Meeting_Body
REVISED
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JUNE 26, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
AUTHORIZE the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. EXECUTE a new collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union (Teamsters) for the Transit Ambassador job classification effective July 1, 2025;
B. AMEND the FY26 Budget in the amount of $11.8 million for the implementation of the new wages and benefits for the approval of the final collective bargaining agreement;
C. ADD 388 contract positions (Teamsters) comprised of 309 Transit Ambassador Program staff who are currently in the field, and 79 new Transit Ambassadors to continue and expand the visible presence and in-person support across the Metro transit system and at the new Metro/LAX Transit Center, Foothill Extension and Purple Line Extension and additional high priority bus routes;
D. ADD 49 non-contract positions for the Transit Ambassador Program for Supervisors to oversee Ambassador staff in the field. These employees will be represented by AFSCME Local 3634 upon ratification and Board approval of an agreement with the union; and
E. ADD 2 non-contract positions to oversee expanded day to day operations, staff training, reporting and customer experience improvements related to the Transit Ambassador Program.
Issue
ISSUE
In October 2023, the Board approved making the Transit Ambassador pilot program permanent and bringing it in-house. Metro initiated negotiations with union leadership, resulting in a new Teamsters agreement to represent Transit Ambassador personnel. This collective bargaining agreement supports the Board’s decision to bring the program in-house. Staff requests to modify the FY26 Budget to add the positions necessary to bring the Ambassadors in-house, as well as additional positions for the expansion of the Ambassador program. Negotiations with AFSCME, who will represent the Supervisors, is not yet complete. The Supervisors will be hired as non-contract employees until an agreement is reached.
Background
BACKGROUND
In June of 2020, the Metro Board approved a motion by Directors Bonin, Garcetti, Hahn, Dupont-Walker, and Solis (Attachment A) to create a transit ambassador program that provides a staffed presence at Metro facilities and on Metro vehicles. Following a competitive procurement process in 2022, the Board awarded contracts to support a Transit Ambassador Pilot Program that would introduce visible, uniformed, unarmed staff presence on the Metro system to provide in-person, care-based assistance to riders, with the primary objective of enhancing the overall customer experience with Metro.
In September 2022, Metro introduced the Transit Ambassador Pilot Program. Ambassadors were deployed primarily across the rail system as they were hired and trained. On March 6, 2023, Metro officially launched the program with 300 trained Ambassadors. Transit Ambassadors quickly became an integral component of Metro’s public safety ecosystem, alongside homeless outreach teams, Metro transit security officers, contracted law enforcement, and security.
In October 2023, following a staff evaluation of the first year of the pilot program, the Board approved making the Transit Ambassador Program permanent and bringing the program in-house. As a result, Metro commenced preparations for contract negotiations with Teamsters leadership to transition Transit Ambassador staff from contract to Metro full-time equivalent personnel. Staff conducted workshops for labor and management to come together and explore ridership trends, security within the system, and public/private partnerships. These workshops allowed both parties to understand each other’s interests and, most importantly, joint interests and common goals.
The preparation for contract negotiations left all parties with a clear vision of the direction Metro is heading and a path to making meaningful contributions in the future. Prior to beginning formal negotiations, the following principles were identified to guide work at the bargaining tables:
• The users of Metro services and the taxpayers within Los Angeles County are key stakeholders. It is excellence in service and support that they have come to expect and that they deserve.
• Understanding that Metro’s workforce is essential to the agency’s ability to deliver excellent service and support.
• Metro’s labor agreements provide the framework for commitments to each other. The agreements include the guidelines, the work rules and the acknowledgement of joint interests and respective interests.
• It is Metro’s intent to negotiate agreements in good faith, to build a stronger organization and to be financially prudent and good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
• Recognizing that as Metro moves into the future, the agency is evolving in the use of technologically advanced equipment.
• Commitment to honor Metro’s agreements and to be transparent in all efforts to lead Metro into the future of the industry.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Staff has been addressing areas for program improvement, including enhanced training, communications tools and deployment strategies to ensure a friendly, uniformed presence at Metro stations, and aboard trains and buses.
