LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — UPDATE
An agreement has been reached between Transdev and Teamsters local as of Wednesday evening.
At 8:44 p.m., a joint release from the two organizations stated that they had come to a tentative agreement, which the union members will be able to ratify.
Paratransit services are expected to resume at midnight on August 13.
You can read the full joint release below.
"Transdev and Teamsters Local 631 are pleased to announce that they have reached a tentative agreement, which will now be put forward to union members for ratification. The Teamsters negotiating committee will recommend that its members approve the three-year collective bargaining agreement.
Following more than 10 months of good-faith bargaining efforts by both sides, the parties found common ground on Wednesday evening. It is now anticipated that regular paratransit services will resume at midnight on August 13, 2026.
We want to thank our riders for their patience and understanding and would like to apologize for any disruptions in service to our community. We recognize the essential role paratransit service plays in helping members of our community access work, medical appointments, education, and daily activities. Our attention now turns to restoring normal operations as quickly and safely as possible, so customers can return to the reliable service they depend on every day.
Transdev appreciates the Teamsters’ engagement throughout this process and their shared commitment to reaching a mutually beneficial outcome. The tentative agreement reflects Transdev’s continued investment in its hardworking employees and Southern Nevada."
Later in the evening, Channel 13 also received the following statement from the RTC:
"As of this evening, RTC’s paratransit service contractor, Transdev, and paratransit employees represented by Teamsters Local 631 have reached a tentative agreement, ending the strike.
RTC Paratransit service will begin returning to normal operations, with full service expected to be restored over the coming week. During this transition, customers may continue to experience some delays. We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding as service is restored.
RTC and Transdev are working to restore all paratransit services, including:
- Same-day and advance reservations
- Subscription trips
- MyRideRTCPara app booking
- Microtransit and on-demand service
- Silver STAR and Flexible Demand Response (FDR)
We appreciate Transdev and Teamsters Local 631 for reaching an agreement and allowing critical transportation services to resume for our paratransit customers. The RTC remains committed to providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation for our community."
ORIGINAL STORY
Las Vegas paratransit riders who depend on door-to-door transportation are feeling the immediate impact of a strike as Teamsters and Transdev battle over employee raises.
WATCH | Darcy Spears has the latest on the impacts and negotiations:
Transdev is the largest private operator of public transportation in the U.S. The company has run RTC's bus service since June 2023, adding the paratransit contract in April 2025 — along with hundreds of millions to operate the service for the city's most vulnerable residents.
The union said proposed raises fail to keep pace with inflation and soaring healthcare costs.
Bill Halford, who is blind, works at Nellis Air Force Base and relies on paratransit for door-to-door service. On Wednesday, he took Uber to the main gate and had a co-worker pick him up to reach his building, because drivers need special clearance to enter the base. A friend drove him home, but he is worried about what happens if the strike drags on.
"They just can't keep people because they don't pay enough," Halford said about Transdev.
Ernest Lindsay uses paratransit for his daily rehabilitation at CSN. His Wednesday ride was canceled, forcing his sister, Valerie Bannister, to miss work.
Bannister previously confronted RTC and Transdev during the RideCo app rollout crisis, telling them, "... that they're failing people, and that was my argument. I don't think they understand or took into consideration the impact." Bannister said.
RTC disabled the paratransit app entirely during the strike because officials said they cannot control demand.
Bannister told me she thinks Transdev should lose their contract because, "They are not thinking about the impact to those who are vulnerable."
"Money's going to these people somewhere, so what are you doing? Like, how are you using this money to make sure that someone like my brother gets from point A to point B?" Bannister said.
Bannister's brother suffered three strokes, with the last one taking his vision.
The Teamsters are asking the same question about how Transdev is spending the $579 million RTC gave them for the current five-year contract — nearly $116 million annually. Union leaders say Transdev claims it cannot afford meaningful raises for drivers, mechanics, dispatchers and other paratransit employees.
Transdev's offer included, in part, $1-per-hour raises for three years, plus a $1,000 signing bonus. The union called it insulting, claiming Transdev management awarded itself bonuses just a few months ago.
Union Executive Tommy Blitch addressed the dispute in a statement:
"Our members at Transdev were forced onto the picket line by this company's unwillingness to bargain a fair and equitable agreement. Transdev has one of the largest paratransit contracts in the country, and cost of living in Las Vegas is extremely high. We are simply fighting for wages and benefits that are in accordance with the incredibly important work this group does."
Late Wednesday, the two sides returned to the bargaining table with a federal mediator.
The union also said Transdev's math is misleading in a statement the company sent Wednesday morning, in which Transdev provided what the union calls a misleading percentage range for wage increases. The union said the devil is in the details and wants RTC to track every dollar Transdev spends. The union plans to approach RTC commissioners to help make that happen.
Transdev has not yet provided details on the management bonuses. RTC has also not yet responded to questions about whether it would audit how Transdev spends its hundreds of millions of dollars.
Riders with disabilities who depend on paratransit services told Channel 13 that they’re being impacted negatively by the strike.
WATCH | Mary Kielar heard from those impacted by the strike:
“I was unable to get to and from work and my ride was canceled without any notification or communication from RTC,” said Josh Klein, who reached out to us Wednesday. “That made me feel pretty angry, to be honest.”
Klein uses a powerchair to get around after a car accident left him with a permanent disability when he was two. For him, getting to his four 10-hour shifts a week is only possible with paratransit.
“This will ultimately affect people’s lives in a very bad way if they don’t figure it out sometime soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, at Opportunity Village, it’s been an all-out scramble to get folks whom they employ and provide programming a guaranteed ride to work. Up to 45% of the people they serve rely on paratransit services.
“This came as a huge surprise,” said Opportunity Village president and CEO Bob Brown. “We’ve had crews up all night, making sure our people are working and getting different contracts. We do cleaning at the federal building and at the airport. So, we had to make sure that people got to work.”
RTC told Channel 13 Wednesday that they are working with Opportunity Village to assist them with their transportation needs.
At the airport specifically, they said riders are shifting to rideshare services, which need to drop them off and pick them up in the rideshare area and not the designated paratransit stops. RTC said this means they can't control the safety of those passengers at those stops.
"For people with intellectual disabilities, obviously routine is extremely important, so when you break the routine, that’s a real problem for some folks," Brown added.
Statement from Transdev on Wednesday:
"Transdev continues to actively engage with Teamsters Local 631 to find common ground and reach a long-term resolution. The parties returned to the bargaining table last night to continue the months-long, good-faith negotiations, and we remain steadfastly committed to that process. Despite Transdev’s efforts, the Teamsters rejected our enhanced offer, which resulted in a strike earlier this morning at approximately 1:30 a.m.
During last night’s bargaining, an improved offer was provided to the Teamsters, which included- driver wage increases of 9.5-36.5% over 3 years;
- a 28% increase in pension contributions over 3 years;
- performance bonuses of $100/quarter and $250/year, and
- a $1,000 ratification bonus for all employees.
Transdev’s offer reflected Transdev’s investment in its hardworking employees and commitment to the operation’s long-term success.
Transdev is very disappointed but looks forward to continuing these important discussions, as the parties focus on a resolution that will benefit our employees, support riders, and serve Southern Nevada communities."