LISTEN — La Crosse bus union president: MTU workers asking for a raise

Todd Strasser, the president of ATU 519, here in La Crosse — otherwise known as the bus union president — joined the Democratic Voice podcast with La Crosse County Democratic Party chair William Garcia to discuss negotiations happening between the union and the city for a pay increase.

Strasser talks about MTU workers looking for a 4.5% raise, while the city is at, around, a 2.9% increase. Strasser added that MTU management was given a 14% raise over the past two years.

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MTU workers are staging an informational picket at 12:45pm Monday, outside of La Crosse Transit Center. That happens 15 minutes prior to an event at Grand River Station promoting MTU Equity Days.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds and “transit advocates” will be holding a news conference there at 1 p.m. to kick off the week-long Transit Equity Days, in which bus rides will be free through Feb. 5.

The ATU 519 is looking for the mayor’s support for the pay increase and has an online petition here.

Strasser added that federal funding that’s come in during both the Donald Trump and Joe Biden administrations means there is more than enough money to approve the raises.