Bargaining Power and More Gentrification in Progress

The Teamsters Local 533 union for bus drivers is now calling for local bus operator Keolis to be fired. The chair of the Regional Transportation Commission board, the elected body that oversees public transit in Reno-Sparks, councilwoman Neoma Jardon, has expressed disappointment as have other Keolis officials.

“The proposals from last week’s negotiation sessions are consistent with industry standards in other organized locations, including block bidding," Keolis regional vice president of operations Mike Ake wrote in a statement released to media.

Block bidding refers in part to forcing drivers to have split days off, including on weekends, or split shifts.

After a tentative agreement on health care on August 12th ended the previous strike round amid months and months of negotiations for a new collective agreement, union leaders now want to ensure they get better scheduling. Gary Watson, president of the Teamsters, made that clear in this week’s Our Town Reno podcast episode, which also includes interviews with long-careered bus drivers.

As we did in a feature story this week, we wanted to put the focus on bus drivers themselves. What drew them to this job, we asked them, and what would be the breaking point for them to seek an occupation elsewhere? Brenda Hill (in photo above) was emotional talking about her favorite riders, and also teared up when she saw another bus driver break the picket line and drive off on a route.

With worker shortages everywhere, and the number of local bus drivers already thinned out precipitously in recent months, the power right now seems to lie with the union trying to get a better contract, and why shouldn’t they? Where would we all be without the work unions have done for higher pay, benefits and working conditions?

Our most commented story this week was about the hyped up Reno Experience District and the cost for all of us, not just those seeking rooms to rent in units which include the name “luxury”, but its effect of already pushing up other rental prices in the area, forcing local businesses to shut down and long-time residents to move.

We also highlighted an advocate for the unhoused, Jake Maynard, as part of our #heroesofreno #helpeachother running series, who makes the renewed call to stop the sweeps and get more voices onto decision making bodies which affect our neighbors without stable shelter.

A story earlier in the week was a devastating one about Kathleen Lang (above), whose partner of 24 years died in the hospital recently after an attack as she dealt with repeated sweeps. “Doug loved life, he had no plans on dying,” she told us. She is now housed at the Village dormitory-style compound on Sage Street, but can’t get over how she couldn’t visit Doug in the hospital during his final days, or how police didn’t seem to take her seriously at all. To add to her many challenges, she is now battling cancer. She is fighting on and trying to get justice and regain her health as best she can in these difficult times.