Transit Workers Strike in Milwaukee County
As of 3 a.m. July 1, all Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus service will be suspended because of a strike by the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 998. ATU leaders called for the strike despite significant concessions from MCTS during a daylong negotiation session.
The average MCTS bus driver will make more than $62,000 this year in salary and overtime, that’s significantly more than the median income in Milwaukee County. The proposed contract from MCTS included wage increases of up to 7.6 percent over two years and concessions around health care costs and part-time drivers. Despite numerous recent statements from union leaders that their contract dispute was not over money, the union came to the bargaining table today to ask for $8 million in increased wages.
MCTS respects the union’s right to strike but encourages union leaders to change their mind about this strike and come back to work sooner.
“Union leaders have been saying this strike is simply symbolic, if that’s the case they should explain the symbolism to the single mother who won't be able to make it to work, the senior citizen who relies on MCTS to get to the doctor or the family who planned to ride the bus the watch the fireworks at the lakefront,” said MCTS spokesman Brendan Conway
The union’s decision means tens of thousands of people who rely on MCTS to get to work, school and doctor’s appointments will have to find other transportation. The strike will also shut down Summerfest service that tens of thousands of people rely on every day to get to the Big Gig.
The union says they might return to work on July 4. MCTS will be asking union leaders to put their commitment to come back to work in writing, if not the union may decide to simply walk away again.
All new and updated information in the coming days will be available to the public at the MCTS website