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Supervisor Ellsbourne seeks to remove Muni operator salary survey from charter; unions urge delay and negotiation
Summary
Supervisor Ellsbourne proposed removing the charter formula that sets transit operator wages by a survey of peer jurisdictions and returning wages to collective bargaining; transit unions and the Chamber disputed the need for a charter change. The committee agreed to continue the item for further meet‑and‑confer and to allow MTA/bargaining discussions.
Supervisor Ellsbourne asked the committee to remove from the city charter the salary‑survey formula that sets Muni operator wages and return wage- and benefit-setting to collective bargaining, with binding interest arbitration for impasses. He said the existing survey "comprises nearly 36% of the entire MTA budget" and that the city is "shackled" to the formula, reducing its ability to negotiate work‑rule changes.
Union speakers, led by Transport Workers Union leaders and members (including Erwin Lum and Walter Scott), argued the charter provision preserved hard‑won benefits, raised concerns about dependent‑care reimbursements and the MTA trust fund, and urged more negotiation before the committee forwarded the measure. The Chamber and business representatives argued that the salary survey now functions as a rigid floor and hampers budget flexibility.
Committee members debated whether a larger, more comprehensive charter package would be preferable and questioned the timing relative to ballot deadlines. After extensive public comment and requests for additional data from the MTA and unions, the committee agreed to continue the item to allow further meet‑and‑confer conversations and to secure needed statistics and actuarial information.
