Jacob Vaughn
Audio By Carbonatix
DART paratransit workers may be headed for a strike after more than a year of negotiations.
On Tuesday, organizers for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1338 announced that union employees had voted 160-1 to authorize a strike after prolonged and unsuccessful negotiations with DART’s paratransit provider, Transdev. The employees, who provide door-to-door transportation for disabled individuals unable to use DART’s other services, say they have been subjected to poor working conditions, retaliation and intimidation.
ATU Local 1338 authorized a strike last May, but ultimately called it off after promises of further negotiations. As those negotiations have stalled, employees are now set to go on strike at midnight on March 14 if negotiations taking place that week do not yield significant results.
In a statement, a representative for Trandev said the company was “aware” of the vote and noted that a strike was not yet set in stone.
“Transdev remains committed to bargaining in good faith with ATU Local 1338 to reach a fair and balanced agreement,” the statement reads. “We recognize and value the hard work and dedication of all employees and are focused on securing a contract that reflects their contributions while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of Transdev’s operations in the Dallas community.”
In 2024, Transdev was awarded an eight-year contract by DART to provide paratransit services, which was valued at more than $600 million. In a release announcing the procurement, DART noted that there are “approximately 11,000 riders certified to use Paratransit services and with Microtransit ridership of over 886,000 in fiscal year 2023.”
‘Not being treated as adults’
Bernard Wade, vice president of ATU Local 1338, said the union has met with Transdev twice a month since calling off last year’s strike, but added the negotiations haven’t felt sincere.
“We just haven’t been doing fair bargaining,” Wade said. “We don’t feel it’s fair bargaining.”
Among workers’ complaints, he said, are retaliation and intimidation from management. Employees are often called into management offices and are denied the opportunity to have the union representative present, Wade said.
He also added that the employee healthcare plan is “sad” and said that most of the 210 paratransit employees working under Transdev are paid $19.25 an hour.
“A kid getting out of high school can go work at McDonald’s, Burger King, or whatever and make $20 an hour,” Wade said. We have employees that work for Transdev, and they’re having to work Lyft and Uber services.”
The way employees are treated in the workplace is also an issue, Wade said.
“They feel like they’re not being treated as adults, and you’re not treating them and talking to them as if they are adults,” he said.
Wade and other union organizers will meet with Transdev representatives from June 11 through June 13. He said he feels that the union will get “some resolutions now that they see that we’re serious about this year,” but if not, a strike will go into effect on June 14.
“The sad part about it is, those people that need to get to dialysis may not have an opportunity to get to their dialysis,” Wade said. “Those people that need to get to their doctor’s appointment may not be able to get to their doctor’s appointment, and they may not be able to get back from their doctor’s appointment… That’s not what we want.”
