The Friends of Transit share this update on the continuing possibility of a bus strike affecting some of Valley Metro’s bus routes:
As you may be aware, the bus operators who work for Veolia Transportation Services (VTS) and are represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. VTS has a contract with the city of Phoenix to operate 31 of the region’s 100 Valley Metro bus routes.
This week, the Public Transit Department was informed by VTS that the negotiation situation had not changed and that a strike is very possible in the near future. Due to the uncertain nature of this situation, transit users should be aware that a service interruption could occur at any time until a new labor agreement is signed.
Until that time, those who use public transit should check the status of transit service during commutes.
Information and updates will be posted to phoenix.gov. Passengers also can get updates at www.valleymetro.org or by calling 602-253-5000 to talk with a customer service representative from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. or for recorded messages after hours. During bus service hours, the city will broadcast live announcements on Phoenix buses to keep passengers informed about any possibility of a service disruption.
Please pass along this information to anyone you know who uses public transit. The situation is ongoing until a new labor agreement is signed between the parties, and transit users are strongly encouraged to check in periodically.
To our knowledge, this does not affect METRO light rail.
As we get new information, we’ll update this page as well as our Twitter feed, @downtownvoices.
Downtown Voices Coalition 