Above photo: Denver bus workers are fighting for a decent contract. Fight Back! News/staff.
Denver, CO – On February 25, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union local 1001 (ATU 1001) joined together at Denver’s Union Station to march on the Regional Transportation District headquarters demanding livable wages and a decent contract. Along the march, workers chanted, “Without transit workers, transit doesn’t work!” and “Who moves this city? We move this city!”
Rank-and-file ATU member Joseph Carriere states, “The 5, 4 ,4% pay scale doesn’t cover inflation, doesn’t cover cost of living, and is essentially a pay cut every year!”
Regional Transportation District (RTD) operators and mechanics represent a crucial role in Denver’s transportation infrastructure, and they ask for a decent wage for their frontline work. The RTD board claims that this is their last, best and final offer, while sitting on the extra $200 million that’s been added to the RTD budget. After the march, workers piled into the board meeting room to deliver impassioned speeches to the board telling them to meet their demands for a livable wage.
Along with a livable pay scale, workers also demanded adequate security, noting that only Union Station, Civic Center, and Downtown Boulder see a common security presence, while others only rarely see a security presence. Illustrating how the lack of such a presence can lead to injury and assault, workers demanded that the security standards be increased to ensure that they are able to maintain operator and passenger safety.
“RTD wants highly skilled workers but doesn’t want to pay for them,” stated ATU local President Lance Longenbon. “Management paychecks get bloated while they ignore the people who make this work.”
As contract negotiations continue, rank-and-file members looking for a contract that protects transit workers and their livelihoods.