Detroit bus drivers to see $3 an hour raises, bonus increases under revised pact

Detroit — Mayor Mike Duggan and transit leaders on Thursday announced a pay increase for Detroit Department of Transportation drivers to bolster hiring and retention efforts ahead of 200 new drivers this year to join the department.

DDOT bus drivers will see an immediate $3 per hour wage increase under a new memorandum of agreement between the city and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26, which was negotiated after Duggan reopened the contract 18 months early.

The increase would bring starting pay for new drivers up to $19.15 per hour from the current rate of $16.15 per hour. Maximum pay for those working for DDOT for at least four years will jump to $25.61 per hour from the current cap of $22.61.

The agreement also would raise quarterly attendance bonuses from $1,000 to $1,500 each quarter for every driver with no more than three unexcused absences per quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2023, 76% of the department's active drivers earned the attendance bonus, Interim DDOT Director Michael Staley said.

"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," Staley said during a Thursday press conference at DDOT's training room on St. Jean Street.

Local 26 President Schetrone Collier, who represents DDOT equipment operators, said he drove for DDOT for 34 years and pay raises are "just as much for the public as it is for our drivers."

“Having been born and raised in this city, I've stood at the bus stop and not had a bus come in 19-degree weather and when you finally see those lights, it's like seeing Jesus, believe me," Collier said. "To know the passengers will have a more dependable schedule to count on, it will definitely improve the attraction and retention of those drivers."

The pay increases come as transit officials push to increase DDOT's on-time performance rate, which is currently at 63%. The department has on average 1 million rides monthly.

There have been hiccups this past year as DDOT Director Mikel Oglesby resigned after a three-year stint and in the midst of his “Detroit Reimagined” transit plan. Duggan appointed Staley, the head of the city's paratransit services, as interim DDOT director. The city has also not complied with requests from The News to review DDOT drivers' safety records after a records review found one Detroit bus driver kept her job through 19 accidents until a second fatality.

The current collective bargaining agreement does not expire until July 1, 2025, but Duggan said he reopened the contract early to raise pay rates. Duggan has given the agreement to the nine-member City Council and, if approved, the increases would take immediate effect. Three council members — Latisha Johnson, Coleman Young II and Fred Durhal — spoke in support at the press conference. All other provisions of the contract remain unchanged.

Duggan said the city is not losing drivers to SMART, the regional bus authority. The raises were well-deserved for the burden they endure, he said.

"We want to build a culture of reliability," Duggan said. "Anyone who suggests the driver pay is the only issue doesn't understand how transit works. We have to work to add more transit police. I get as many complaints about transit police as I do about the pay. ... We have to improve the physical conditions of our shelters, customer service of getting on and off the buses and improve on-time reliable buses, which are often not the fault of the operator but the fault of the maintenance department. If the bus isn't on time or if the heat isn't working, they take it out on the driver."

Still, some other DDOT employees questioned where the raises were for non-drivers including mechanics. Duggan responded by saying the city's operational services will spend an additional $2 million on the raises, and drivers were the primary focus due to the high vacancy rate.

200 drivers are being added

In another effort to bolster reliability, the city is adding 20 buses to boost the number of the roads to 150 buses. Duggan said rides will improve by spring.

"In 2024, I expect to be the year of no more excuses. We will improve DDOT," the mayor said.

To improve service, DDOT has increased its hiring efforts, going from classes of 10-15 new drivers at a time to classes of 30 to 50 at a time, Staley said. A class of 30 new drivers is set to graduate Friday and another class of approximately 45 will graduate in early February. DDOT currently has about 400 drivers with a goal of having 600 drivers on the road by the end of this year, he said.

Michael Cunningham, a transit advocate and weekly commenter at City Council meetings, rode the buses for seven years before he became a cab driver giving out free bus passes and hand warmers in the city.

"I've been doing this a long time, hearing all the complaints of waiting an hour, two hours, in the cold," Cunningham said. "I tell people to call their council members. I even have a list of all their phone numbers laminated in my cab. This is a start to seeing improvement to come. A lot of folks need paid training and I really think the increased $3 will make a huge difference. I appreciate the sense of urgency during the winter."

Anyone interested in becoming a DDOT driver is encouraged to apply at www.detroitmi.gov/employment

DDOT drivers approved their last contract in 2021 after working without a union contract since 2018. That contract raised starting pay from $12.99 per hour to $15, along with 2.5% annual raises for four years.  The drivers will still receive the previously agreed upon cost-of-living increases in the current collective bargaining agreement through next summer. In 2022, Duggan added the $1,000-per-quarter incentive that allowed drivers to earn an additional $4,000 per year based on their attendance.

srahal@detroitnews.com