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Colorado law has requires RTD to use private contractors for half of its services, most of which come through the firm First Transit. The up side of this is that payroll costs are reduced. The downside is that having both RTD and a private firm have employees who receive different pay for doing exactly the same work isn't great for employee-management relations at the private firm. First Transit "pays beginning drivers $11.50 an hour. It tops out at $16 an hour for drivers with 10 years of service. . . .Bus drivers who work for RTD make $13.69 an hour to start as part timers, and full-time drivers top out at $18.05 an hour after five years." Benefits at RTD are better as well. As a result, the private firm's union is voting today on going on strike.