Bus union, company reach agreement to avoid Super Bowl strike

Leaders of the Phoenix bus drivers union and the company that runs the service reached a contract agreement early Tuesday, eliminating the possibility of a strike that could have affected more than a dozen major routes during the Super Bowl.

Officials from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 and First Transit Inc. struck a three-year contract agreement at 5:20 a.m. after an all-night negotiation. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor and a federal mediator also joined the talks.

Stanton said at a news conference Tuesday that he spent hours with the two groups to push them to reach consensus. A strike could have affected 14 Valley Metro routes run by First Transit through a Phoenix contract.

Phoenix has a five-year contract with First Transit and pays the company an average of about $2.2 million each month, according to a city spokesman. The union represents more than 300 bus operators, fuelers and cleaners who work on Phoenix routes.

Routes included in the negotiations extend throughout the metro area and serve Super Bowl attraction sites. Five of those lines run through Glendale, where the game will be played Feb. 1.

"It is a very, very important contract for the city," Stanton said.

A strike by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport workers is still possible, though, according to union officials. The workers at the airport drive rental-car-center shuttles and provide curbside assistance to rental-car customers.

The union and Transdev, which has a contract with the city for the airport services, will resume their contract negotiations Jan. 29.

Leaders from First Transit and the union went back to the negotiating table Monday aftera 10-day break. The contract between the two expired in June.

Workers represented by the union authorized a strike in late December when 96 percent voted to reject a best-and-final contract offer from First Transit. After negotiations failed to produce a deal earlier this month, union leaders said the city should be prepared for a strike during the Super Bowl.

The effects of service disruptions on hotel workers and other employees staffing downtown during Super Bowl activities was a particular concern for the city, Stanton said — especially for families depending on working overtime hours.

"That's why I was personally so passionate about reaching an agreement on this deal," Stanton said. "The Super Bowl is important to all of us."

Finding a resolution also was a concern for the NFL, visiting fans and Super Bowl volunteers, said Jay Parry, president of the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee. Valley Metro is offering extended hours on some routes for the Super Bowl and related activities, as well as a commemorative bus pass.

The union still must bring the new contract agreement to its members, but union leaders are endorsing the deal. The agreement improves wages and working conditions, said Michael Cornelius, lead negotiator for the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433.

Union President Bob Bean said the membership vote could start as early as Sunday. Officials said they would not release specific details until union members are briefed on the agreement.

Stanton said he did not think the threat of Super Bowl service disruption itself was the catalyst for a deal. But he said the city was prepared to provide service in the case of a strike — which would have been expensive.

The groups accelerated their negotiations at the urging of Stanton, Cornelius told The Arizona Republic last week. Cornelius credited the new agreement to Stanton "prodding everyone all night to keep working," he said.

A representative for First Transit said the company also appreciated the support of city leadership.