Sun Tran workers walk a picket line at Ronstadt Transit Center while on strike in August 2015.The union on strike for nine days against Tucson's municipal bus system contacted a federal mediator Thursday with what it called "a comprehensive proposal addressing all open items."
The proposal, announced in a press release sent out Thursday night, would cost up to $7.7 million, the Teamsters press release said. That compares with the $20.3 cost that Sun Tran management calculated the union's proposal to cost in subsidies over three years.
The Teamsters also produced and began airing TV commercials in English and Spanish spelling out their position, including a claim that Sun Tran returned $2.2 million in subsidies to the city over two years rather than spend the money on raises.
Teamsters spokesman Andrew Marshall was scheduled to appear on PBS 6's Metro Week Friday evening. Sun Tran officials declined to appear.
On Thursday, Sun Tran said ridership on eight routes being operated during the strike was 14,000 a day, a 79 percent decline from the 66,000 a day under normal operations on 43 routes.
The Teamsters want raises and better working conditions, saying the 530 striking drivers, mechanics and station workers have not had raises in several years.
The City Council has consistently voted against raising bus fares to provide more revenue for the system.
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