Bus strike lingers with no talks

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

The arrival of a key Teamsters official has triggered more verbal volleys between Mayor Jeremy Harris and the union representing more than 1,300 striking O'ahu bus workers.

Teamsters International official Jim Santangelo, right, criticized the mayor yesterday. At left is Mel Kahele, local president. Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser

As the strike entered its 24th day today, no talks were scheduled. Negotiators last met Sept. 10.

"This strike is not going to end until the mayor and the city get it together," said Jim Santangelo, president of the Teamster's Joint Council 42 and one of more than 20 vice presidents for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

Said Harris: "It is the Teamster bosses that have made a dreadful mistake in calling this strike and they're furthering this mistake by continuing this strike, and now they've brought in the big, Mainland union bosses to try to muscle this community."

Harris added: "This whole style of negotiating through intimidation ... trying to intimidate the mayor, or the city, or the public by holding them hostage for more salary and more money on top of these already high salaries is wrong."

Santangelo said more financial help for the strikers may be forthcoming.

"This union is in 100 percent support financially ... people (are) coming in from Washington, D.C., to make sure that these people are taken care of."

Striking members are getting about $200 a week in strike benefits, but the international is prepared to provide as much as $500 a week more, if necessary.

Such increases would occur, Santangelo said, "when we find that it's a struggle and it's getting more difficult, and if we find that the people are getting weak." He said that isn't necessary now because morale remains high.

Bus workers make between $15.26 and $21.17 an hour.

Santangelo criticized Harris for spreading "half-truths" about bus drivers making more money than police officers, firefighters and teachers.

Although bus drivers at the top scale make more than such workers in the fifth year, the Teamsters have pointed out that the drivers top out at that point while the other workers can continue to move up their salary scales.

"The mayor? Forget about it," he said. "This guy, being honest is something else."

Vowing to stay in Hawai'i until the strike ends, he implored Harris to "be honest ... come down here and let's talk about this. Is it too much money we're asking for? Well, let's bargain."

The major hang-up at the bargaining table has been over increases in wages and pension benefits. The company is offering a three-year contract with no wage increases in the first and second years, but the possibility for negotiating increases in the third year. The union is willing to accept wage and pension freezes the first year, but wants increases in the second and third years.

Harris, at an afternoon press conference, repeated that it's not his job to be involved in the negotiations because OTS is a privately run company contracted by the city. Nonetheless, the mayor took a few shots.

"I don't think there's a person on this island who truly believes that the Teamsters are underpaid," Harris said. Many make more than $10,000 more than drivers or mechanics who work for the city, he said.

The mayor said union members should "understand ... that what's been offered to them is a fair and equitable contract. They've been offered a guarantee that they're not going to be laid off, that they're not going to lose their benefits."

The union is holding an informational rally at the State Capitol tomorrow afternoon that will culminate with a march across Punchbowl Street to Honolulu Hale. Other unions are expected to participate.

Santangelo said that International Teamsters President James P. Hoffa is expected to arrive in Honolulu at some point. He also said that an expert team of media handlers is set to arrive in Honolulu today to deal with what he acknowledged has been a public perception that has not been sympathetic to bus employees.

"We've been getting the bad rap from the media," he said. The media experts will "turn around the people of this city where they're not going to be running up and down the streets saying that we're the bad guys who are on strike."

Bus workers at the Middle Street picket line yesterday afternoon said they were encouraged by Santangelo's presence, noting that he visited with them that morning to answer questions and give moral support.

"To me, it was like a shot of adrenaline, an IV," said Marc Behic, a bus driver for 15 years.

Behic blamed the mayor for the stalemate.

"A lot of this could have been prevented if they had managed TheBus correctly," he said.

Behic said he wants the public to know "it's not like we walked off the job; they locked us out."

"It was an energy boost," said Catherine Aldueso, of Santangelo's visit. Aldueso, a 14-year bus driver, said that union workers are sticking together.

"There's no turning back when you do this," she said. "I know that if we stop at this point in negotiations, where there's zeroes, all of this heartache, everything that we're going through, is for nothing. And I'm sorry, I don't agree with that."

Santangelo also blasted OTS President Jim Cowen, whom he described as "the chief of all union-busters in the country." He urged the city to begin proceedings to get rid of Cowen and the OTS management team.

OTS Vice President Roger Morton said it was "a cheap shot" to criticize Cowen.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.