Members of Amalgamated Transit Union 1433 voted by more than 95 percent to turn down the offer from Transdev, the French company which owns and operates the majority of Phoenix bus routes.
In a statement Katrina Heineking, a Transdev Phoenix general manager, said they are "very disappointed" that members rejected the offer she called “extremely fair,” guaranteeing operators receive a 3 percent pay raises per year for five years.
Transit union members, who have been working without a contract, have previously voted to authorize a strike. ATU Local 1433 representative Michael Cornelius said no decision has been made on a work stoppage yet, but that it could happen in “5 minutes or next month.” The union wants Transdev to return to the bargaining table. The company operates 34 of 49 Phoenix bus routes.
The company said it will leave what it calls its “best and final offer” on the table until Thursday, but Heineking "committed to meet to discuss these issues in an attempt to seek resolution."
A work stoppage would affect tens of thousands of Phoenix bus riders. The city said the affected routes average 128,000 riders per day.
