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The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has suspended public transit services until further notice as the Transport Workers Union Local 208 began their strike at 3am this morning. A new tentative agreement between COTA Administrators and the Union was reached early this morning, but the Union isn’t scheduled to vote on the agreement until 6pm this evening. If the agreement is voted upon and passed, then the strike may only last a single day and be restored for Red White & Boom tomorrow.
“”While we are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with Union negotiators, we’re dismayed that Union members will still walk off the job on Monday and leave thousands of people without transportation to their jobs, school, medical appointments and other destinations,” said COTA President & CEO Curtis Stitt. ”Striking after the parties have negotiated a tentative agreement is irresponsible and will only injure people who rely on COTA for transportation.”
Roughly 60,000 trips per day are made utilizing COTA’s services. All paratransit services provided for ADA customers will continue to operate, while all standard fixed-route bus service is cancelled today. Information about transportation alternatives can be found HERE.
The terms of the new agreement include a seven percent wage increase for drivers and mechanics over the next three years and a two percent reduction in the amount of the employee’s PERS contribution that COTA has been picking up for the employees.
More information about the strike can be found online at www.cota.com/Strike_Notice.
Additional ongoing discussion about the strike can be found HERE.
This is a slap in the face to everyone that counts on COTA.
1) Curtis Stitt is a horses a**. In a labor matter, Curtis, always take the high road.
2) after the storms that we’ve been through, come on COTA drivers, cut the people who voted for organized labor in November some slack in the midst of all this misery.
No need for name calling. Let’s keep the conversation here civil. Thanks.
They are the highest paid bus drivers in the state and some of the highest paid in the country. Not only are thousands without power, but now citizens have no way of getting to their job, medical appt. etc. To many, COTA is a lifeline. And to think that some of those on strike on High Street booed the other drivers of the disabled when they drove by….!!!???…… Honestly, I’d fire each every last one them who are standing out there. Disgraceful.
COTA does not = Comes On Time Always
“And to think that some of those on strike on High Street booed the other drivers of the disabled when they drove by” – jpizzow
Sometimes compassion is trumped by stupidity.
Just in case any COTA busdrivers are reading this and trying to guage public opinion: I disapprove of your strike, especially after seeing the stat above about how their pay ranks compared to others in this state and across the country. I hope that, when the strike is resolved, COTA loses riders and some of you consequently lose your jobs. I never want anyone to lose their job, but this is the risk you take when you deliberately hurt your company.
@Hogroaster – COTA losing riders would potentially lead to service cuts. I don’t think that would help anyone.
As someone whos mother has worked for COTA for over 20 years. I can tell you this article is full of Sh*t. It wasn’t a strike to get a payraise. They didn’t goto the table and say “we want more, or else”. They were brought to the table and said “stop taking from us”. You want to be pissed, take it up Curtis. I cannot count the times I’ve heard “We’d be happy if they just left our old contracts alone”
That is all.
@JustACitizen – No where in this article did it say what the strike was for, nor did it indicate what the drivers were going to the table and asking. It says that the terms reached early this morning include a wage increase. Please re-read.
Are current COTA wages competitive? I can’t find a schedule of that sort of thing.
The story that I heard on the radio (prob WCBE but don’t quote me on it) said that the drivers were upset about having to pay 1% more to their pensions, and also about pay raises. Oh wait I found it elsewhere: http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/10734400/oh-city-officials-prepare-for-cota-strike
thanks for the link!
“Workers objected to paying 1 percent more toward their pensions in 2013 and 2014, and they want drivers to reach the top of COTA’s pay scale more quickly.
On Friday, Stitt sent a letter to 275 community leaders, elected officials and agencies saying that drivers received pay raises totaling 9 percent between 2008 and 2011. The average top-rate salary was $61,773 for a driver in 2011 and nearly $70,000 for a maintenance worker, the letter said.” http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/10734400/oh-city-officials-prepare-for-cota-strike
Here is some further information on it – including a video interview from the Dispatch of a Union rep.
http://buckeyeinstitute.org/the-liberty-wall/2012/07/02/union-power-play-looks-to-harm-those-with-low-income/
@Jared – On a recent episode of All Sides with Ann Fisher, Mr. Stitt stated that COTA’s drivers have the highest pay in the nation when adjusted for cost of living.
http://www.ohiochannel.org/medialibrary/Media.aspx?fileId=136297
$60,000 – $70,000 to be a bus driver!? And they’re complaining. They should be happy they even have jobs. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I made that much and I don’t even have 401k, health insurance, paid vacations and I pay my own work expenses (gas, CE, etc.) Sign me up.
The thread in the messageboard – http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/cota-strike – has drivers/family members of drivers posting in that the salary the Dispatch (notoriously anti-union) is reporting about is incorrect, at least for drivers.
isn’t driver salary public information?
I have no idea – but also have no reason to believe those on the management side, who are trying to discredit their drivers, above what the drivers themselves are saying.
It’s not a good move to have gone through with the strike on this day – but at the same time, I get it. There is no signed agreement. They shouldn’t have an effective pay decrease when their management has had significant pay increases, based on the performance of the drivers themselves.
I don’t understand how this is allowed. It seems like extortion to me. To strike now, between the damages from the storm over the weekend and the impending Red,White and Boom coming tomorrow. Why is this an acceptable practice for any business whether its public or private.
If Lowes were to raise their prices on Chainsaws, Saturday by 30% in response to all the trees falling, everyone would be freaking out. But now, when it is highly probable that more people would be using COTA today they decide to strike. Regardless of the timing of contract negotiations, taking care of your customers should be priority #1 especially with regards to the transportation industry.
Just seems to me that neither party really had the foresight to come to favorable negotiations with enough time to bypass any thought of a strike…