Milwaukee County bus drivers voting on three-year contract proposal Wednesday



MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee County bus drivers will vote on a three-year contract proposal on Wednesday, October 21st. This, after months of negotiations and even a brief strike in July. MCTS and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, the bus drivers union, came to a contract agreement on Friday, October 16th.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998



"We did come to an agreement. I think it's something my members can deal with," James Macon, president of Local 998 said on Friday.

The agreement on Friday came less than a month after union members rejected a contract proposal.

Union leaders said their biggest problem was the proposed hiring of 45 part-time workers who wouldn't pay into the pension system.

"They want to give them 20 hours, then they can volunteer to work all the hours they want to," said Macon.

James Macon, president of ATU Local 998



Over the summer, MCTS officials said the union was trying to have it both ways -- complaining about excessive overtime but then opposing the hiring of part-timers.

"It's a little frustrating from our perspective. When they complain about something, we say we'll try to address it with part-time operators while also saving a little bit of money, and they say no to that," said Brendan Conway, MCTS spokesman.

Union on strike



Negotiations went nowhere, and for three days in July, neither did the buses as the union went on strike during Summerfest. Four months later, and after the union rejected another contract proposal, MCTS officials offered to remove the part-time worker provision from the contract.

MCTS



Shortly thereafter, both sides announced there's a deal.

Macon says there are still other issues, like extended bathroom breaks and workman's comp claims -- but he says the union will advise workers to approve the contract.

The next step is union approval -- and union members will vote on Wednesday.

 

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