from statesman.com:
Capital Metro workers call one-day strike
Management: Short strike, if repeated several times, could result in workers being replaced
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By Ben Wear
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Capital Metro's union employees, locked in stalled negotiations with management aboutthe agency's plans to pay newly hired workers about 16 percent less than current drivers, called a one-day strike early this morning.
What the union is calling an "unfair labor practices" strike began at 3 a.m. and will end at the same time Friday. Jay Wyatt, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091, said the short work stoppage is intended to send a message while minimizing the pain for the public and the workers.
"At least they know we will strike," Wyatt said. "They were probably thinking we were bluffing."
Capital Metro spokesman Rick L'Amie called the timing of the strike "unfortunate," with evacuees from Hurricane Katrina still in town and more arriving at Hurricane Rita approaches. The agency had been intending to send buses to Corpus Christi to help with evacuation but won't be doing that now.
"Because of the timing of this strike, we are unable to help fellow Texans," L'Amie said. "This is an irresponsible strike."
Wyatt said Capital Metro "has let down their fellow Texans by the mismanagement of taxpayer funds. . . . Anytime you have a strike it's going to hurt some people. There is no 'good' day to strike."
L'Amie said that the agency has 14 regular routes running, with about 50 buses on the strike, and is providing it's "special transit services" for people with disabilities by using union employees who showed up for work and taxis. Those routes will cease running today at 7:50 p.m.
L'Amie said 45 union bus drivers crossed the picket line at Capital Metro headquarters along with 21 special transit service drivers and six mechanics.
"And we have another shift coming in later, so we expect that number to go up," L'Amie said at about 8 a.m.
The strike, even if it were to extend into Friday and the weekend, would not affect shuttle service to the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The agency intended to use just 25 union drivers and has made arrangements to replace them with drivers from private bus companies if necessary.
Wyatt said that many of the union workers who crossed the picket line early today are "probationary" employees who might be more vulnerable to disciplinary action or firing, and that the union understands why they might have shown up for work. L'Amie said the workers on hand today include none on probation.
L'Amie said the short strike would not affect the agency's bargaining stance, that management's latest offer will remain on the table until Sept. 30. He said that the agency will not tolerate an "unprotected partial strike," that is, a series of short stoppages such as the one today.
Wyatt said that is precisely what the union has in mind if management does not bend on the contract, which expired this summer.
If this strike has no effect, Wyatt said, "we'll do it again. And again. And again. And again."
If so, L'Amie said, the agency "is ready to hire replacement workers."
Temporary workers?
"No," L'Amie said. "These would be permanent."
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