The University of Texas shuttle bus service was started by Transportation Enterprises, Inc. (TEI) in 1969. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local Division 1549 was formed in 1972 when University of Texas shuttle bus drivers came together to demand that TEI bargain with them over work assignments, safety and pay. The new contract gave the drivers the right to have a grievance and arbitration procedure, the right to bid for a regular day shift and the right to refuse to drive a bus if it was believed that its condition may risk the health or safety of any person. Through the years the University of Texas shuttle bus service has been run by several management companies such as TEI, ARA, Travelways, Laidlaw, DAVE and ATC/Vancom. Originally UT contracted directly with the private company to run the shuttle bus system but in 1988 the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro) won the bid and Capital Metro then subcontracts to a private company. This additional layer of management made it more difficult for ATU #1549 to negotiate for the shuttle bus drivers.
For much of the 1990s and early 2000s the shuttle drivers were in a labor dispute that stemmed from the UT shuttle drivers' demands for fair wages and benefits. The basis for the dispute was that while shuttle drivers and regular city bus drivers drive the same buses Capital Metro pays the regular city bus drivers more money and they have a more attractive benefits package. In 2002 the union filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor claiming ATC/Vancom has created downtime between driver shifts as a way to avoid paying a portion of drivers' hourly wage, in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
ATU Local Division 1549 was terminated in the fall of 2006 when it merged with ATU Local Division 1091.
The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local Division 1549 collection documents the activities of the organization during the time period 1996-2006. Included in the Administrative Records series are membership lists for the union as well as UT shuttle bus employee lists and seniority lists. Also included are a sign in book and a minute book for union meetings from 2002 to 2006, as well as customer call reports and the 2005 "Ninth Amendment to Agreement Between the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System and the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority." The relationship between the union and management of the UT shuttle service is highlighted in the unfair labor practices (ULP) charges by the union file, as well as in Labor/Management meeting notes, the correspondence and the arbitration file.
The Financial Records series consists of financial secretary reports and bank statements for the time period 2002 to 2006 as well as receipts submitted for reimbursement from 1996 and 1998. The Grievances series consists of files of three separate cases between individuals and either the union or the management of the UT shuttle bus service. Included are Thelma Gomez's charge of discrimination against ATU # 1549, Glenn Gavin's charge against employer Laidlaw Transit, Inc. and ATU Local # 1549 charges of unauthorized use of union funds against Dan Gamez. Also included are audio recordings of union audit committee that was looking into the Gavin situation. The Printed Materials series consists of union newsletters, newspaper clippings, folders of materials from labor conferences and manuals for strike preparation and building relationships with management.
Original order and folder headings were maintained whenever possible. If folder headings were unclear explanations were added in parenthesis. Loose materials were foldered by material type.
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Open to all users.
None.
Donated by a union member and past president.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local Division #1549 (AR.2010.005). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas.
Donor #: DO/2010/013
Donation Date: 2010
Finding aid created and encoded by Molly Hults/2010.