1. When could the strike occur?
Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1385, mostly bus drivers and mechanics, have selected Jan. 9 as the date workers will begin the strike if a contract is not reached.
LATEST:Union requests, RTA declines binding arbitration
The strike could begin at 12:01 a.m., but union officials said drivers will finish their after-midnight routes before returning buses and trolleys to the central garage, effectively shutting the system down. RTA executives said they’re working on a plan to secure assets if the strike occurs.
2. Why are drivers potentially striking?
Union members and the regional transit authority are negotiating a new contract following the expiration of their last one in 2015. So far, negotiations have stalled due, union officials said, to insurance costs and wage increases.
MORE:30,000 riders could suffer under RTA union’s strike
After Christmas, union officials announced the strike date, then asked the next day if RTA executives would enter into a process called binding arbitration, which would have a third-party decide the contract. RTA officials declined the arbitration offer, arguing it would not be in the interest of taxpayers who fund the system.
3. Who are the people negotiating the contract?
The union and RTA each have teams of people negotiating, but the top individuals are Glenn Salyer, the ATU Local 1385 president, and Mark Donaghy, RTA’s chief executive officer.
MORE:Dayton RTA chief, union leader agree: They don’t like each other
Dayton police arrested Salyer in August and charged him with criminally trespassing on RTA property by distributing literature on a bus platform. Salyer maintains Donaghy was behind the arrest, but Donaghy states he wasn't in the office or available by phone during the incident, and he says Salyer wanted to be arrested. Read more about the arrest here.
4. Who rides the RTA’s buses and trolleys?
About 30,000 people ride the system each day, RTA estimates. These include employees of local companies, school-aged students and people on their way to doctors appointments and social visits, among other trips.
For comparison, that’s about the equivalent of driving the combined population of Centerville and Moraine each day.
Do you have questions about the potential strike?
We'd like to hear your questions about the potential strike or your stories about how it could impact you. Contact reporter Will Garbe at will.garbe@coxinc.com to share.
For the latest on the negotiations, follow on Twitter and Facebook and download our breaking news apps.
About the Author