|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
On Monday, Sept. 9, SamTrans reported that it expects bus operations to return to normal after 30% of bus operators called out sick last week, disrupting services from Sept. 5-8.
There were no major service disruptions over the weekend, according to SamTrans.
“We are happy to see the return of operators so we can focus on our main priority — providing reliable, efficient and safe bus service to our customers,” said SamTrans General Manager/CEO April Chan in a statement. “We remain committed to finding a resolution for our ongoing labor negotiations, and we want to again thank the public for their patience and loyalty as we deal with these issues.”
As the SamTrans Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1574 continues to negotiate for a contract, the bus agency said in a Sept. 9 press release that it is committed to collaborating with ATU leadership to reach a contract resolution.
SamTrans had prepared for a sick-out in late August after the ATU Local 1574 rejected a three-year contract proposal that union leadership supported.
The rejected proposal called for a wage increase of 4% this fiscal year, followed by 3.5% increases over the following two fiscal years. Additionally, the proposal “targeted equity pay adjustments to improve competitiveness of the district’s salaries for key positions.”
The bus agency explained that this offer would have increased bus operator wages by 18.3% over the next three years while mechanics, storekeepers and utility workers would see a pay increase of 21.9%.
“SamTrans believes the negotiated offer, supported by union leadership, was fair and equitable while balancing the agency’s obligations to the taxpayers of San Mateo County who help fund SamTrans,” the press release states.
