The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County (Nev.) is in contract talks with the Teamsters this week at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks. And what cataclysmic issue is of such monumental concern in the negotiations that it warranted a full-scale press release this morning? Wages? Benefits? Working conditions? Safety? The cost of a gallon of petro? Nope. The Martin Luther King day bus schedule. Huh? Yep.
“The Reno-Sparks NAACP has passed a resolution asking that RTC honor the King Holiday like the six others recognized every year,” writes Lucille Adin, president of the organization. The NAACP wants the public transportation outfit to reduce service to the residents of Reno by only running a holiday schedule of busses on MLK day instead of having all busses running like a normal weekday. Not operating on a limited holiday schedule “raises serious ethical questions” the NAACP says, being careful not to use the more incendiary word “racial” rather than “ethical.”
But we know what they mean. After all - as everyone knows, but few are willing to say publicly for fear of being called a “racist” - MLK day is generally considered a “black” holiday used by whites to ease their consciences for the original sin of slavery. Other ethnic or racial celebrations - such as St. Patrick’s Day (Irish), Cinco de Mayo (Mexican) and Octoberfest (German) - don’t get special government-sanctioned recognition, but Martin Luther King day ranks right up there with Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Christmas despite the fact that it is truly celebrated by only a small minority of Americans and the guilt-ridden mainstream press.
Nonetheless, the NAACP tried to force transportation officials to reduce its services on the holiday by inserting the provision into the collective bargaining agreement between the RTC and the Teamsters, claiming ridiculously that the current policy “deprives many employees from celebrating King Day with their families.”
The RTC disagreed and once again struck the provision in contract negotiations. So Reno area bus passengers apparently won’t be inconvenienced on the third Monday in January for at least another three years. We now return you to our regular bargaining…
Posted on May 10th, 2008 by Chuck Muth
Filed under: Nevada
Chuck,
Do other government employees in Washoe County get MLK Day off with pay? At first blush, I read the story as the RTC employees trying to get the federal holiday off just like the rest of the government employees do (and banks, too), for this and all the other recognized holidays.
Can’t agree that there is a racial issue here.
the RTC didn’t do it so why is this being discussed?