FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
August 10, 2023
MARTA, ATU LOCAL 732 REACH LABOR AGREEMENT
Agreement Includes 16% Raise, Attendance and Longevity Bonuses
ATLANTA - The
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and Amalgamated Transit
Union (ATU) Local 732 have reached a new 3-year collective bargaining
agreement. MARTA’s healthcare coverage and pension benefits are top amongst
public employers, with MARTA covering 83 percent of employees’ healthcare
premiums and offering represented employees a lifetime pension benefit. New
benefits included in this contract include paid parental leave, education
reimbursement and longevity and attendance bonuses. The agreement also includes
an average ten percent raise for operators in the first year, and three percent
in the second and third year.
Of MARTA’s 4,275
employees, 2,697 or 63 percent are members of ATU Local 732.
“No one is more
important to delivering the vision of MARTA, which is people taking people
where they want to go today, tomorrow and in the future, than our represented
workforce,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. “I feel
confident this agreement recognizes the contributions of represented staff and
establishes new benefits to support them and their families.”
The contract
creates a mutually beneficial situation for both union and management by
restructuring the attendance bonus from annual to quarterly. This allows
employees to take time when needed but incentivizes consistent attendance,
which will help minimize missed trips due to high levels of absenteeism.
ATU Local 732
members will receive an estimated twelve times more in total attendance bonuses
over the last contract, and longevity bonuses have been added for members with
15 years of service and increased for those with over 20 years. Another feature
of the contract is members can share MARTA employee Breeze passes with their
spouses and dependents, up to four per represented employee.
“As a public
entity, MARTA strives to keep pay competitive while remaining fiscally
responsible,” said MARTA Board of Directors Chair Thomas Worthy. “The sixteen
percent raises and longevity bonuses, plus health benefits provided at the
lowest cost of any public employer in metro Atlanta, combine to make a strong
compensation package for represented employees.”
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