The PS Transit Operators Blog, citing a Pierce Transit union newsletter, reports that the transit agency plans to lay off approximately 20 percent of its employees by October, part of a 35 percent reduction in service precipitated by the failure in February of Pierce County Prop. 1, a sales tax measure that would have allowed the agency to preserve service at current levels.

In the union's newsletter , union president Don McKnight writes, "Starting in June and finishing in October we’ll need to reduce current staff by approximately 20% to reflect a 35% reduction in local service. ... As a member of the board I have to say that this decision was not taken lightly and is regrettable by all Board Members. I’ve done my best to focus the board on making sure that our priorities reflect the reason we are here. It is to provide the best transportation we can for our customers first and foremost above all else."

McKnight doesn't hold out much hope that the voters will pass another transit measure in the future. "It costs a lot of money to launch a campaign like this and I don’t believe the money exists anywhere near what it took last time to conduct the campaign," he writes.