Transit Union Gives Leader Strike Authority

MCTS Gillig bus. Photo by taken March 19, 2025 by Graham Kilmer.

Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 (ATU) voted to give union leaders strike authority Wednesday.

ATU and the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) are in the midst of negotiating a new three-year contract for the bus operators and mechanics the union represents. The vote Wednesday gives ATU leaders the ability to call a strike at any point during negotiations moving forward. ATU members voted 98% to authorize a strike Wednesday night, according to Vice President Michael Brown.

In May, the union told Urban Milwaukee negotiations seemed to be going nowhere. Then, in June, MCTS informed union representatives of a projected $10.9 million budget deficit in the middle of a bargaining session.

“I feel that was extremely coincidental,” said ATU President Bruce Freeman during a meeting of the county board’s Committee on Transportation and Transit Wednesday. “I’m not sure why they would keep that bit of information on us at that particular time.”

The last time the union called a strike was in 2015. And since then, members have provided strike authority during every contract negotiation. In 2018, negotiations lasted nearly two years and nearly ended in a strike. In 2022, the union voted to authorize a strike but reached an agreement with MCTS before calling it.

The potential labor unrest comes during a challenging period for transit system leaders. Transit officials failed to notify elected officials of the $10.9 million budget deficit before announcing it in June. County Executive David Crowley and county supervisors learned of the deficit at the same time as everyone else.

In the wake of the political fallout, Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Director Donna Brown-Martin and MCTS Interim CEO Julie Esch have both resigned. Milwaukee County Comptroller Liz Sumner announced her intent to audit MCTS.

The budget deficit is also, potentially, throwing a wrench into the entire county government budget. The transit system was spending down federal funding released during the COVID-19 pandemic and on track to stay solvent until 2028. Now it’s planning to use those funds to plug its new budget deficit for 2025, potentially setting the system up for a budget gap in 2026.