SMART-TD Local 1785 (Santa Monica, Calif.) General Chair Markeisha Haynes has witnessed firsthand what bus operators face on the job —from the everyday challenges of skillfully driving a 30-to-60-foot vehicle to the shocking rise in assaults on transit operators in recent years. Now, as a recently appointed Bus Department alternate vice president, Haynes and fellow transit leaders across the country are working to make sure unions and workers have a say in formulating real solutions to the violence facing SMART-TD members.
“Properties or transit agencies should involve the union,” Haynes said. “Most of the decisions, as far as where to go when it comes to assaults, are made within the [employer], and the unions are not being asked to join those conversations. To really understand where an operator is coming from, the union needs to be involved.”
Haynes, a 17-year motor coach operator for the Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica, took her first step towards union representation as a member of her local’s safety and training department, helping teach new hires the tools of the trade and working to make sure safety came first on the road. The urge to help others came from a natural affinity for community with her fellow members and a drive to better the lives of transit workers in the area 29
— and soon, Haynes was running for local union office, winning election as local chairperson of LCA-SMB and the first female general chairperson of GCA-SMB in November 2021.
Such milestones came with difficulties. Haynes encountered some members who didn’t see the general chairperson’s title as one that a woman could hold, initially refusing to give her the respect she deserved.
“I just stayed persistent,” Haynes recalled. “I knew what my ultimate goal was, and that was to bring a difference in our local and to show that women, we can do this, too.”
“At the end of the day, it’s about the membership and the membership only,” she added. “I always remember that: Before I hold any position, I’m an operator first.”
Haynes, third from right.
Haynes’ determination paid off for the members of Local 1785 during recent contract negotiations. After years of 3% raises, the local’s negotiating team won a 13% pay increase for members in 2021, along with a compensation study in the memorandum of understanding that required the city of Santa Monica to compare pay rates with other local agencies. With the data from the compensation study, Haynes and Local 1785 were able to add an additional 5% pay bump on top of the original 13%, amounting to an 18% raise over three years.
Of course, pay is only part of what members are seeking on the job — in public transportation, safety and workplace protections are crucial and have become an even higher priority as attacks on transit operators continue to make headlines nationwide. SMART-TD is doing vital work to influence legislation and raise awareness about the epidemic of violence against transportation workers, Haynes said. Moving forward, employers need to ensure unions are involved when it comes to member well-being — preventing attacks and ensuring adequate resources in the event of an assault.
“There’s nothing there for us, as operators, to even take time to grasp what just happened to you, first, and number two, to see if you even have the strength or the mental capability to do it all over again,” Haynes said. “It definitely needs to be addressed, as far as mental health is concerned.”
A first-ever exclusive training session for bus and transit officers in March 2024 demonstrates SMART-TD’s wholesale commitment to our transit workers; something Haynes said is crucial for winning the protections that members need.
“The training has been amazing,” she concluded. “SMART is and has been very geared towards training, making sure information is distributed so we, as general chairs or local chairs, are effective in the jobs that we are doing.”
Cecilia Lopez, the general chairperson representing Local 1701, announced that 28 months of uncertainty for her brothers and sisters have officially ended. The city of Montebello and SMART-TD have come to an agreement that has been ratified by a nearly unanimous vote by Local 1701 members. Lopez said the contract includes the largest pay increase she has seen in her career working for the city.
A fresh start for Montebello
GC Lopez made it clear that the city has turned a significant corner in how they treat our union members and its employees since they hired Raul Alvarez as city manager.
“It is hard to explain the difference in morale for our bus department since Alvarez came to Montebello,” she said. “Montebello’s Bus Department is now the place where people want to work.”
SMART-TD averts a crisis
Members of the SMART Transportation Division ratified a new agreement with the city of Montebello after more than two years of negotiations.
Since December 2021, the men and women of SMART-TD Local 1701 in Montebello, California, had been working without a contract. The team of Local Chairperson Betty Vasquez, GC Lopez and SMART-TD Vice Presidents Alvy Hughes and James Sandoval saw negotiations going down a dangerous path. At one point, 27 of our members were placed on administrative leave and faced termination, including Lopez and Vasquez.
When the dust settled, the Bus Department and SMART-TD Local 1701 stood together.
As GC Lopez put it, “Without Montebello Bus, there is no Montebello. This isn’t just a victory for us; it is a win for the people of this community.”
She said she’s very appreciative of the aid she received in this process from VPs Sandoval and Hughes, as well as the support her local received from Alternate Vice President Markeisha Hayes. More than anything, she wanted to thank the men and women of Local 1701 for their continued support throughout this multi-year fight for a good contract.
“These men and women stuck together as a family, and they filled City Hall every time I asked them to,” she said. “I couldn’t be prouder to represent the people of Montebello’s Bus Department.”
Solidarity brings success
The success in Montebello is one example of the power of union solidarity. By working together, focusing on results and holding employers accountable, SMART-TD creates better lives and more secure futures for workers across the country.
Transit Driver Appreciation Day was March 18, and I would like to extend my personal thank you to each and every member who works in this often undervalued and important industry. It is because of you, even during a pandemic, that people around the country are able to get safely from point A to B. You are true professionals and the best of the best and I greatly appreciate everything that you do.
