Las Vegas’ second-biggest cab company ends talks with drivers union

Yellow Checker Star Transportation, the city's second-largest cab company, decided on Thursday to end contract negotiations with its drivers union and impose terms of a deal voted down earlier this week.

"We gave them our last, best and final offer," said company chief operations officer William Shranko. "We have reached an impasse and, at that point, there are no other ways to go."

The new terms would take effect on Sunday that include several enhancements from the current contract such as more unpaid leave days, larger annual and safety bonus pools and increased pension contributions.

"Nobody else (in Las Vegas) is even close to our contract," Shranko said.

However, many drivers did not like that the basic pay formula, allowing them to keep a share of the passenger fares on each shift, had remained the same except for allowing the first raise to come after 12 months instead of 18.

In response to the impasse, "We are weighing all our options," said Paul Bohelski, a senior international representative for the Industrial Technical Professional Employees Union, which represents the company's drivers.

One tactic under review is contesting the impasse declaration, which would turn the matter over to the National Labor Relations Board for a ruling.

The last barrier to calling the first Las Vegas taxi strike in nearly two decades fell at midnight Thursday, when the extension of the current contract expired. The head office of the union has given the drivers the go-ahead to walk out when they choose.

Shranko said the company had developed plans to keep cabs on the road in the event of a strike, but declined to detail them. Yellow Checker Star holds 603 medallions, operating permits that must be kept on the cab while carrying fare-paying customers, one-fourth of the total for Las Vegas.

The company's payroll of about 1,740 drivers includes about 400 who are not dues-paying union members, so it is difficult to tell how many will show up for work if a strike starts.

The contract proposal, finalized on Jan. 23 with the help of a federal mediator, was rejected by 70 percent of the approximately 1,100 drivers who voted on Sunday and Monday, according to the union. A tentative agreement reached in November drew an 80 percent no vote, although on only about 500 ballots cast.

Shranko said he had alerted Las Vegas police to anonymous threats of violence the company had receive.

"It didn't come from us," said Bohelski. "That's not how we conduct ourselves."

Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at toreiley@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.