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Matt Sepic

Transit workers vote down contract, authorize Super Bowl strike

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Twin Cities transit workers on Monday voted down a contract offer from the Metropolitan Council, and said they'll go on strike during the Super Bowl in early February if there's no deal by then.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 president Mark Lawson said 93 percent of those who voted rejected the three year proposal and authorized a strike.

The proposal includes too many concessions, Lawson said, including the removal of a cap on the hours part-time bus and train drivers may work.

Lawson said drivers already worked the Minnesota State Fair under their old contract.

"We don't want to go through another big event with an expired contract," he said. "The contract expired at the end of July, and we've been negotiating since May. And we feel like Metro Transit has not moved in a timely manner."

Lawson also said that drivers are concerned about safety.

"This is not really about wages and health care like you would typically expect a contract to be about," he said. "This is much more about the givebacks that they want."

The union represents about 2,500 Metro Transit workers.

In a statement, Met Council spokesperson Kate Brickman said the agency is negotiating in good faith with a mediator and is confident it'll reach an agreement that's satisfactory to both sides.

"We value the work of ATU members and their contribution to our region," Brickman said.