WHO WILL SUFFER? 5 groups brace for Dayton RTA strike
It will be nearly impossible for other services to meet the region’s transportation demand, said Jim Murphy, a dispatcher at Anton’s Transportation, a Dayton cab company.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of extra capacity out there,” he said. “On any given day we are pretty well maxed out. We have every van and every driver coming in Monday to go, but I don’t know how much additional work we’ll be able to take.”
DETAILS: RTA strike would strand 'hundreds' of Dayton workers
For the past two weeks Murphy has fielded calls from bus riders as well as from area employers whose workers use RTA. The question over and over: what are the company’s rates and how to schedule pickups. He expects to be inundated with calls Monday should the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1385 workers walk out at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
One who called Murphy was Doug Barry, president of Barry Staff Inc., who said a strike would be an unprecedented situation for the company serving local companies and manufacturers. About 45 percent of Barry’s temporary staff relies on RTA for transportation, he said.
MORE: Executives will drive Dayton RTA buses if strike hits
A strike will leave people looking for alternatives that could include:
- Seeking transportation from friends and relatives
- Car-pooling with co-workers
- Calling for what may be a scarce cab or summoning a ride-share service like Uber or Lyft via mobile apps
- Biking or walking if distance allows and conditions are safe
RTA is expected to offer limited services in the event of a strike using managers who are backup drivers on a “qualified operators list.” The services may include essential medical transportation, according to an RTA “strike plan” obtained by the Dayton Daily News using Ohio’s open records law. RTA officials said the details on which services and fixed routes that may be running during a strike would be worked out Saturday.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as well as two members of the Dayton Board of Education are urging the transit authority and the union to resolve the dispute.
On Saturday, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said no one wants to see a disruption in service hurt workers, students, disabled riders and local businesses.
“We owe it to riders, taxpayers and the entire Miami Valley to do everything possible to avoid a strike,” he said. “I hope all sides will come to the bargaining table ready to reach a fair agreement to keep workers on the job and local transit moving for the Miami Valley.”
State Rep. Niraj Antani, R-Miamisburg, said in a letter to RTA officials and ATU leaders that a “strike would have devastating effect on the community.
“It will leave thousands of students, single mothers, and working class Daytonians without transportation to get to school, to work, and to the grocery store to put food on the table,” Antani said.
A strike could have grave consequences on already at-risk students who rely on RTA services to get to class, said Dayton Board of Education members Sheila Taylor and John McManus in a statement Saturday.
“If RTA cannot solve this labor dispute with its workers by Monday, a significant portion of our high school students will be stranded in the cold and without the opportunity to come to school,” said Sheila Taylor, board vice president.
McManus said the strike could set back recent academic gains made by the district.
“DPS just avoided a state takeover this year by pulling up its scores and focusing on making quick gains where we needed them the most,” McManus said. “Student attendance plays a significant part in any district’s performance index. If RTA can’t settle this dispute by Monday, too many of our kids will miss days in the classroom that they just can’t afford to miss.”
The final bargaining session is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday at the RTA headquarters at Third and Main streets in Dayton.
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