Detroit bus drivers to get increase in pay, bonuses for good attendance
(CBS DETROIT) - Detroit bus drivers are set to receive an increase in their pay and an increase in their attendance bonuses.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) officials announced a new agreement that will provide a higher starting pay for new bus drivers and maximum pay for veteran drivers.
The goal is for the city to retain its current drivers as well as attract more to the profession. The city has been plagued with a bus driver shortage since the COVID-19 Pandemic.
"I do believe operators that show up for work every day, have enormous value to the system. When you have the same operator on the same route, your on-time performance is better, your experience is better, your customer is better and we have made it a point to make that commitment," Duggan said during Thursday's news conference at the DDOT Terminal on St. Jean.
DDOT drivers will immediately receive a $3 per hour wage increase under a new agreement with the city and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26.
Starting pay for new DDOT drivers is now $19.15 per hour. The maximum pay for those who have worked for DDOT for at least four years increases from the current cap of $22.61 to $25.61 per hour.
"An immediate $3 per hour increase in pay with the ability to earn up to $6,000 more per year is going to do two things for us. It's going to help us retain the drivers we have and it's going to be a tremendous boost to our recruitment efforts," said Interim Transit Director Michael Staley. "The one thing we've heard consistently from drivers and transit advocates is that we needed to increase bus driver pay. We have said we would because our drivers deserve it and now we have."
In addition, the agreement includes an increase in the attendance bonus that is available to bus drivers. The quarterly attendance bonus will increase from $1,000 to $1,500 for any driver who has there or fewer unexcused absences per quarter.
"This is equivalent to an $8,000 a year pay raise for the great majority of our operators who earn the attendance bonus," Duggan said. "This raise is well-deserved."
Another issue the city plans to address on city buses is security.
"I get as many complaints about security as I do about pay, so we need to rethink the way transit police operate," Duggan said.
"This is a great day for DDOT. I drove for DDOT for 34 years and know how important this wage increase is for our drivers," added Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 President Schetrone Collier." But this is just as much for the public as it is our drivers. This increase will help us hire and retain more drivers, so the public can know when they are at a stop and need to get to work or the doctor, DDOT is going to show up when we are supposed to. That's everyone's goal."
