GO 875 Archives - SMART Union

LOS ANGELES, (August 4, 2022) — The efforts by the SMART-TD General Committee of Adjustment GO 875 negotiation team have resulted in a new agreement for the bus and rail operators of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), which serves more than 10 million people in the nation’s most-populous county within a 1,433-square-mile service area.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, the California Mediation and Conciliation Service tabulated votes and reported 68.5% of voters had approved the agreement.

Bottom left: Office Secretary Rosana Santana; Operations Manager Maria Magallon; and Administrative Assistant Iveth Lopez. Top, from left, negotiation consultant Victor Baffoni; Local 1607 Chairperson Julio Mejia; GCA Secretary and Local 1564 Chairperson Andy Carter; General Chairperson John M. Ellis; Local 1608 Chairperson Edgar Menendez; Vice General Chairperson/Local 1565 Chairperson Quintin Wormley; Local 1563 Chairperson Robert Gonzalez and Local 1565 Chairperson (Rail) Johnny Cabanas celebrate the announcement of the LACMTA contract ratification by members.

General Chairperson John M. Ellis, Retired SMART-TD Vice President and Negotiation Consultant Victor Baffoni and Vice General Chairperson/Local 1565 Chairperson Quintin Wormley; GCA Secretary/Local 1564 Chairperson Andy Carter and Local Chairpersons Robert Gonzalez (1563), LCA-875B Chairperson John Cabanas (Rail), Julio Mejia (1607), Edgar Menendez (1608) and Operations Manager/Consultant Assistant Maria D.L. Magallon are proud to announce the bus and rail operators of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted overwhelmingly to accept the Authority’s proposed contract. The contract will be in effect for the next five years and contains a 26.6% wage increase through June 30, 2027, over the five-year period.

SMART obtained an appreciation pay for LACMTA members who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic. No changes were made to employee benefits, and the pool of full-time operators also has the opportunity to expand with the offering of full-time positions to any interested part-time operator, provided they apply by Aug. 15, 2022. The contract also modifies the carrier’s disciplinary procedures, allowing for a streamlined appeals and arbitration process. It also updates sick leave and modifications to work rules.

GC Ellis stated: “This is a historic, record-setting contract agreement. We believe that this new contract represents a significant improvement and protection in wages and benefits for our 4,600+ members and their families.” He noted that the overwhelmingly positive vote was a strong indicator that union members were pleased with the agreement and the new contract represents a monumental accomplishment.

“This agreement has rectified concerns from previous contracts and has paved the way to amend future matters that may arise,” Ellis said. “We are pleased to have been able to put together a contract that speaks volume, as powerful as this one in turbulent times such as these.”

SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy R. Ferguson said: “We’re very excited, extraordinarily proud and grateful for the efforts by SMART-TD GO 875 Committee’s dedication. In a recent visit to Los Angeles over the spring, it was a pleasure to encounter the spirit and solidarity of GO 875. I saw and heard firsthand about the great work that they do and had a chance to engage their membership as they voiced their concerns in a town hall meeting. This contract is a great step ahead and congratulations to all involved!”

GC Ellis also stated: “I appreciate the patience our membership showed during these past stressful years, and I thank every single one of our members for their support during this process.”

The contract will now be presented to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for their consideration. The Board is expected to vote on the agreement in late August or in September.

SMART Transportation Division members represented by General Committee of Adjustment GO 875 have approved a new agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority that attains all of the goals sought by the committee’s negotiating team.

The general committee represents bus and light and heavy rail operators throughout the county’s transportation system, as well as schedule makers and schedule checkers for the agency.

“The major issues given to the committee’s negotiators by the membership were discipline policies and work rules, an elimination of a two-tier wage scale and the security of the health and welfare trust. This contract accomplishes all of those goals,” said SMART International Representative Vic Baffoni. “The committee sought to address these issues, first and foremost, and our members approved of their accomplishments.

“Preservation of our work rules was paramount, and we totally renegotiated the discipline policy to provide our members with job security and fair treatment.”

The general committee represents approximately 5,000 LACMTA employees and is the largest bus and transit property represented by SMART.

The negotiation team was led by GO 875 General Chairperson James Williams and general committee members Local 1607 Chairperson Lisa Arredondo, Local 1563 Chairperson Robert Gonzalez, Local 1564 Chairperson Ulysses “Butch” Johnson, Local 1565 Chairperson Eddie Lopez and Local 1608 Chairperson John M. Ellis.

In preparation for the negotiations, Williams held meetings with California Gov. Jerry Brown and Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti. Preliminary negotiations with the agency commenced in February, following discussions with members at local meetings to pinpoint their objectives for a new contract. Negotiations with LACMTA officials began in earnest in March.

“This General Committee is extremely proud of the work that was put into crafting the new work rules for our members. Other transportation unions have gone on strike to get a fraction of what our committee was able to accomplish. There is not a doubt in my mind that these rules will serve as a model for other bargaining units in the future,” Williams said.

Under the new contract, an unfair and divisive two-tier wage system was eliminated for good and was replaced by a seniority-based rate schedule. Under previous agreements, operators hired after July 1, 1997, were paid significantly less than operators hired on or before that date.

Employees will now see wage increases after five, six, 10, 11 and 17 years of full-time service.

“If you put in the time and do the job, any operator can now reach the top of the pay scale,” Williams said.

During the life of the contract, all operators will see at least one significant pay increase, with the top-rate employees receiving a 4.5 percent pay increase immediately. Trainees, schedule checkers and schedule makers, and some part-time operators, will receive rate increases as well.

GO 875 represents members of Transportation Division Locals 1563, 1564, 1565, 1607, 1608. LACMTA Metro operates 2,228 vehicles over 1,433 square miles. The authority reports its total calendar monthly system-wide boardings for July 2014 at 38,327,115 riders.

Pictured, from left, are Local 1564 Chairperson Ulysses “Butch” Johnson, Local 1608 Chairperson John M. Ellis, General Chairperson James Williams, Local 1607 Chairperson Lisa Arredondo, Local 1563 Chairperson Robert Gonzalez and Local 1565 Chairperson Eddie Lopez, GO 875 members who negotiated the LACMTA contract.