Workers for a company that operates six Maryland Transit Administration commuter bus routes went on strike Thursday morning, according to their union, alleging that their employer has not engaged in contract negotiations in good faith.

Workers for bus company Martz Gold Line, which operates MTA commuter bus routes 305, 315, 325, 630, 640 and 735 as a private contractor, have been seeking higher wages that the union says would put them on par with other area transit companies.

The strike includes roughly 80 drivers, mechanics and technicians that work out of three Martz Maryland locations.

The MTA commuter bus service is different from its Baltimore-area buses, which are branded as CityLink and LocalLink and operated by state employees. Commuter bus routes operate over longer distances between regional population and employment hubs and are contracted out to companies like Martz Gold Line.

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Martz Gold Line operates six commuter bus routes for the MTA: three between Howard County and Washington, D.C. and three between Southern Maryland and Washington.
Martz Gold Line operates six commuter bus routes for the MTA: three between Howard County and Washington, D.C., and three between Southern Maryland and Washington. (Courtesy of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689)

The 305, 315 and 325 routes run service between Columbia in Howard County and Washington, D.C. The 630, 640 and 735 serve Southern Marylanders commuting to Washington.

It comes as commuter bus ridership has increased while many federal employees are headed back into the nation’s capital to comply with in-office work mandates.

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“The Union does not tolerate companies that try to bully workers at the bargaining table,” Raymond Jackson, president of the ATU 689 union chapter representing the striking workers, said in a news release. “Martz Gold Line’s labor law violations are unacceptable and now is the time for workers to fight back.”

A representative from Martz Gold Line could not be reached immediately for comment.

Earlier this month, workers rejected the company’s “last, best, and final” offer on a new contract, according to a union representative.

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Workers’ concerns have included wages, retirement benefits and holidays. Martz Gold Line and the union began negotiations in mid-December; employees have been working under an expired contract since Jan. 20.

A federal mediator was assigned to assist in negotiations earlier this year, according to the union, but was later placed on administrative leave due to cutbacks imposed by the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. A new mediator has not be assigned, the union said.

In February, the most recent month with publicly available data, the MTA’s 36 commuter bus routes averaged just over 5,000 daily riders. The service runs Monday to Friday during morning and evening commuting hours.

The MTA announced on social media that commuter bus passengers with a monthly pass, 10-trip bundle or CharmPass can use that fare for a ride on the MARC train from its Jessup, Savage or Laurel stations instead.

This article may be updated