Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Utah Transit Authority operators express concerns over hours and other workplace conditions.
- Union reps criticize management, citing growing safety concerns.
- UTA acknowledged their concerns, and aims to resolve them before contract deadline of Dec. 31.
SALT LAKE CITY — Adam Turner became emotional as he described how the best job he's ever had has turned into a nightmare.
He says he became a Utah Transit Authority bus operator to provide for his wife and three children, but he's had to take on more split shifts, working two time periods stretched out throughout the day. It's taken him away from his family, who are often in bed by the time he comes home, while he's had to pick up spare jobs to afford the rising cost of child care.
"I feel dad guilt because I am here and not with them," he told members of UTA's board of trustees. "When I first started, this was a hope and something that I could achieve to be here longer for. I shouldn't have to do Domino's delivery to have extra money on the side."
Turner isn't alone. Dozens of his co-workers erupted into applause as he wrapped up his story during a UTA board meeting Wednesday. Many were holding signs with messages like, "This is a management crisis years in the making," and "We're family right? Nope!"
Some also stepped up to a microphone to describe difficult working conditions, growing security issues, a feeling that their concerns aren't being heard and other workplace problems. They say the hours can pose public safety problems on top of taking people away from their families.
"It's hard for me to sit by and watch this happen and not (raise) a red flag about it, because I'm concerned we're going backward," added Richard Young, another UTA operator who attended the meeting.
UTA workers operate on an agreement between the agency and the Amalgamated Transit Union that is renewed every three years. While Utah leaders passed a bill this year that placed limits on unions in the public sector, the bill — currently on pause as it heads toward a 2026 referendum — did not apply to the state's largest transit agency.
Their current agreement expires at the end of this year, but union representatives said they came to Wednesday's meeting well ahead of the deadline because the conditions have become too glaring to ignore. Many of the issues, they say, began after a shift within UTA leadership about a year ago, where a greater focus on operational efficiency began.
Union reps say it took "years" to negotiate more straight shifts than split shifts. Straight shifts occur when an operator clocks in and out in one normal shift rather than splitting up during the day. However, UTA started to revert to more split shifts recently, said Doug Underwood, vice president of Local 382, Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 382.
And while UTA has addressed its previous operator shortage, the agency has also partnered with a third-party operator for ski bus, special events and emergency services — taking overtime opportunities away from some drivers. Meanwhile, drivers and union officials alike say there has been an uptick in verbal and physical harassment from riders. Young said some of those issues are expected with the job, but more incidents have gotten "out of hand," especially in recent months.
"UTA seems to have gotten meaner, for lack of a better word," said Norm Blessant, financial security and treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 382, after the group left the meeting. "It's like they don't value the operator like they used to. I don't know if it's coming from the top or where, but it's where it seems to us right now."
Operators are seeking better wages, fewer split shifts, more opportunities for supplemental work and better security options while on the job, among other things.
UTA board members and director Jay Fox appeared to watch intensely as employees shared their stories. Their concerns are something leaders will track as contract negotiations pick up over the next few months, said UTA spokesman Gavin Gustafson.
"We're working closely with them to take care of our operators," he said. "We couldn't do this service without them, so they're extremely important to us, and we're working with the union to come up with something that works best for everybody."
Both sides say they're hopeful to reach a deal by the Dec. 31 deadline.
"Hopefully, we can fix a lot of it there, but it takes two sides," Blessant said. "We'll have to see what happens."
