Phillips thanks transit operators for helping preserve bus service

November 19, 2010

Summary

ATU contract approval will reduce by 20 percent the amount of bus service cuts Metro will have to make by 2015

Story

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, Chair of the Council’s Environment and Transportation Committee, released the following statement praising members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587 and the King County Executive for successfully negotiating a three-year contract that helps stabilize Metro’s fiscal crisis:

“I congratulate Metro transit operators and the King County Executive for successfully negotiating a contract that helps put Metro Transit on more stable financial footing over the next three years and into the future. With transit riders across the region facing a devastating loss of up to 20percent of the transit system over the next four years, transit operators stepped up in a big way to help save the system. Metro operators are truly a tremendous asset to King County, and I commend them for their leadership.

“Transit operator’s willingness to forgo COLA increases next year and accept substantially reduced COLA increases in 2012 and 2013 as well as other workplace concessions will help bring down Metro’s operating costs now and well into the future. The contract negotiated between ATU and the Executive aligns with the recommendations of the County Auditor and the Regional Transit Task Force and will help our region build a more sustainable transit system.

“However, the Great Recession is blasting a $1 billion hole in Metro’s budget between 2009 and 2015, and that shortfall cannot be balanced solely on the backs of our transit operators. They have done their part; now it is time for leaders across the region and state to do ours. We must continue finding new ways to make Metro more sustainable, including implementing the recommendations of the Auditor and the Regional Transit Task Force. And we must find a new source of stable funding to keep our transit system intact and serving the mobility, economic, and environmental needs of King County.”