RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — GRTC had to make adjustments Monday, including having buses run about once an hour, after more than 40 employees called out of work.

8News spoke with a GRTC driver who asked to remain anonymous. He said operators decided “we have to take a stand.” The bus operator said that many passengers don’t wear masks or gloves on their buses and additional pay is needed for putting themselves at risk.

The local bus system said in a statement that half of the necessary workforce reported to work. 8News was told by a GRTC representative that 46 out of 100 bus operators that were scheduled to work called out.

“Approximately half of the necessary workforce is reporting for duty as of 4:30AM,” GRTC spokeswoman Carrie Rose Pace wrote in an email. “Therefore, GRTC is adjusting service today where buses run about once an hour.”

Chief Executive Officer Julie Timm wrote in an email that “last Thursday the local union demanded an additional $6 per hour hazard pay or stated that we would be faced with a possible walk out.” The CEO said it is possible that the call-outs could be a result of her decision to take up this “demand” with the GRTC board in May.

The delays caused trouble for people like Marq White, who lives in Richmond near Hull Street and Midlothian Turnpike and takes a bus to and from work every day. The rider told 8News he gave up after waiting almost an hour for the bus.

“I tried to get a Lyft. There were actually no drivers and couldn’t get to work,” he said. White had to call off work for the day, missing out on a day’s pay.

“While the local union president has claimed this is not a union sanctioned call out, I have heard from many operators that this did come from the union in protest over the lack of hazard pay and the small size of the immediate bonus I offered to show our appreciation for staff dedication,” Timm wrote.

8News spoke to the union president, Maurice Carter, over the phone. He answered “no comment” to each of our questions.

In a letter to Carter, Timm said that she has “no choice but to determine that the call out is a strike or some other concerted interference with work on the part of some of our operators in volation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (“CBA”) between GRTC and the ATU.”

Timm noted several factors that led GRTC to determine that ATU had violated their agreement, including claims that Carter had warned Timm last week that the offer of a $0.50 per hour hazard pay differential “would result in a walk-out.”

The letter informs Carter that staff members are required to return to work immediately and that those who called out sick will not be paid for the day and will be subject to unauthorized leave on their record.

“Any operator who does not return to work on Tuesday or their next designated work assignment will be subject to immediate termination,” Timm concludes.

If you experience any issues you can contact customer service from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 804-358-4782.

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