CCTA late Monday authorized staff members to hire replacement bus drivers in order to end a two-week strike in Burlington. The company urged striking bus drivers to accept a new management proposal.
The statement said that subject to its approval, CCTA staff was permitted “to secure temporary drivers until the negotiation is resolved.” It was unclear whether or how soon replacement drivers might be deployed.
In a decision released Monday evening, the board of commissioners of the Chittenden County Transportation Authority said: “The Board instructs staff to offer an invitation to the Union to come back to the table in order to restore negotiations and receive a new proposal from CCTA. The Board commits to having a Board member present with management’s team at future mediation sessions.”
Bus drivers unanimously rejected the latest management proposal earlier Monday.
Teamsters Local 597 business agent Tony St. Hilaire said in a statement that the key issue is a dispute over the “spread time” applied to drivers working a split shift. The union said it sent a new proposal to management late Monday.
The company wants drivers to be available over a 13.5-hour period, while the union wants the spread to cover 12.5 hours.
“The company will not show the union any facts that shows that they need to move to a longer unsafe 13.50 hour work day,” St. Hilaire said.
CCTA’s board of commissioners heard from about 45 people at a public hearing Monday morning, most of those speaking in support of the drivers, CCTA General Manager Bill Watterson said.
The strike, which affects about 10,000 passengers a day, entered its third week Monday after a more than 17-hour weekend negotiation session failed to resolve the issues.
After the public hearing Monday, the CCTA board went into executive session to discuss its options, Watterson said. He declined to say whether the possibility of hiring replacement drivers was considered.
“They discussed options consistent with our promise to restore service,” Watterson said.
This article was updated at 8:48 p.m. Monday.
