Following a sixth-month driver trial period, Rose View Transit switched from three to two drivers for its paratransit service.
The driver affected, Matthew Reed, moved to a Rose View bus route, but he filed a grievance against Rose View through the Amalgamated Transit Union 1474. The city’s Board of Public Works and Safety heard Reed’s grievance during its June 18 meeting.
Reed’s claim is that the ATU’s collective bargaining agreement prevents Rose View from forcing a driver to transfer from the paratransit service to the bus service. As a paratransit driver, Reed, who joined Rose View in July 2022, drove eight-hour shifts and was guaranteed 40 hours per week, but he’s only guaranteed 35 hours with the bus service. Because of his seniority, he was not able to bid for any of Rose View’s five guaranteed eight-hour shifts; instead, he must be available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., working all or part of that time.
“There’s no way to schedule a life,” said Reed, who feels he’s earned the right to have a set schedule. “With a set bid route, I know what hours I’m working within an hour or so, and I can make appointments and schedule a life.”
Chris Becker, Rose View’s manager, said many drivers do not like driving split shifts.
“It’s the nature of the work,” Becker said. “It’s part of it.”
Paratransit is a door-to-door service that transports older or disabled passengers to doctor’s appointments and back home. The bus service has set routes that are driven throughout the day.
Troy Young, the assistant operations manager for Rose View, said he tested the two-driver paratransit system through the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The results proved that the two-driver system was more effective, reducing wasted hours when drivers wait for passengers, Young said. During the first-quarter test period, Reed drove for the bus service, Young said, but was ensured the 40 hours that his paratransit position guaranteed him.
In April, the change to two paratransit driver positions was officially made on a temporary basis while the transit system undergoes its planning process. The guaranteed eight-hour driving shifts for paratransit and the bus service were filled by drivers with more seniority than Reed.
The grievance was tabled for board members to reconsider it during its July 2 meeting.
Bid openings
Board chair Ken Paust opened bids from three companies for the emergency demolitions of two properties.
For 111 S. 11th St., Mikesell Excavating of New Paris, Ohio, bid $35,350, B&B Construction of Richmond bid $32,970 and Cox Excavating of Richmond bid $28,700.
For 811 N. 19th St., Mikesell bid $12,800, B&B bid $31,765 and Cox bid $17,475.
This reporting is made possible in part by Whitewater Community Television.
A version of this article appeared in the June 24 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
