WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- Unionized city bus drivers voted to reject a contract offer and go on strike effective immediately, leaving Worcester and more than a dozen surrounding communities without public transportation.þþChristopher Bruce, business agent for Local 22 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said union members voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to reject an offer from RTA Transit Services, which runs fixed-route buses for the Worcester Regional Transit Authority.þþThe workers then voted to go on strike. The strike began Tuesday night, with workers who were supposed to report for 11 p.m. shifts refusing to go to work, Bruce said.þþBruce said the company had offered a wage freeze, rather than the wage cuts it had offered previously. However, he said the company's offer also contained work rule changes and an increase in workers' contribution to their health insurance that workers objected to.þþ``They didn't like the package. They feel the company didn't make any concessions, and they didn't want to either,'' Bruce said.þþMary MacInnes, the WRTA's administrator, said in a statement that it was ``unfortunate that an agreement couldn't be reached.''þþMacInnes said the strike would have a ``terrible'' effect on passengers because ``people depend on public transportation for work, for medical appointments, for shopping. I'm most concerned at the thought of how their lives will be adversely affected each day the strike continues.''þþShe said the Local 22 workers, compared to workers at other regional transit authorities, were ``extremely well compensated,'' and the authority was facing tough fiscal times and needed to squeeze savings from the union contract.þþThe 155 members of the union include bus drivers, van drivers, mechanics and clerical workers, Bruce said. The authority provides bus service to Worcester and 13 surrounding communities.þþThe transit authority logged about 4 million fixed-route trips last year. þþþþ
Source: NY Times
