By Link Johnson and Sana Cole
The Scene staff
The Forest Park campus seemed a little deserted on April 7, leading some to assume students were watching the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener.
Others blamed a “sick-in” by MetroBus drivers, which left many riders waiting at bus stops and MetroLink stations.
“I ended up walking home,” said James Cherry, 28, a general transfer student.
Cherry knew something was wrong after waiting more than an hour at the MetroLink station at University of Missouri-St. Louis. He called Metro Transit using the emergency call box on the platform.
“We’re short on drivers,” the attendant reportedly said.
More than 70 bus drivers called in sick that day, 10 times the usual number, according to local TV and radio stations.
“We had an unusually high number of drivers who didn’t make it to work,” said John Nations, president of Bi-State Development Agency, which operates Metro. “It impacted our morning route.”
It was unclear whether the bus drivers had organized an effort to disrupt services on one of Metro’s busiest days. The Cardinals were playing the Cincinnati Reds on opening day at Busch Stadium.
“The union was unaware of this,” said Mike Breihan, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 788, which represents Metro drivers. “We did not inform anyone to take off.”
Bus driver Ariel Taylor, 27, had her own take on the situation.
“It was just a sting,” she said. “It wasn’t so much an organized hit. It’s just we gotta make a stand sometime.”
Drivers reportedly are at odds with Metro over plans to force them into 401K savings plans.
“They’re trying to take our pension,” Taylor said.
Some drivers also complain that they haven’t received raises in more than six years, and they feel Metro is not negotiating in good faith.
“We haven’t had a contract renewal in years,” Breihan said. “The last contract expired in 2009. The last raise was in 2008.”
“Apparently, the members are angry and frustrated,” he added.
Nations also spoke on contract negotiations between Metro and the union.
“Negotiations have been ongoing,” he said. “I received the latest proposal 10 days ago. The major issues are wages and pensions.”
Taylor didn’t like Metro’s response to the events of April 7, maintaining that officials tried to downplay the importance of bus drivers.
Some Cardinals fans reported they made it to the game just fine.
Fox News also weighed in, stating, “If this was a protest aimed at disrupting travel to the Cards home opener, they may have struck out.”