Greater Dayton RTA negotiations: 3 big things to know

Leaders of the Greater Dayton RTA and the Amalgamated Transit Union will meet today with a state mediator for another round of talks over unresolved healthcare issues.

MORE: Experts suggest resetting tone as Greater Dayton RTA, union resume talks

The talks come as RTA this month announced riders will face higher fares and fewer routes as the agency faces a loss of $4.6 million in sales tax revenue.

Here are three big things to know about the talks:

1. The union has a new president

In December, union members elected financial secretary Gerald Duncan as the new local president. Duncan, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, succeeded Glenn Salyer. Reached by phone, Salyer said he wished his successor well.

“I did what I thought was in the best interest, and everything I did was board approved,” Salyer said. “I wish them the best of luck, and I hope they can resolve the issues in the best interest of the members.”

2. The problems remain the same

Despite the strike last year, the sides are still at odds over health care.

In October, RTA proposed each full-time employee pay 20 percent of the total cost of the health care plan. A memo released under Ohio’s public records laws confirms the offer was still on the table as of Dec. 6. RTA CEO Mark Donaghy this month declined to tell the newspaper whether the offer was still active.

Under the October proposal, employees actively enrolled in RTA’s wellness incentive plan and meet its requirements would pay 10 percent of the total cost of the health care plan if fully insured, or the premium equivalent rate defined each year by RTA if self-funded for a single, one plus one, or family contract.

Union officials have opposed the proposed changes.

3. Experts said the change of leadership could help talks

Harvard University professor Daniel Shapiro said an ideal situation would be if RTA and ATU representation “could get colleagues together and start brainstorming creative ways of working out an agreement better than a strike or a public confrontation.” He also suggested Duncan and Donaghy meet together for coffee without talking business.

“Practically, it sounds like this a moment of opportunity with shifting leadership,” he said.

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