Reno Bus Drivers Were Part of Striktober Trend
Union workers across the nation are demanding better contracts, with more and more strikes taking place. In Reno, as Kennedy Vincent reports for the Reynolds Sandbox it’s been bus drivers trying to get better working and pay conditions.
Teamsters Local 533 recently went on their second strike against private operator Keolis. Teamsters are asking RTC of Washoe County to fire Keolis. The Regional Transportation Commission contracts with the French-based company to operate the local bus system.
“We’re on strike because the company would like to implement a 14 hour workday,” Michael Lansborough said during the most recent stoppage. “Since Keolis has come in a little over two years ago, they have done everything they can to try to sabotage what’s going on. They’re trying to remove our rights. When they came in, they’ve violated almost everything in our contract. And now they’re trying to destroy our contract. We offered them a proposal at the table and they came back with our proposal, completely wiped out and rewritten.”
A tentative agreement was reached on scheduling since that interview so the strike has stopped for now, but negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement are ongoing.
Mike Ake, a regional vice president of operations for Keolis North America released a statement saying “Keolis appreciates the willingness by Teamsters Local 533 to continue productive negotiations.”
He also thanked RTC Chair Neoma Jardon, also a Reno Councilwoman, for her role in helping with negotiations.
October has been called striktober with lots of unions having more leverage amid staffing shortages in many industries.
“We stand here together to show the company and the public that we’re not only fighting for our rights, but it shows others that they can have those same rights as long as they stand up,” Lansborough said.
Union leaders say workers have reached a tipping point and post pandemic they want a fair return to work. According to a recent Cornell University study, there have been 185 strikes this year, including 40 in October.
