Striking drivers may halt paratransit service

Wednesday, May 22, 2002 | 10:47 a.m.

Drivers of paratransit buses for the disabled, who have not been affected by a regional bus drivers strike, could be drawn into the dispute, the president of the union local said Tuesday.

The paratransit drivers could be asked to honor picket lines if Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1637 decides to escalate its strike against ATC, which operates the regular, "fixed-route" buses for the Regional Transportation Commission, union President Frank Opdyke said Tuesday.

Already individual paratransit drivers are joining regular drivers on picket lines after their shifts, he said.

A different company, Laidlaw, operates most of the paratransit service for the RTC. Laidlaw successfully completed negotiations with the union last year.

But, Opdyke said, fixed-route drivers were prepared to stop work last year to support the paratransit negotiations, and paratransit drivers could be asked to do the same.

"We could take out paratransit. ... It's always an option," he said, adding the union would talk to Laidlaw officials first.

Laidlaw General Manager Sandy Stanko said this morning the company was not expecting any such action. It has a no-strike clause in its contract with the union, she said.

"We have a good relationship with the union," Stanko said, adding Opdyke "has assured me" the union would not take action against Laidlaw at this time.

The paratransit buses make 2,000 trips per day, she said.

About 700 fixed-route bus drivers went on strike early Monday morning against ATC, the contracted company operating the RTC's Citizens Area Transit system. The strike has delayed service on routes throughout the Las Vegas Valley, and more than a dozen routes were not operating at all on Tuesday.

Some 150,000 people a day typically depend on the bus system to get around.

About 65 percent of the buses were running today using replacement workers, ATC spokeswoman Val Michael said.

The union and ATC are apparently far apart on wage, benefit and holiday issues, with both sides vowing to stand firm for as long as it takes.

Thousands of riders have found alternative transportation or faced an hour or more of delays while waiting for buses.

Although the parties have been negotiating since last fall, both the drivers and ATC are now facing financial pressure to resolve the contract issue.

The company could be liable for thousands of dollars in fines accrued because of late or absent buses. Drivers are facing the loss of wages.

Opdyke, of the union, said Tuesday that at least four drivers have been hit or bumped by buses crossing picket lines in North Las Vegas and on the south end of the Strip.

Union officials and members said the incidents were the result of bad driving by the replacement workers. ATC blamed the actions of the pickets.

ATC, responding to what the company's attorney called at least two incidents in which pickets were hit by buses, filed Tuesday for a temporary restraining order and a permanent injunction to keep them away from buses. The injunction also seeks to limit the number of pickets at hot spots such as the two facilities used to park and repair buses.

District Judge Jennifer Togliatti rejected the temporary order Tuesday, but scheduled a Friday hearing on the permanent injunction.

"We're concerned about safety," ATC attorney Anthony Ashby said. "(Safety) of the drivers, visitors and more importantly of the pickets themselves."

Ashby said pickets have thrown objects at buses and verbally assaulted drivers passing through picket lines.

Opdyke said the union pickets have followed the rules carefully and the incidents of buses hitting people are due to bad or aggressive driving by the replacement workers.

"If they keep it up there's going to be a fatality," Opdyke said.

One striking driver was treated for an injury Tuesday after he was hit by a bus leaving the Simmons Street system facility.

According to North Las Vegas Police Lt. Chris Larotonda, a video confiscated from pickets showed that the striker, not the bus driver, was at fault.

The striker was cited for blocking traffic, and more charges could come, Larotonda said.

Larotonda said the North Las Vegas Police response is not biased for or against either side.

"They've got a right to strike, but both sides have to follow the law," he said.

RTC officials said they do not know when they will know how much ATC, a multinational bus system management company, will be fined for missing or late service.

"Our priority right now is making sure the buses are out there," Heather Curry, RTC spokeswoman, said.

The bus system typically services 51 routes valleywide with 308 buses.

Sun reporter Ed Koch contributed to this story.

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