KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. She also focuses on issues regarding scams. Share your story idea with Megan.
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Nearly 700,000 riders used the streetcar last month — a dramatic jump from 162,000 riders in June 2025. Much of the traffic is due to the World Cup, extended lines north and south, and various sports games.
Now, the operators and technicians who keep the system running say the surge in ridership is exactly why they are moving to unionize.
Operator Jared Schultz said the job offers a unique perspective of the city.
"We get to see the city like nobody else gets to see it," Schultz said.
But with ridership exploding, Schultz said the demands on workers have grown significantly.
Working 10-hour shifts, Schultz said the growth has made reliable working conditions more critical than ever.
"If we continue to grow, I think it's important to have guarantees," Schultz said.
Among the top concerns for workers are consistent schedules and guaranteed break times.
Currently, they get breaks after their full loop, but the timing and length vary.
"We want to make sure we have a consistent schedule, some sort of breaks; our breaks aren't guaranteed," Schultz said.
The pressure of a busy system leaves little room for error.
"If we're busy and that car is running nine minutes late, that layover period at UMKC is gone, which cuts into a bathroom break, which cuts into your lunch break," Schultz said.
Teamsters Local 955 President Jerry Wood plans to represent approximately 70 streetcar employees. He said the workers have the power to make this happen.
"You have a voice in the workplace if you just stand up," Wood said.
Wood said the rapid expansion of the streetcar system makes organizing a priority.
"They are growing quickly," Wood said.
Wood plans to secure a pay increase, set break times and establish long-term stability for drivers.
"The workers get to decide if they are union. Herzog does not," Wood said.
KC Streetcar employees work for a private company called Herzog.
"Not many people know we work for a company called Herzog. We don't work for the city, we don't work for [KC] Streetcar," Schultz said.
I called Herzog's Kansas City general manager, who said the company would not be answering any questions or making a statement.
The KC Streetcar Authority said it values its employees and respects the ongoing legal process.
"The KC Streetcar Authority greatly appreciates the contributions of all our employees and contractors who have helped make our system successful over the past ten years. We value those partnerships and look forward to continuing to support one another as we build on that success together. We will continue to respect our employees' voices as we always have and will defer to the required legal process as it unfolds. Together we remain focused on providing safe, reliable, and high-quality streetcar service to our community."
Streetcar workers will vote to make the union official next month. If the vote passes, contract negotiations will begin.
Schultz said he has no doubt about the outcome.
"I don't think it's a question of if it's going to happen, it's when it's going to happen. It's going to happen," Schultz said.
He said the future looks promising for workers as the system continues to expand.
"When [the] streetcar grows, employees will also grow," Schultz said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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