According to the president of ATU Local 1700, Bruce Hamilton, a new contract has been ratified between Greyhound USA and the union representing over 4,500 drivers and mechanics in the United States. The Local 1700 web site reports that 71% voted in favour of the new deal and 29% voted no.
In the words of the president of the local this is an "historic deal" because over the course of the contract more time on the job will become paid time, and by the final 5th year of the contract, regular and extra-board drivers will be paid from sign-on to sign-off – in what is claimed to be a first in the history of Greyhound Lines.
The term of the contract is from April 1, 2013 to April 1, 2017. Over that period of time operators will see their top driving rate increase from $24.00/hr to $25.00/hr (4.17%) and their non-driving rate from $5.00/hr to $9.50/hr (90%) - see pp. 45 - 46 of Tentative Agreement for details. Time at work that is now unpaid (sign-on, sign-off, stops over 30 minutes, layover time) will be phased in until all is paid by the final year of the contract. The company also agreed to an increase its contributions to the Health and Welfare Trust, from the current $622 to $840.23 per participant over the life of the contract representing an increase of 35%.
Other significant changes are that the agreement establishes a new $125 per day minimum pay for regular runs, the minimum extra-board assignment is increased to $80, the deadhead rate goes up to 100% of the driving rate in the last year of the contract, the meal allowance goes up to $30 per day, and Extra- board drivers are guaranteed their earned days off.
Another contentious issue was resolved as the agreement requires that all Greyhound work in the Southwest that had been subcontracted to Americanos and Crucero will be returned to Local 1700 drivers, and that all 1700 members will work those runs at full rates – not at discounts the company originally proposed. It is notable that this agreement was negotiated and settled in advance of its' scheduled expiry date at the end of March 2013, because members in Texas sparked a rebellion over the company’s unfair use of Americanos drivers on Greyhound Express runs. Management agreed to settle the issue after weeks of picketing and a huge demonstration at corporate headquarters in Dallas. The company responded by asking Local 1700 to negotiate a “global settlement” covering all Greyhound work.
There appear to be a lot of positive changes made in this new contract, and the fact that it was finalized and placed before the membership for a vote a month before it was due to expire is a good sign. A lot of these gains make up for the concessions that were made during the strikes in the 80's and 90's. With this contract the members of Local 1700 are still for the most part trying to make up lost ground. It should be noted that the impetus and motivating force behind these contract negotiations were an activist and mobilized membership base in Texas that opposed Greyhound's attempt to use Americanos drivers on greyhound runs in the Southwest.
