Union to squeeze $12 million more from OmniRide with new 4-year contract

It’s been nearly a month since OmniRide drivers went on strike, leaving those in Prince William and Stafford counties without a guaranteed ride.

Today, Teamsters Local 639 is set to take a vote on a new contract that could end the strike today at noon.

“After being on strike for nearly a month, we are proud have reached an agreement for these incredibly resilient, brave men and women. They stood strong in spite of incredible adversity,” said Bill Davis, Local 639 Secretary-Treasurer. “The strike produced economic results for the membership – this is a fair agreement that we believe will get Prince William and Stafford Counties back up and running.”

According to OmniRide, which released the details of the new four-year deal, the offer includes:

• Compression of years to reach top pay from 16 to 5 years (6 was on the
  table when the Union stopped working)
• Approximate 14% across the board pay increase in year 1, including a $750 ratification bonus
• 3% annual raises for each year of the contract
• 2% increase in 401(k) match for a total of 3%
• Additional paid holiday for Juneteenth Celebration
• Same level of compensation for CDL drivers, regardless of service type
• Increased & more frequent Attendance Bonus for excellent attendance
• Numerous other items related to work rules and internal procedures

This increases the compensation for the Union workforce by an average value of $3 million per year, or $12 million over the length of the four-year contract. While this is a large dollar amount, the cost is driven by the reduction of the number years to reach top pay and is in line with industry standards, making OmniRide a highly competitive place to work. This allows OmniRide to offer excellence in our services by hiring and retaining the region’s best operator workforce.

We will update our customers on the status of the vote late Sunday afternoon and will announce the services for Monday based on the outcome. We are hopeful that beginning Monday we can resume our full complement of OmniRide services. Please keep an eye on the OmniRide website Sunday evening.