Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Bus drivers for the on-demand paratransit service Handy Ride in Fresno, California, secured a new contract on Monday, averting a possible strike that was approved by about a 90% vote. The workers are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1027. They ratified the new contract with National Transit Express, the city’s contractor providing transportation services for people with disabilities. The 76 drivers, mechanics and other workers who staff Fresno’s Handy Ride services will see a 12% raise this year and 4% raises for the next three years. The deal also includes new language that requires the company to give the union 30 days’ notice before introducing new technology, including artificial intelligence, into vehicles, during which the union can request to bargain over the effects of the technology.
“They really do deserve every single penny that they earn,” said Alfredo Molina, Local 1027’s treasurer. “They work day in, day out, dealing with the most vulnerable of folks out there in the community....We ratified a pretty strong contract.”