Island Transit Bargaining Update

ATU Local 1576 Bargaining Update

Island Transit Employees

Date: July 11, 2025

Bargaining Update ATU and Island Transit

On July 11, your ATU bargaining team sat down with Island Transit management for our first negotiation session. We came prepared with our full proposal—covering both economic and non-economic issues—shaped by your survey responses, conversations with members, and Executive Board input.

Here’s a quick look at highlights of some of what we proposed to change:

Solid wage increases, including longevity pay

• Higher vacation accrual

• Extra paid holidays

• Daily overtime after 8 or 10 hours

• A return to 5 days of bereavement leave

• A new yearly shoe allowance

• 20 minutes paid pre trip

• Clean-up of outdated or unclear contract language

• …and more

We also locked in negotiation ground rules and reached tentative agreements on several articles we’re not changing—so we can focus on the big stuff. Management asked some clarifying questions and signaled we’re not too far apart on a few issues. Overall, it was a productive start!

What’s Next?

We’re back at the table on August 1, with more sessions scheduled—including back-to-back in-person days on August 12–13. We expect Island Transit to come back with a full counterproposal, including economic terms, in the next few scheduled sessions.

Reminder: What’s a Tentative Agreement?

It’s an agreement on a specific item—not finalized until the full contract is voted on and ratified by the members.

We’ll keep you updated as talks move forward. For the full scoop, make sure to attend our member-only union meetings. If you haven’t joined yet, this is a great time to step in and be part of it all.

Want updates by text? Text ATU1576 to 47400.

In Solidarity,

Your 2025 Bargaining Team:

Dani Julien, President

Lela Perkins, Vice President

Susan Lien & Traynor Hunt, Executive Board

Jim McNaughton, Shop Steward

Michael Cornelius, International Vice President