MCTS drivers union to vote this week on authorizing a strike

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The union representing bus drivers for the Milwaukee County Transit System will hold a vote Wednesday on whether to authorize a strike. Bruce Freeman, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, told CBS 58 Monday he wanted to see where members stood amid negotiations that have been ongoing since late January and, in Freeman's view, have amounted to very little progress.

"We're a long way from actually going on strike," Freeman said. "The strike vote is basically to check the temperature of the membership."

Freeman said he wanted to see if at least 90% of the union's membership would signal they're on board with a possible strike. He said the union is working on a contract extension that ended June 30, but drivers have agreed to keep operations going as talks continue. 

Freeman said the current holdups in talks revolve around hours and working conditions, but he added he expects money to be another hurdle amid MCTS revealing last month it is facing a $10.9 million budget deficit.

"We seem to be stuck on a lot of little things that we're asking for in the contract, without even touching the base of economics yet," he said. "[The deficit] kind of gives them a little ammunition to not talk economics with us because it's almost useless to say, 'We're giving you guys a raise, but we're short of money.'"

MCTS provides 80,000 daily rides. The transit system noted in a June 17 release it would run fewer buses during non-peak hours to close some of its budget gap. Frequent riders, such as Adam Kosbab, worry service reductions, and possibly a strike, would drastically disrupt their daily routines.

"If I have to be by myself, I need transportation. I don't drive," Kosbab said while waiting for the 60 route bus Monday along N. Hawley Rd. "I'm not into change. That's all I can say. I'm not really into change."

Officials are concerned about a possible strike, too. Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Shawn Rolland said his understanding is four factors are contributing to the MCTS deficit: higher than expected overtime costs, higher than expected equipment costs, higher than expected costs related to paratransit and widespread fare evasion.

"As a county board member and as a bus rider, myself, I'm nervous about it," Rolland said. "I'm worried they won't come to an agreement."

Rolland is one of five board supervisors pushing a resolution that would direct MCTS to come up with a "data-driven, safety-first" approach to cutting down on fare evasions. MCTS reported about 25% of riders did not pay fares in 2024, and it cost the system $4 million.

Rolland says he's learned the system believes cutting the fare evasion rate to 15% could save MCTS as much as $3 million.

"Come up with a plan that we can all feel good about," he said. "One that doesn't create safety issues for the drivers, doesn't create safety issues for the passengers, but gets the job done."

The county board's transportation committee is slated to discuss both the deficit and the issue of fare evasion at its meeting Wednesday.

Both Rolland and Freeman noted increased fare evasion has become a bigger issue in cities nationwide. Freeman said MCTS instructs its drivers to not challenge riders who board without paying.

Freeman said he wants MCTS to commit to placing security officers on buses, particularly those on routes with the highest levels of fare evasion.

"That is the only way we're ever gonna get it in control of this because it's out of control," Freeman said. "And believe me, this is a problem that's going on all over the country."

According to MCTS, a particularly troublesome route for fare evasion has been the Connect 1 bus rapid transit route connecting the medical campus in Wauwatosa with the lakefront. The system says approximately one in every three Connect 1 passengers are boarding without paying a fare, which unlike MCTS' other routes, is done at stops instead of on the bus.

Milwaukee County is getting new help in the recently enacted state budget. It will receive $38 million to make up for the fact it's Wisconsin's only county that doesn't get help from the state patrol in manning highways. Even then, the county must still give Madison a share of its citation revenue.

Rolland said it's possible the county will direct some of that money to MCTS but added the county also must start saving for a long-overdue $500 million new courthouse.

The last time MCTS went on strike was in the summer of 2015. That was a three-day work stoppage with advance notice. Freeman said he's willing to have the union go further this time.

"If things go the way they go, it will be a strike," Freeman said. "It will not be a work stoppage."