Our Bus & Transit Department officers have been working hard and our members are seeing the fruits of their labors. Members who work for New Jersey Transit ratified a new contract Oct. 21, 2021, gaining them well-deserved raises of 12% over the course of the four-year agreement retroactive to 2020, no increases in medical benefit costs, bereavement leave for step-parents, and Juneteenth as a paid holiday. NJT retirees and spouses also benefit from this agreement as well — they will no longer be required to contribute monthly premiums for their healthcare. The retroactive raises have already been paid out, and I’m proud to say that there were no concessions to the carrier. This contract 100% benefits our NJT membership. A special thanks goes out to General Chairperson Jerome Johnson and his negotiating team for this excellent agreement.
Pacific Coast Sightseeing Tours & Charters Inc. — a sister company of Coach USA — operators, mechanics, ticket agents and washer/cleaners in California (Local 1590) held their very first meeting this year and we have another new bus local that just came on board in Kansas City, Mo., (Local 1706). The local consists of 200 new members who work for Student Transportation of America (STA) as school bus operators, aides and monitors for the Kansas City school district. To these new members, I say welcome, and please let us know if you need anything as we are always available to assist.
Meanwhile, our National Legislative Department has been working relentlessly to get legislators to pass regulations beneficial to our members. The new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers on that, providing important changes that give our bus and transit workers greater protection. As a result, bus and transit carriers, both large and small, are now required to work with labor to create Agency Safety Plans (ASP), giving us an equal seat at the table with management. These requirements must include a risk-reduction program to improve safety by reducing the number of accidents, injuries and assaults on transit workers. Safety teams will need to be established and recommendations made by Dec 31. However, transit companies and municipalities are pushing back because they say it is not enough time.
Our National Legislative Department has been working relentlessly to get legislators to pass regulations beneficial to our members. The new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivers on that, providing important changes that give our bus and transit workers greater protection.
I was in attendance and heard firsthand when FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, along with her Chief of Safety Joe Delorenzo, stated that extensions have already been made and this is a hard date. Administrator Fernandez was adamant that we have to have a “minimum level of safety as operators” and that is her top priority. Another initiative includes law enforcement interaction requirements at bus stops/stations, along the routes and on the equipment itself. Administrator Fernandez stated she wants to keep the line of communication open with our organization as “too many assaults go unreported” and this needs to change.
At the state level, Bus Vice President Calvin Studivant and New Jersey State Legislative Director Ron Sabol worked with N.J. Assemblyman Daniel Benson and were victorious in getting the N.J. Legislature to pass the Motorbus and Passenger Rail Service Employee Violence Prevention Act, upgrading the penalty for operator assaults. Assemblyman Benson attended the monthly state legislative directors’ Zoom call in January and provided valuable guidance on how he was successful in getting the new law passed. With his indispensable advice, we have high hopes that this success will lead to similar and much-needed legislation in other states.
With the mention of transit and bus operator assaults, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my sadness and heartbreak at the loss of member and Charlotte Area Transit bus operator Ethan Rivera, who was killed in the line of duty by a motorist filled with road rage. I am appalled and devastated as this should not have happened and likely could have been prevented with a simple bulletproof barrier and proper de-escalation training.
In February, we had a member employed by Chicago Metra attacked and robbed at gunpoint while on duty. Fortunately, that member survived his ordeal. Sadly, there are many more similar incidents that we could point to that have placed our transit brothers and sisters in harm’s way. All of which bring to light that, even though we have recently experienced some successes legislatively, more must be done.
Due to several uncontrollable factors, transit riders have taken their frustrations out on our brother and sister operators, and assaults have been at an all-time high. This is unacceptable to me and to my administration. Until every member is safe at work, whether it be from irate passengers, switching accidents, derailments or other tragedies, our work is not done. As I told our National Safety Team at their training workshop in Cleveland on March 8, safety is my passion. I am committed to making sure that ALL of our members get home safely. No one should ever fear for their safety or die at work. We all deserve — and our families deserve — for us to come home safely! Anything less is simply unacceptable.
On a lighter note, SMART-TD continues to look for ways and means to improve everything we do, from our communications, new website, app and training format, and more importantly, our finances. My administration has installed and utilized many cost-saving measures and that led me to opt out of the dues increase slated for earlier this year. Thankfully, the Board of Directors agreed with my assessment and therefore approved my request to petition the GEC to support waiving the increase, as provided by the SMART Constitution.
Further, I am excited to announce that the SMART-TD headquarters will be moving from its current location this spring to Independence, Ohio. This cost-effective measure will save the union a very conservative estimation of $2 million over 10 years. Please be patient, as this move will not come without some complexities. While a move of this magnitude is never an easy task, we feel it is a necessary one, especially when you factor in the tremendous savings it will provide.
Lastly, as we continue to face adversity from the public, the carriers, the internet and from within, it is important that we remain strong and united. No matter what craft you’re in, no matter what property you’re on, we have the knowledge, the skills and the backbone to fight whatever may come our way. Everyone must remember that you never share your agenda or playbook publicly, and you must have faith that those of us leading the charge have your back. We did not get here by happenstance; we were elected because of our experience and knowledge. To place your misguided frustrations onto those who are doing all they can on your behalf is not only erroneous, but counterproductive. We haven’t backed down from anything, nor do we intend to. Let’s turn that negative energy against those that have created these issues, as united we can achieve so much more than divided. Anything less, the carriers win…and that is something I simply cannot allow to happen. Stay safe everyone, and God bless.
Stay safe everyone, and God bless.
Fraternally,
Jeremy R. Ferguson President, Transportation Division
