With Strike Possible, Milwaukee Bus Drivers Vote On New Contract Offer From County

Local bus drivers in Milwaukee County, who voted earlier this month to authorize a strike if the county and Amalgamated Transit Union can’t reach a deal, are casting ballots Monday on a contract offer.

Milwaukee County said it offered a pay raise for drivers late last week, but also said it wants to hire more part-time drivers to cut down on overtime. Local Transit Union President James Macon said those part-time drivers would not have to pay into a pension system.

“There’s no way in the world we’re going to agree with them to bring 309 people on here,” said Macon. “We’re not going to give you the opportunity to bring them in here with no benefits and not paying into the pension. We need people paying into the pension to maintain the pension.”

Macon said retired bus drivers are counting on their pension check.

Brendan Conway, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee County Transit System, said he does not expect the contract proposal to have a noticeable impact on the overall pension, which the county says is 85 percent funded. Conway said the idea behind hiring a small amount of part-time employees is to reduce overtime and driver burnout. He also noted that similar transit systems offer a part-time option for drivers.