Northwest Wayne News

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, along with the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, has announced a new agreement that will raise bus driver pay by $3 per hour and increase the attendance bonus. The agreement, which is being transmitted to the city council for approval, will bring the starting base pay for new drivers up to $19 per hour and the maximum base pay to $25 per hour.

Under the new memorandum of understanding, the attendance bonus will also be increased to a maximum of $6,000 per year. This increase will raise the starting pay potential to the equivalent of $22 per hour and the potential maximum pay to the equivalent of $28 per hour. For those achieving the attendance bonus, the overall increase will be $8,000 per year.

Mayor Duggan expressed his support for the raise, stating, "This is equivalent to an $8,000 a year pay raise for the great majority of our operators who earn the attendance bonus. This raise is well-deserved." The increase in pay is part of the city's efforts to bolster hiring and retention of bus drivers.

Interim Transit Director Michael Staley highlighted the positive impact of the raise, stating, "An immediate $3 per hour increase in pay with the ability to earn up to $6,000 more per year is going to help us retain the drivers we have and be a tremendous boost to our recruitment efforts." The raise is expected to not only benefit the drivers but also improve service levels for the public.

Schetrone Collier, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, expressed his appreciation for the wage increase, saying, "This is a great day for DDOT. I drove for DDOT for 34 years and know how important this wage increase is for our drivers. But this is just as much for the public as it is our drivers. This increase will help us hire and retain more drivers, so the public can know when they are at a stop and need to get to work or the doctor, DDOT is going to show up when we are supposed to. That's everyone's goal."

The contract change is expected to have an immediate effect once it is approved by the city council. DDOT has been actively increasing its hiring efforts in recent months and aims to have 600 drivers on the road by the end of the year.

This new agreement follows a previous contract in 2021 that raised starting pay for DDOT drivers from $12.99 per hour to $15 per hour, along with 2.5% annual raises for four years. The drivers will continue to receive the previously agreed-upon cost-of-living increases as outlined in the current collective bargaining agreement.

In conclusion, the new agreement between the City of Detroit, DDOT, and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 will provide a $3 per hour wage increase for bus drivers and an increase in the attendance bonus. This raise will help retain and attract more drivers, ultimately improving service levels for the public.

To find out more, go to this link: https://detroitmi.gov/news/mayor-ddot-bus-drivers-union-announce-agreement-raise-driver-pay-3hr-increase-attendance-bonus