Bus drivers in Aspen, Colorado, facing corporate housing and harassment, will strike on January 1

The Colorado Department of Labor (CDOL) authorized employees of the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority in Colorado to strike on January 1, 2025. The Amalgamated Transit Union 1774 issued a strike notice in September, which required CDOL approval under state law.

Under the current contract between the ATU and the RFTA, employees cannot strike this year. If no agreement is reached by Jan. 1, the 2025 workers will strike at midnight on New Year’s Day, one of the busiest days in the organization’s schedule.

However, the Colorado Department of Labor stated that it would “closely monitor whether a strike, especially if no progress is made toward agreement on a collective bargaining agreement, would be sufficient to preserve the public peace, public health and safety could prevent this from being justified. an order prohibiting a strike and mandating arbitration.”

In other words, the government reserves the right to ban the strike at any time under the pretext of so-called ‘public interest’, just as the federal government banned a national railway strike at the end of 2022. To oppose the collusion with the government by union bureaucrats, the workers formed the Railroad Workers Rank-and-File Committee. They are currently fighting yet another round of sellout contracts.

RFTA employs 160 bus drivers and provides public transportation routes in several mountain towns, including the resort town of Aspen, Colorado, one of the most expensive places in the United States.

According to Realtor.com, the average home price in Aspen is $3 million, while rental costs are well over $2,500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment. The area, long coveted by the ultra-wealthy for its famous ski resorts, is awash with multi-million dollar luxury homes and a serious lack of affordable housing.

Relying on corporate or government-sponsored housing, and effectively living in a modern version of a company town, is not uncommon in the expensive mountain towns around Aspen. These homes are often much cheaper than on the private real estate market and can mean the difference between expenses and poverty.

About 80 employees live in company housing, many of whom will be evicted on April 30, 2025 if management has its way.