SamTrans employees to see significant pay increases under new contract with Teamsters Local 856
San Mateo County, California – The San Mateo County Transit District, or SamTrans, has effectively negotiated a new three-year contract with Teamsters Local 856 in what appears to be a significant decision for the public transport in San Mateo County. Approved last week by the SamTrans Board of Directors, the agreement signals a strong dedication to both employee satisfaction and service excellence by promising significant pay increases and job categorization changes for numerous key employees.
Contracted on behalf of six negotiating units represented by Local 856, the contract consists of five Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) covering 57 employees across nine job classifications. This covers staff from the Unit of Bus Contract Inspectors, Bus Transportation Supervisors, Facility Technicians’ Unit, Maintenance Instructors’ Unit, Transit Instructors’ Unit, Utility/Maintenance Supervisors’ Unit.
Under the terms of the new contract, workers will gain from yearly across-the-board pay rises of 4% in the first year followed by 3.5% in the second and third years. SamTrans has also instituted equity changes to all job categories covered by the MOUs, which will cause pay increases ranging from 18.3% to 21.9% over the following three years.
“Our employees are the backbone of this agency, and their hard work and commitment to serving the community is what makes SamTrans such an outstanding transit system,” said SamTrans General Manager/CEO April Chan in a news release.
“This agreement reflects our deep respect and appreciation for their contributions, and we look forward to continuing to work together to deliver safe, reliable, and exceptional service to our riders throughout San Mateo County. Thank you, Teamsters 856, for your partnership and collaboration,” Chan added.
For SamTrans, the new contract’s successful ratification comes at a pivotal point since the agency is still negotiating with ATU Local 1574, representing almost 400 members across several operational divisions including Bus Operators, Utility Workers, Storekeepers, Customer Service Representatives, and Receptionists.
This improvement fits within SamTrans’s larger endeavor to improve its operations and service delivery. Supported in some measure by a half-cent sales tax, the San Mateo County Transit District runs two on-demand service zones and 74 routes. SamTrans, which started in 1976, has been dedicated to provide San Mateo County consumers with strong bus service as well as administrative support for Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.
SamTrans’s new contract with Teamsters Local 856 not only promises that it can keep a committed workforce but also emphasizes the agency’s commitment to provide changing requirements of the community it serves with improved transportation services. SamTrans stays focused on obtaining comparable successful results that support its goal of offering top-notch public transportation as negotiations with other units continue.
