HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Hampton Roads Transit and its union drivers and mechanics are on opposite sides of the street when it comes to personal protective equipment, hazard pay, and the pot of money the feds have set aside to help transit systems during the COVID crisis.
The drivers and mechanics of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1177 who work for HRT say right now their work is hazardous, so they want hazard pay.
“We’re taking a risk and a chance every day we come out here,” said union steward and mechanic Michael Gilliam.
Union President Amanda Malone says the workers want an extra $10 an hour. HRT is giving them eight extra hours pay for every 40 worked during the outbreak, payable once operations return to normal. The union is not impressed with that deal.
“Compensate your bargaining unit employees,” Malone said. “Show them that you appreciate them. Do not slap them in the face by offering eight hours for every 40 worked. That is ludicrous.”
The two sides also disagree over the amount of PPE available to the workers.
“We’re not getting the proper PPE in the shops,” Gilliam said.
But Chief Human Resources Officer Kim Wolcott disputes that, saying she feels absolutely confident that workers are properly protected.
“We have masks, we have gloves, we have disinfectant wipes and we’ve been able to procure hand sanitizer from a local distillery,” Wolcott said, adding that plastic face shields were made available this week as well, although drivers say they are difficult to wear while operating the buses.
Another key issue is the federal money that’s been set aside for transit systems as part of the CARES Act approved by Congress. HRT is eligible for nearly $60 million. The union says it’s guaranteed, but HRT says it’s not that simple. Expenses have to be justified to get reimbursement.
“(We’re) currently in the process of completing that application and we will be submitting it, but we have no idea of how long it will take to go through the approval process,” Wolcott said.
The two sides can’t even agree on the number of people riding the bus. The union insists that ridership has increased, but HRT says it is way down — in fact, down by 75%, according to HRT’s most recent daily figures.
HRT has suspended all fares for bus, ferry and light rail trips during the outbreak. Management says the policy is intended to reduce contact between operators and riders.
All bus passengers must board by the rear door, and seats toward the front have been blocked from usage, as precautionary measures. The union says those measures are not effective because riders will just stand near the front of the bus.
HRT says it’s deploying buses with acrylic shields that separate the operator from the passengers, and if buses get too crowded, the system will add another bus to the route.
