Columbia public works, utilities staff rally on dire employment, pay issues with city

City of Columbia employees in public works, utilities and other skilled trade departments as members of the Laborer's International Union of North America Local 955 Union are saying enough is enough.

They rallied Monday night in front of Columbia City Hall, urging city leadership to increase pay by 10% and to not make changes to the city transit system that would mean 90-minute routes for bus operators and riders alike.

More:Go COMO bus route combination seen as stop-gap until other solutions are developed

The transit system changes could go into effect by mid-February.

LiUNA is a public sector union and unlike other union organizations, based on Missouri law, they cannot strike, said Andrew Hutchinson, union representative.

Laws do not prevent rallies, though, like the one held Monday, and there likely will be more as the union enters collective bargaining negotiations with the city. LiUNA had initial conversations with the Columbia City Council at a work session on Jan. 17, which also included representatives from the city's police and fire department unions.

"We need a 10% raise across the board to fix this staffing crisis, so that our members can provide the best services possible to this full-service city," Hutchinson said. "... These folks have fixed sewer lines on Thanksgiving, worked 60-hour weeks — and no is there to thank them."

LiUNA members include bus operators, solid waste workers, sewer and road maintenance, mechanics and custodial staff. Requests made in the initial meeting with the council focused on pay, benefits (such as family and bereavement leave), grievances process, equity across departments and ending pre-employment drug testing. Random post-hiring testing is maintained in the document submitted to the council.

Current council members Andrea Waner and Nick Foster were observed at the rally, while First and Fifth Ward council candidates, respectively, Nick Knoth and Gregg Bush, were also present Monday, interacting with union members.

Signs at the rally held by union members and supporters alike read "We (love) public workers," "Stop the cuts," "We (love) our bus drivers," and "Fair wages for all," among others.

"We want the city to bargain with us in good faith," Hutchinson said, adding the union usually has not gone public with its message until now. "We want the city council and city manager to take steps to rectify the staffing crisis and issues we have brought up for years. We go into negotiations pretty soon now. The reality is bus driver starting wage is not enough to support yourself or your family."

Speakers at Monday's rally included those working to drive city buses, keep sewers and the city's fleet of vehicles going.

More:Columbia Wastewater Treatment Plant open house provides peek into operations, open jobs

"I have seen many changes and phases in transportation," said Melvin Stapleton, one of the city's bus operators. "There have been improvements, but an overall decline. ... The demand has increased on us, but the pay has not increased with the demand."

He also foresees the impacts of route compression, increasing the number of riders on each bus and potential issues arising between riders as capacity increases.

"We have been short-staffed ever since I started. Riders are not satisfied with routes. The core problem is not having enough staff," Stapleton said.

It was not only union members who spoke at the rally, but community members who are directly impacted by proposed changes happening for the city's transit service. Gretchen Maune, a member of the city's Disabilities Commission and Public Transit Advisory Commission, uses the city's buses as a vital service since she is blind.

"Disabled people like me who cannot drive rely on our city's public and paratransit to go to the grocery store, to go to work, to go to doctor's appointments, visit friends and family and everywhere else," she said. "In the 15 years I have relied on this public service, I have seen its critical importance disregarded by those in power.

"As a city resident who depends upon them every day, I can tell you first-hand, their time and their skill is worth it."

Nathan Billington, who works as a solid waste worker, often does not know how long his shift will be when he goes into work because of how short-staffed the department is, he said.

"When trucks break down sometimes we have to work nights and overnights and we don't know that until we are done with our day shift," he said. "There are jobs open and we cannot fill them. We need the pay to fill those positions."

One person who helps maintain the city's fleet of vehicles is mechanic Scotty Johnson.

"We are about half-staffed right now and we have not hired a new mechanic since 2021," he said. "The pay is the biggest part. It costs the city more money when we are understaffed."

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.