The public hasn’t been clued in to the details of an agreement that ended a 42-day transit strike in Tucson.
Teamsters Local 104 and Sun Tran management firm Professional Transit Management signed a two-year contract, good until June 30, 2017.
Because the city is not a party to the labor agreement, the Tucson City Council does not have to approve the contract, said City Attorney Mike Rankin.
It seems no one on the council has seen the agreement, although several council members are interested in the details.
Typically, the city has not been given a copy of the labor agreement in the past, but if the city were to receive a copy, it would make it public under the Arizona public records law, Rankin said.
Three council members — Regina Romero, Paul Cunningham and Karin Uhlich — asked for a study session on Oct. 8 to start talking about next steps, including potential audits and a review of best practices in transit management.
Cost of the contract
What we know: It’s about $4.3 million. The amount includes the $2.7 million the management had put on the table, plus $790,000 in fuel savings and $800,000 in strike savings.
What we don’t know: The exact amount. It’s $4.3 million, according to City Manager Mike Ortega; $4.36 million, according to the Teamsters; or $4.45 million, according to PTM.
Pay raises
What we know: Each of the 530 workers will get a pay raise, plus a one-time, lump-sum payment of $3,303 before taxes.
What we don’t know: The exact amounts for each pay bracket.
Workers at the top of their pay scales — including 201 bus drivers — will get 30-cents-an-hour pay raises. That bumps their hourly wage up to $19.52.
The Teamsters said other workers will get pay raises up to $5 an hour. PTM said the wage progression will remain frozen.
Benefits
What we know: The management firm will continue to pay 100 percent of health benefit premiums for employees and their dependents.
What we don’t know: Who will be responsible for rising health-care costs. Neither the union nor the management have discussed how pension contributions may change in the agreement.
Year three
What we know: After the two-year contract ends, the third year includes a $500,000 unbudgeted increase in personnel costs.
What we don’t know: Where that money will come from. The city and PTM want workers to identify ways to save money and agree to split those savings between the workers and the city. The city would use its share to pay for the increased expenses in the third year of the contract, Ortega said.
“I am comfortable that we will be able to absorb the increase in ongoing cost of $500,000, but more importantly I believe this demonstrates that we are all in this together,” Ortega said in a memo.
Safety issues
What we know: Ortega said he is committed to solving the mold problem. To address the problem of assaults on drivers, a pilot program to install partitions between drivers and passengers will be launched and emergency call buttons that had been disabled will be re-activated, he said.
What we don’t know: How much it will cost. Ortega said some money was set aside in this year’s budget.
