Public transit workers in three southern Maine communities are joining a union to help them negotiate higher wages.
Thirty-two drivers, mechanics and other workers in the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach transit service voted to join the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 714 last week, officials said.
BSOOB Transit is the primary provider of public transportation in the Biddeford, Saco and Old Orchard Beach region with express commuter bus service that connects the communities to downtown Portland. It also operates seasonal trolleys that serve tourist destinations in the area.
The provider carried 360,000 passengers in 2019.
Matt Schlobohm, executive director of the Maine AFL-CIO, said the organization has “definitely seen a surge in workers contacting us for assistance in forming unions.”
“Frontline workers across the state have realized the true value of their labor during the pandemic and are standing up to demand better wages, fair treatment and a voice in management decisions,” Scholobohm said.
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