Labor Negotiations
As of May 15, 2025, Metro reached a tentative agreement with Teamsters on the new labor agreement for the Transit Ambassador job classification for a term of four years, effective July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029. Metro Transit Ambassadors are not security officers and do not replace existing security personnel or law enforcement. Rather, they are an added workforce that collaborates with other Metro departments to maintain public safety. Benefits of the agreement include:
Ø Comprehensive compensation package covering wages and benefits;
Ø Refined guidelines regarding work shifts to enhance coverage and safety across the transit system;
Ø Streamlined qualifications to codify Metro’s onboarding process, hiring and retention efforts specific to this new job classification.
Teamster members ratified their tentative agreement on June 18, 2025, with a 67% yes vote. This new labor agreement is now being presented to the Board for approval. The new agreement for Teamsters will commence July 1, 2025.
Currently, there are 333 contracted Ambassador staff (285 Ambassadors and 48 Supervisors), with 100% having served as Ambassadors for more than one year. As part of Metro’s commitment to continuous improvement and inclusivity, contracted Ambassador staff in good standing will begin full transition from contracted positions to Metro employment beginning July 1, 2025. Consistent with Metro’s Worker Retention Policy, staff will focus on transitioning these staff within the first 90 days before hiring any new Ambassadors. This effort aligns with our mission to support and uplift all members of our workforce while ensuring a higher standard of service for our patrons.
As illustrated in the financial impact section of this report, Metro is committed to competitive wages, worker stability, and career pathways, three of the key reasons for bringing the ambassador program in-house.
Transitioning Staff in-House and Expanding the Program
The first phase of the recruitment transition of the Transit Ambassador Program, Staff will hire all current contract Transit Ambassadors and Supervisors, who would like to join the agency and are in good standing. The second phase of the recruitment will expand hiring efforts to include additional Transit Ambassadors to support the expansion of Metro’s rail system at the LAX/Metro Transit Center, four new stations that will open as part of the Foothill Extension (A line to Pomona), and new three stations that will open as part of the D (Purple) Line Extension. As Metro continues to invest in bus-only lanes to improve speed and reliability, dedicated Transit Ambassador bus riding teams will complement this investment by ensuring a safe, welcoming, and customer-friendly experience. These Transit Ambassadors will be deployed on some of Metro’s busiest lines, supporting the more than 70 miles of dedicated bus lanes now in operation. As has always been the case, Transit Ambassador deployments are flexible and can be adjusted to meet specific needs on the system.
To complete the in-house transition, the Board must approve the modification to the FY26 budget to add salary and benefits for the following positions:
• (309) contract positions (TEAMSTERS) to hire existing Transit Ambassador Staff to maintain current deployment.
• (79) Additional Transit Ambassador positions (TEAMSTERS) to staff the LAX/Metro Transit Center, A Line to Pomona Extension, the D (Purple) Line Extension, and high priority bus lines.
• (49) Non-contract positions for the Transit Ambassador Supervisors to manage Ambassador staff in the field. These staff will be represented by AFSCME once contract negotiations are completed, ratified, and approved by the Board.
• (2) Additional Non-Contract Program Management Staff - These roles will oversee daily operations, monitor field performance, and provide essential administrative support needed to effectively manage the program in-house. The program management team will include a Deputy Executive Officer who will be responsible for overseeing more than 400 full-time Ambassador program employees, and an Administrative Analyst to support data analytics and human resource functions for the expanded workforce.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
The recommendations' approval will allow Metro to meet the evolving needs of the transit system. Public expectations for safety and accountability require a more integrated and sustainable approach. Additionally, approval of the collective bargaining agreement has a positive impact on safety due to the negotiated work rules directly related to safety.
The recommendations support Metro’s commitment to improving the perception and experience of public safety across the transit system. Transit Ambassadors play a vital, non-law enforcement role in Metro’s layered public safety approach-offering customer support, de-escalation assistance, and helping to connect individuals in need with social services. Bringing the program in-house will allow Metro to strengthen oversight, ensure consistent customer service standards, expand coverage as needed, and better align Transit Ambassador activities with the agency’s broader safety and customer experience goals.
