City bus drivers, mechanics and utility workers have overwhelmingly ratified a new contract that includes higher wages and benefit improvements, the union representing the employees announced on Thursday, April 11.
More than 300 MV Transportation workers in the city of L.A., who are represented by Teamsters Local 572, will benefit from the agreement. Lourdes Garcia, principal officer of the union and co-chair of the bargaining committee, called the agreement “resounding victory” for transit workers.
“Our members have not only secured fair wages and benefits but also affirmed the undeniable value of their crucial role in keeping this great city moving. We thank Mayor Karen Bass, the Los Angeles City Council, and city leadership for their support in reaching an agreement,” Garcia said in a statement.
Teamster 572 members had been in negotiations for months with the city of Los Angeles’ contractor, MV Transportation. Union members had previously authorized a strike, though no action had to be taken.
Last week, the Los Angeles City Council agreed to increase wages for MV Transportation. The city said it would increase base wages to $24.14 per hour starting this year — with plans to bump wages to $25.36 per hour in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Neither the Los Angeles Department of Transportation nor MV Transportation responded immediately to a request for comment.
The workers are hired and trained by contractors MV Transportation and provide service to the city’s transit fleet, including DASH, Commuter Express, Cityride and LAnow. MV Transportation workers serve thousands of residents in downtown L.A. and areas such as Echo Park, Crenshaw, Fairfax and those traveling through Union Station.
“Our members never let up, even as we faced repeated substandard proposals from MV Transportation,” Traci Smith, Teamsters Local 572 business representative and bargaining committee co-chair, said in a statement. “Each bargaining session only strengthened our members’ resolve and motivated us to do more.”
Smith told City News Service that while there was some “back and forth,” negotiations overall “went well.” She also noted wages were significantly low because there were “pre-pandemic wages.”
Some employees got a boost to their wages anywhere from 33% to 75%, Smith added, as well as an increase to their health benefits. Among other issues addressed, Smith said, they’ve discussed plans to address the safety and shortage of bus drivers to improve working conditions.
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LADOT officials also said they will work to bolster bus-driver safety by adding more cameras on buses, as well as implementing a transit ambassador program, similar to an LA Metro initiative to provide a greater sense of security at night and in “hot spot areas.”
The city and MV Transportation already provide driver safety training, access to emergency dispatch services, some cameras on buses and driver barriers — with plans to add more of these barriers.
According to an LADOT report, while the department and the contractor have made “strides” to fill vacancies, retention is a serious problem. Officials say the higher wages may solve that issue.
Funding to cover the contract and increased wages would come from the Proposition A Local Transit Assistance Fund, according to the report.
