Las Vegas bus drivers and mechanics will not initiate a strike, as members of Transit Union have reached a tentative new contract. Representing approximately 1,200 employees, the union’s spokesperson announced the deal via email on Saturday morning. The next procedure involves 1637 members voting on ratifying the contract, as outlined in the email.
Throughout the negotiation period, the union had been operating under a temporary agreement, which has now been succeeded by the tentative new contract. “We are very pleased with the outcome and are excited to present the final offer to our membership,” said Terry Richards, Union president.
Had Las Vegas bus drivers walked off of their jobs, about 150,000 city residents would have been forced to find new transportation. The added stress on taxis, ride share services, and even the Monorail would have been severe. Complicating the issue even more was the timing of the prop0sed strike just before the Super Bowl.
An email went out over the weekend, stating that details of the new contract are not being shared so that the union can review them prior to a ratification vote. That email also stated that “The consensus came on February 2nd and both parties are mutually satisfied with the tentative agreement.”
About 600 of the unionized Las Vegas bus drivers voted to reject the most recent offer last month. Their chief complaints centered around wages and driver safety, as a number of incidents have occurred on city buses over the past several years, including assaults and even a murder.