TriMet, ATU Local 757 approve tentative contract

TriMet and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757 have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract regarding the wages, hours and working conditions for 2,640 employees of the Portland, Oregon, transit agency. 

The agreement comes after a year and a half of discussions, negotiations and mediation sessions between TriMet and Local 757 negotiating teams, and 12 days before an arbitration hearing, according to a news release.

If approved, the new agreement will cover a three-year period from December 2019 through November 2022. Salary increases will be applied retroactively to the pact's start date.

The agreement includes:

• wage increases of 3% (retroactive to December 2019), 2.5% (retroactive to December 2020) and 2.25% (as of December 2021);
• a restructuring of TriMet’s apprenticeship and training programs and creation of a tuition program for workers to gain more knowledge and skills;
• a $1 per hour wage increase on Dec. 1, 2021, for rail and bus and vehicle maintenance journey workers;
• an increase in road relief stipends for the first time in years, with additional locations added based on changes in service; and
• an increase in short-term disability benefits from $150 to $300 per week.