Valley Metro And Union Make 3-Year Agreement Ending Strike

August 05, 2013

Valley Metro Bus Service is back on schedule in the East Valley Monday. Union and management negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to end the bus strike that has mainly affected riders in the Southeast Valley since Thursday. Susan Tierney of Valley Metro outlines parts of the deal.

“We’re looking at a three-year agreement,” Tierney said. “We feel very gratified that we can get bus service back on the road. That is Valley Metro’s mission, to move people, and we’re excited to be back and on full schedules on Monday.”

According to a Valley Metro press release, First Transit and ATU 1433 inked a tentative three-year agreement that defines the labor wages, benefits and work rules for the more than 500 operators who serve 57,000 daily riders in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale and Phoenix. 

Amalgamated Transit Union president Bob Bean said the union reached a favorable agreement Sunday with the First Transit Company to end the strike.  Bean declined to provide details of the agreement but he said union members will have to ratify the agreement within the next week or so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Updated 8/5/13 at 10:57 a.m.