AC Transit Drivers Win in Court

By: Zusha Elinson

Your bus could be on time today.

A judge ruled Monday afternoon that the AC Transit board isn’t allowed to impose a contract on its bus drivers, the Bay City News Service reports. The board tried to flex on the drivers union after contract negotiations fell apart last month.

Some bus drivers engaged in sick-outs in protest, furious at the board's actions, resulting in late buses. Union members said the absences were only because of the new and unusual schedules being imposed on them.

Here’s what happens now, according to the Bay City News Service:

Today's ruling by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Judith Ford means the bus agency will have to honor the old contract while the union and management engage in binding arbitration. On July 16, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch ordered AC Transit to enter into binding arbitration with ATU Local 192 to try to reach an agreement on a new contract. The two sides have agreed on an arbitrator, but no new talks have been scheduled so far.

The dispute got started when the district tried to get $15 million in concessions from its drivers to help close a $56 million budget shortfall.