TriMet LIFT Strike Is Over
May 9, 2012, 11:41 am
Close to 300
TriMet LIFT drivers went on strike after more than two years of failed negotiations. LIFT makes about 3,800 trips per day. Over three-quarters of those were cancelled, but as of tomorrow, service will be back to normal.
TriMet has a contract with
First Transit to provide the service. Drivers represented by the
Amalgamated Transit Union called for First Transit to return to the bargaining table. Contract talks had been underway since February 2010.
About one-third of the operators are non-union members and worked through the short-lived strike. The strike was between the contractor and their employees, who are not paid by TriMet, therefore they could legally strike. The transit agency urged the two sides to resolve their dispute, and word came down shortly after.