BUFFALO, N.Y. -- It began with more than three dozen members of Amalgamated Transit Workers Local 1342 gathering outside Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority headquarters on Ellicott Street. The union representing NFTA bus drivers soon took its contract battle from the street to the boardroom.
"Trying to get a contact for our people. We haven't had a contract since 2009 or a raise since 2008," said Kevin Kline, executive board member of ATU Local 1342.
As a result, Kline says the NFTA is the lowest-paid transit authority in the state. Drivers start off at $12.95 an hour and can make $21.59 after five years, but he says most of his members can barely make ends meet.
"Try to raise a family in 2016 on 2008 wages, when you have kids, and try to put food on the table, put your kids through school. It's nearly impossible," said Kline.
Buffalo City Comptroller Mark Schroeder stopped by to show his support for the workers.
"I think it's pathetic that they're in this position in the first place," said Schroeder, D-Buffalo. "These are loyal professionals who serve the public each and every day and to be without a contract is disrespectful so I'm calling on the NFTA the management team, the board of directors to do something about it."
Upstairs, about two dozen union members sat in on the NFTA board of commissioners meeting to make their demands known.
"First of all, we want nothing more than to have a contract with the many hard-working men and women of the ATU. They do an incredible job for us," said NFTA Executive Director Kim Minkel.
Minkel says an offer was put on the table, but the union rejected it.
"The issue is health care. Currently, they do not contribute to health care and the cost of health care to go up and we want a contribution," said Minkel.
Minkel says the NFTA signed 16 union contracts in the past seven years. They say the offer is on the table so now the ball is in the ATU's court.