*Percent is calculated using 7/1/2026 wage rates for LACMTA full- & part-time operators, the first year when time-to-top-out reduced to 5 years from 6.
**While there are a couple of elected stewards, most are appointed. See our (recently submitted) petition to make all stewards elected.

“During the term of this Agreement, neither the Union nor its members shall call or engage in any strike” and “the  Authority shall not cause or permit any lockout of any of its employees.”

This clause limits any strike action to after contract expiration dates, tying our hands. Union power derives from the ability to stop the buses & trains! Without that we are left begging. A no lockout provision does not make this equal, as companies usually employ that when they seek to break the union, contract and all.

The ATU contracts at Metrolink, Riverside Transit & SunLine are even stricter, prohibiting “any strike, walkout, slowdown, sick out or any other job action” and threatening termination for any employee who participates in such.

COFTU demands: Remove the no-strike clause!

“The Authority will not require employees covered by this labor Agreement to cross a picket line which has been legally established by a labor union, whether such picket line is on Authority property or elsewhere”—ATU contract, page 2 (same wording for TCU and similar for SMART).

While the term “legally established” provides a huge loophole, this clause was key to allowing some Metro unions to join the strike of others.

COFTU demands: The right to respect all picket lines, whether sanctioned by the government and union brass or not—one union out, all out!

”On a proportionate basis, if the ATU economic package (wages, health and welfare, pension) is less than that provided to any bargaining unit at LACMTA, such increase will be granted to ATU”—ATU contract, side letter

This clause only comes into effect if the ATU contract is in force (i.e. not expired) when another union at Metro signs a new contract. It doesn’t protect when all contracts are expired. COFTU is for common expiration dates, but so that the unions negotiate together as a unit & strike together if at an impasse. Common practice is for Metro to negotiate one union at a time to play us off each other.

COFTU demands: Sync contract expiration dates and bargain together!

ATU at Metro: For members retiring after age 55 with 23 years service or after 62, continual coverage for member & spouse. If member dies, spouse receives benefits for life if the member worked at least 15 years, else they receive benefits for 12 months—article 36 §B

IBT Ambassadors: Refer to LACMTA Human Resources Policy HR 11
(Medical/Dental Benefits)—article 23.3

SMART: For members hired after 9/7/91 with 23 years of service, there is a sliding scale of payment to the member & spouse depending on the age at retirement between 55 and 65, with all coverage ended at age 65 or 66. Surviving dependents receive benefits for 12 months after death of the member—article 46 §2(a)

TCU: Full coverage until age 65 for members retiring after age 55 with 23 years of service, or 62 and ten years of service. Surviving spouse gets coverage for 12 months after member’s death—article 37

ATU at Riverside Transit: 3 tiers—hired on or before 6/22/06 get full healthcare including for all dependents at same cost as active employees until 65, after for $5/month. Those hired after 6/22/06 with 10 years service coverage is same for $5/month but no dependent coverage. Those hired after 11/15/18 are like tier 2, but after age 65 can only receive a plan similar to the Kaiser $20/month plan for $5/month—article 40

COFTU demands: Full free healthcare for life for members and spouses!

ATU at Metro: 120 days bus side, 180 days rail—article 14 §A

IBT Ambassadors: 12 months for new hire and 6 months for internal promotion—article 24.1

SMART: Probation varies by job title and if hired from the outside or for an internal promotion. External bus operators have a 150 day probation (article 37 §4), while new train operators have a year probation if a new hire, or a 90 day probation if an internal promotion (article 22 §3(c)). (Schedule checkers, see article 24 §18; schedule analysts, article 32 §3(A).)

TCU: 120 days both for new hire and internal promotion—article 22

ATU at Long Beach: 150 days after “training period” for new hires—article 19

ATU at Metrolink: 1 year for new hires, 90 days for internal promotion—article 16 §2

ATU at Riverside Transit: 120 days for new hires, 180 days for internal promotion—articles 9 & 11

ATU at SunLine: 120 days for new operators, 90 days for new mechanics—articles G-33 & M-1

COFTU demands: No union probation!

ATU at Metro: 80% at start, 5% per half-year until 100% in two years except for new Service Attendants, who start at 70% and take three years to reach top pay—article 1 §A

IBT ambassadors: four annual steps—article 5.3-5.4

SMART: Effective 7/1/26, 5 years to top rate (previously 6 years) starting at about 69% for full-time operators, 82% for part-time—article 1

TCU: 70% at start, three years to top rate—article 2(a)

ATU at Long Beach: Operators: 70% at start, four years to top rate—article 47 §4

ATU at Metrolink: Rail traffic Controllers and Coordinators start at 65% of top rate, and take 8 steps to top out after 5 years—article 20 §d(1). Communications Coordinators and Customer Relations Representatives start at 75% of top rate, and take five years of annual raises to top out—article 20 §d(3).

ATU at Riverside Transit: Operators start at 80% and increase annually, top off after two years. Mechanics have three tiers—article 38

ATU at SunLine: Mechanics have four 6 month steps, topping out after 18 months. Operators have five counting a “training rate” during probation, but also topping out after 18 months—article G-29

COFTU demands: End steps—top rate on day one!

ATU at Metro: $91.76 as of 6/1/2026 ($86.86 business and $5 arbitration). On 7/1/2022, the portion due to the international (“per capital tax”) was $17.95, rising annually with the Consumer Price Index (ATU constitution §18.1).

COFTU demands: Dues proportional to wages and paid by all!

ATU: minimum $400/week —ATU Constitution §19.3

COFTU demands: Raise the strike fund now!

ATU: “Any officer required to work full time for the Local Union will receive a salary equivalent to 21% above the highest represented employee by the Local”—Local bylaws, article 19 §1

COFTU demands: Workers wages for all officers!

ATU: Local officers & stewards are elected by mail-in ballot every 3 years or when there’s an opening (local bylaws article 5 §5 & article 7). International officers are elected by conference delegates to the international convention (ATU constitution §6.22) for 3 year terms (ATU constitution §7.1).

COFTU demands: All positions directly elected and recallable!

ATU: 2 years good standing and attendance at 6 meetings in each of the previous two years—ATU constitution §14.2

IBT Ambassadors: Actively employed and in good standing for 24 months and attendance at 50% of meetings for the past 24 months—Local bylaws §17C(2) & (3)

ATU at MetroLink represents Dispatching Operations Supervisors (renamed “Rail Traffic Coordinators”) and at SunLine, Maintenance Supervisors.

COFTU demands: Supervisors out of our unions!

ATU at Metro: acting leaders can be made temporary supervisors at managements discretion, with all powers including discipline—article 1

COFTU demands: No discipline power between union members! Right to refuse to be acting supervisor!