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| Short Line settles (was)Re: Shortline going on strike? (100103) | |||
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Short Line settles (was)Re: Shortline going on strike? |
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Posted by TransitChuckG on Wed Jun 4 18:31:55 2008, in response to Shortline going on strike?, posted by Ken S. on Thu May 22 19:35:59 2008. Short Line will resume full bus service today after striking busdrivers, mechanics and ticket agents agreed to go back to work. Members of Local 225 of the Transport Workers of America voted 125-41 yesterday in favor of the same three-year contract they narrowly rejected May 22. The 240 union employees hit the picket lines the next day, disrupting bus service to New York City for about 3,500 commuters from Rockland and Orange counties and northern New Jersey. Ratification of the contract means approximately 1,000 Rockland commuters will only have to spend one more day using an alternative means to get to their jobs in Manhattan. Many riders have chosen to take Red and Tan buses, while others opted for the trains. Barbara Bermack was thrilled to hear she would soon return to her former routine - catching the Short Line express bus from the Exit 14 park-and-ride lot in Nanuet, which dropped her a block away from her office on Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street. "Nobody's getting seats on the bus," the Spring Valley resident said. "We're getting a lot of attitude form the people on the Red and Tan because we're normally not there. It's understandable." Short Line will resume full service at 3 a.m. tomorrow. It needs a day to get its buses "checked out and ready to roll again," said George Grieve, general manager of Coach USA's northern district. Coach USA owns Hudson Transit Lines, which runs Short Line. Grieve said a combination of factors led to the end of the strike. The union came to the realization that the company was not going to offer more money, he said. Union members received their last paycheck Thursday and faced the prospect of a long, drawn-out strike. The pressure on them further intensified when Coach USA brought in replacement drivers to begin runs in Orange County yesterday and was in the process of hiring more to drive buses serving Rockland. "I'm sure that also got them thinking about their future," Grieve said. Coach USA has offered a 12.5 percent pay increase over three years (4.5 percent this year, 4 percent in 2009 and 4 percent in 2010); a 9 percent to 11 percent increase in vacation pay depending on seniority; increased match for lower contributions in the company's 401(k) plan; and increased overtime pay, Grieve said. The union initially rejected a contract May 16. The company then added an additional sick day. Grieve said the company set a bad precedent in recent years by offering more money to other unions after they turned down contracts. That occurred in 2006 with Tappan ZEExpress bus drivers and with Short Line dispatchers earlier this year. "It was important that we send a message it's not going to be the company's ongoing position to offer more money every time a contract is not ratified," Grieve said. Union leaders did not return a call seeking comment yesterday. |
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