DALLAS, TX—The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority (DART) agency leadership has made clear to members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1338 its intention to remove a flexible AM/PM scheduling option offered to bus drivers. The policy was initially instituted after Zulita Walker, a veteran operator for DART, tragically died in a crash while on shift. According to Donnie Jolly, President of Local 1338, Walker reportedly fell asleep at the wheel while on shift due to fatigue.
Union DART workers cannot legally strike, and they must negotiate with DART leadership through a “meet and confer” process. The impacts of the agency leadership’s decisions and refusal to listen to unionized workers are clear: a survey conducted among the workers indicated approximately a third of DART employees intend to leave the agency.
Unsurprisingly, these changes have been accompanied by a typical display of union busting. KERA News reports Kenneth Day, ATU International Vice President, stated that Senior Executive Vice President Bernard Jackson is retaliating against unionized workers. Day has stated that Jackson prevented workers from receiving their pay when they were engaging in union-related activities.
