Leaders of the Twin Cities bus drivers union that threatened to strike during the Super Bowl recommended Thursday that their members approve a contract offer from the Metropolitan Council.
If approved, the deal would avert a potentially calamitous disruption during one of the largest events in recent Twin Cities history. The 2,500 members, which include bus drivers, mechanics and other Metro Transit staff, will vote on Sunday and Monday.
Drivers pushed hard for more safety protections after years of assaults by passengers, resulting in a pilot program to install 21 protective barriers beside the driver's seat on some buses. Other points of contention had included driver access to restrooms and the maximum hours worked by part-time drivers, which Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005 President Mark Lawson said were resolved.
"This is, I feel, a true compromise and a good compromise," Lawson said. "And the nature of compromise is we didn't get everything we wanted, they didn't get everything they wanted."
The Met Council's final offer, presented Wednesday, raises wages by 2.5 percent per year over the three-year life of the contract. It leaves health care plans untouched and provides extra money for vehicle technicians to buy a pricier list of required tools.
"All sides really took it seriously and we were able to work together to find, ultimately, an offer that I think everyone thought was respectful, reasonable and responsive to what the members needed," said Met Council spokeswoman Kate Brickman. "We value our drivers."
Pressure has been building in recent weeks to reach a deal.
Drivers crowded into council meetings sporting "LII" stickers — a nod to the Super Bowl — and on Monday distributed jars of fake urine to council members to highlight inadequate bathroom facilities. On Wednesday night, a council meeting opened to chants of R-E-S-P-E-C-T from union members in the chambers.