Financial_Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Staff recommends an average salary and wage increase of 3.2% annually over the course of the contract, along with a 0.25% quarterly wage adjustment for the last three quarters of FY29.
|
FY26 Transit Ambassador Top Hourly Rate |
FY27 |
FY28 |
FY29 |
Annual Average Rate |
|
$26.00 |
2-4% |
2-3% |
5% |
3.2% |
The following chart shows the number of approved Ambassador positions transitioning to Metro at the various step progressions (A, B, C, and D). It also illustrates the total compensation package for Metro in comparison to the existing Ambassador contractors, Strive Well-Being Inc. and RMI International Inc.:
The FY26 budget impact is $11,800,000 under Cost Center 2325, Transit Ambassador Program, Project 300040- Rail Operations Management and Admin and Project 306006- Systemwide Bus Ops Management and Admin.
Impact to Budget
The funding for this amendment will be Federal, State, and Local sources, which are eligible for Bus and Rail Operations.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
The collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters, effective July 1, 2025, has considered equity impacts such as annual wage increases and benefits, which will help with retention and recruitment and ensure that Metro’s transportation system is safe for customers, employees, and the communities It serves.
The Transit Ambassador Program will continue to assign unarmed staff to work in high need areas, including bus stops/stations and rail stations serving Equity Focus Communities (EFCs). In response to growing calls for reforms, the Transit Ambassador Program will continue to emphasize compassion and a culture of care, treating all transit riders, employees, and community members with dignity and respect. In addition, most riders agree that seeing Ambassadors on Metro makes them feel safer; this number increases with people of color (Asian/Pacific Islanders - 70%, Hispanics/Latinos - 68%, women - 66%, and households with lower income - 66%; Source - Ambassador Program Survey, July-Aug 2023).
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro’s significant investment in rail and bus transit. * Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California’s statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
Consistent with these targets, this item will likely decrease VMT in LA County, as it is related to operational activities that will improve, benefit and encourage taking transit, including providing support services to transit service. Metro’s Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
The Metro Transit Ambassadors are a diverse group of individuals that travel throughout the bus and rails system to improve ridership experience by providing:
• Support in navigating the Metro system.
• Information to connect riders with resources (e.g., providing directions, information on how to pay fares, or services available through our homeless outreach teams).
• Report any maintenance, cleanliness or safety issues throughout the system.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans’ Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Staff recommendations support LA Metro’s Vision 2028 goals in the following manner:
GOAL: Deliver outstanding trip experiences for all users of the transportation system:
Recruit, retain, and train employees with the training necessary to effectively and compassionately ensure that Metro’s transportation system is safe for customers and employees.
GOAL: Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity:
Provide opportunity for union members to support the delivery of transportation service by ensuring safety throughout the transit network and the communities Metro serves within Los Angeles County.
GOAL: Provide responsive, accountable, and trustworthy governance within the Metro organization: During negotiations, staff established a stronger relationship of trust by using the “interest based/collaborative” negotiation style. This creates a better working relationship with the unions and reduces tension and friction between labor and management.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board may choose not to approve the new collective bargaining agreement or staffing requests; however, this is not recommended as it would contradict the Board's directive to make the Transit Ambassador pilot program permanent and bring it in-house. It would also be contrary to the agreement reached in good faith between labor and management, which forms the foundation of our commitment to represented Transit Ambassador employees. Additionally, such action would require an extension of the current contracts that are set to expire on August 31, 2025. This alternative is not recommended as it is not responsive to Metro’s goal to improve the customer experience.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will amend the FY26 budget, implement the new collective bargaining agreement, and complete all necessary actions to bring contracted Transit Ambassadors personnel in-house over the next 90 days. At the same time, staff will continue negotiations with AFSCME over representation for the Supervisors and will bring an agreement to the Board for approval as soon as an agreement is reached. After 90 days, staff will begin to hire for the expansion Transit Ambassador positions.
Attachment
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A - Motion 37
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Karen Parks, Senior Director, Customer Programs & Services, (213) 922-4612
Vanessa Smith, Executive Officer, Customer Care, (213) 922-7009
Nancy Saravia, Deputy Executive Officer, Administration, (213) 922-1217
Don Howey, Executive Officer, Administration (213) 922-8867
Cristian Leiva, Deputy Chief People Officer, Labor Negotiations (213) 922-3035
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by:
Jennifer Vides, Chief Customer Experience Officer, (213) 922-4060
Dawn Jackson-Perkins, Chief People Officer, (213) 418-3166
