their breaking point,” stated ATU International Vice President James Lindsay at the time of the picket. “Some of our members are facing homelessness, with individuals sleeping in their cars at the garage, while others are just emerging from such dire conditions. We cannot allow Transdev’s unwillingness to provide fair wages to push our workers back into homelessness.”
Thanks to that pressure, Transdev came to the table with a genuine commitment to addressing our members’ demands. The result was a fair contract that including wage increases with a shorter progression to reach top pay, better working conditions, and other improvements.
“I didn’t think we’d get the six-year top approved by Transdev, but we did. I’m very, very appreciative to them for that,” said Local President/Business Agent Terry Richards. “We also got items in the contract that drivers won’t have to drive unsafe buses.”
“Our RTC members provide a critical lifeline to riders across Las Vegas to get to work, the grocery store, the doctor, and other important appointments,” said International President John Costa. “They refused to be treated with disrespect, and they got the contract they deserve. I’m so proud of our members for staying united since they began negotiations in 2023. It’s been a long road, but we came out on top thanks to our members’ strength.”