AC Transit Employees to Vote on New Tentative Agreement

By Bay City News Service

Alameda-Contra Costa Transit officials and union leaders are hoping that the third time is the charm for bus drivers and other employees who are voting Friday on a tentative agreement for a new contract.

Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192, which represents about 1,700 bus drivers, mechanics, dispatchers, clerical and other workers, have rejected two previous agreements.

Union members are voting at various locations throughout the bus agency's service area and it is expected that the results will be released late tonight. The most recent tentative agreement was reached last Friday but its details haven't been disclosed.

ATU Local 192 president Yvonne Williams couldn't be reached for comment Friday, but in a statement last Friday she said, "We believe this agreement answers members' serious concerns about increased family medical costs."

Williams said, "Our executive board worked hard during the cooling-off period to air issues, build consensus and continue negotiations."

Williams was referring to a 60-day cooling-off period granted by a judge on Oct. 23 at the request of Gov. Jerry Brown. The cooling-off period averted a threatened strike by bus agency employees.

An AC Transit spokesman declined Friday to disclose the terms of the current tentative agreement but the bus agency previously said it was offering employees a 9.5 percent pay hike over three years.

However, union leaders said employees were concerned that the proposed pay increase would be offset by management's request that they pay more for their health care and retirement benefits.

AC Transit general manager David Armijo said at a hearing before the cooling-off period that management is asking employees to pay more for their health care and retirement costs because those costs are escalating rapidly.

The agency logs about 200,000 daily bus rides in its service areas in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

AC Transit employees rejected management's contract offer by a margin of 561 to 369 on Oct. 1 and rejected a previous offer by a margin of 576 to 257 on Aug. 17.

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