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King County Metro and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 have reached an agreement on a three-year labor contract that increases wages by 17%.
Amalgamated Transit Union members ratified the contract on Tuesday, concluding more than a year of negotiations. The two parties first began negotiations in May 2022, with both parties reaching a tentative agreement in June.
Other economic benefits for union members from the contract include a lump sum retroactive payment, a retention bonus of $2,500 and a one-time $2,500 ratification signing bonus, according to a news release from the office of King County Executive Dow Constantine. The contract also shortens the pay step progression and vacation accrual time for part-time transit operators, aligning it with current policies for full-time employees.
The Amalgamated Transit Union is the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the U.S. and Canada. The Local 587 branch represents King County employees who operate and maintain King County Metro buses, Sound Transit’s Link light rail and the Seattle Streetcar, as well as employees who maintain facilities and provide customer service.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 President Ken Price said the new contract provides opportunities that current transit workers deserve, according to the news release. Adding that the hiring incentives “will help us bring more workers into the workforce to meet the needs of our county.”
In the midst of a worker shortage at King County Metro, the newly-adopted contract provides a $3,000 recruitment incentive for new employees, particularly in roles involving vehicle maintenance and rail mechanics, as well as transit customer information specialists and transit operators.
King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison presented an update on the department to the King County Transportation, Economy and Environment Committee on Tuesday. Allison said that the department promoted more than 100 part-time operators to full-time ranks to address the operator shortage. As of July, Metro has 2,039 full-time operators, which is below the department’s target of 2,289 by fall.
“We are still below where we want to be from a goal perspective, but if we continue to use our overtime rates and the availability of the overtime system, we are well above where we need to be for our target area,” Allison said.
Allison said the department is currently using high-levels of bus operator overtime hours at 24% to 30% to make up for the staffing shortage. The department’s target usage of overtime is 7%.