Union employees at TCAT voted to authorize a strike Wednesday, which allows the union’s bargaining team to call a strike if needed.
However, the vote does not mean the bus drivers, custodians, and maintenance workers that keep the Tompkins County transit service running will necessarily stop working. The local branch of the United Auto Workers, which represents TCAT workers, is currently negotiating a new union contract with the transit service.
“We remain committed to bargaining in good faith, but we will not accept a deal that fails to respect and compensate the value of our hard work,” the union’s bargaining team wrote in a statement announcing the results of the vote.
According to the union, 84% of members voted to authorize the strike.
The union has said its aim is to negotiate a new contract with cost of living adjustments, additional pay increases for long-term workers, and higher wages. They are demanding that all workers are paid at least a living wage to live in Tompkins County, as defined by a recent study from Cornell University. This year that was estimated to be around $25 dollars an hour, up from around $18 an hour in 2023.
TCAT General Manager Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones said a strike would be detrimental to riders and the bus service.
“Ultimately, this disruption in transit service would mean a loss of ridership and revenue that would reverse the progress TCAT has made recovering from the pandemic and could lead to riders abandoning TCAT permanently,” he told WSKG in a statement following the vote.
TCAT told WSKG there are no anticipated changes to the bus schedule because of the vote.
Last year, the local United Auto Workers union won a new contract for service and maintenance workers at Cornell after a strike that lasted for more than two weeks.