Union officials representing Phoenix bus drivers on more than a dozen city routes say negotiations with service provider First Transit ended unsuccessfully last week. The two parties are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on Jan. 26.
Officials with Amalgamated Transit Union local 1433 said if negotiators can’t agree on a contract at the next meeting, service disruptions during the Super Bowl are a possibility.
Union chapter president Bob Bean said he believes First Transit is just looking for a strike.
"So that they can go back to the city for what they call a change order to get more money," Bean said. "That’s my personal opinion."
Bean said they won’t make any decisions about striking until after Jan. 26. But he said if they do, the group of bus drivers the union represents at the airport, who work for Veolia Transportation, may also disrupt service there.
In a statement, First Transit said it is eager to continue meeting until a fair and equitable agreement can be reached adding that while it would like to avoid a service disruption, there is a contingency plan in place to remain operational in the event of a strike.
