MUNI employees ratify SFMTA contract
Written by Douglas John Bowen
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) said Tuesday, July 15, 2014 that "Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, which represents Municipal Railway (MUNI) transit operators, voted to ratify a new three-year agreement that increases wages, strengthens pension benefits, and is in line with the budget needs of the agency."
The contract “is a reflection of our commitment to ensure that Muni operators receive a fair wage for the very difficult work they do,” said SFMTA Director of Transportation, Ed Reiskin. Reiskin added that the “vote represents the strength of the new agreement and allows us to continue our work to further improve the transportation network for everyone.”
The new three-year contract, covering more than 2,000 MUNI operators, improves wages and benefits for frontline transit employees. The contract would increase operator wages by 14.25% over three years, including a 9.5% increase to cover the 7.5% payment into their own pension and benefits, SFMTA said.
SFMTA noted the contract “does not exceed the current salary and benefits line item allotted in the current fiscal year 2015/2016 budget.”.
Local media credited former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown with brokering the deal. MUNI workers last month staged a three-day sickout that hampered transit operations.
