COTA union, board OK three-year contract

COTA drivers and maintenance workers and the transit authority’s board have agreed to a three-year contract that calls for 3 percent raises each year.

The contract also includes a provision for on-demand service, in which union operators will drive smaller vehicles in neighborhoods or to employment centers that connect to fixed routes. That service, designed to compete with ride-sharing services such as Uber, will begin next year.

“A strategic, nimble transit system is needed more than ever,” said Joanna Pinkerton, Central Ohio Transit Authority president and CEO.

The contract includes no language on the future of driverless buses, an issue that has prompted union members to preemptively rally against them.

Members of Transport Workers Union Local 208 voted Monday and Tuesday on the contract, with 395 members voting yes and 111 no, with one vote voided, said Andrew Jordan, president of the local union. The COTA board voted to approve the pact Wednesday.

The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1 and will run through Dec. 28, 2020.

In June, union members rejected a three-year deal that also would have given them raises of 3 percent each year.

Jordan said members approved this one because there were changes to language regarding healthcare premiums. Employee contribution rates remain at 8 percent for those who meet wellness goals. The 20 percent additional rate for smokers and 25 percent rate for those who don’t participate in the wellness plan also remain the same. Employee rates for those who don’t meet their wellness goals increases from 12 to 14 percent.

The earlier proposal also had some of the maintenance workers getting less than 3 percent raises. Now, they all do, Jordan said.

The contract that expired included annual raises of 3 percent, 2.5 percent and 2.25 percent. Employees have been working under the terms of the old contract since it ended Dec. 27, 2017. The new contract covers close to 700 drivers and 145 maintenance workers. COTA officials and the union still need to negotiate a contract for 25 customer-service representatives and five farebox workers.

The top hourly wage for drivers who have worked seven years is now $28.84, or $59,887 a year. The top rate for mechanics is $30.61, or $63,669 a year.

The wage increase will cost COTA $7.5 million over the life of the contract, said Ron Linville, who helped negotiate the deal for COTA. The agency built wage increases into its long-term financial planning.

Union officials and members have been worried about driverless buses because of their threat to job security and safety for COTA drivers. In September, the union launched a statewide campaign to thwart efforts by transit agencies to implement them.

Jordan said that some members wanted language in the current contract to address the issue. He said Pinkerton is committed to having future conversations about it.

Smart Columbus has launched a pilot program featuring a driverless shuttle that operates along the Scioto Mile. It connects riders to COSI, the National Veterans Memorial and Bicentennial Park. An operator rides along and will take control if necessary.