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Union lays out contract demands citing unsafe buses, staffing shortages and benefits requests
Summary
At a May 29 bargaining session, employee representatives presented a suite of contract proposals — including attachments of county discipline policy, increased union-leave capacity, posted seniority lists, higher uniform/tool allowances and safety incentives — and warned of poor fleet condition and maintenance staffing shortfalls; county staff agreed to review and return June 18.
Nicky Powell, Escambia County HR director, and county negotiators met May 29 with transit employees to open collective-bargaining talks for ECAT. Employees pressed for multiple contract changes they said would improve safety, retention and working conditions.
The union representative (Lincoln McDonald) told county staff they want several items added or clarified in the labor agreement, including attaching the county discipline policy as an appendix so employees can find it easily; expanding the union-lead pool if flex transit is brought in-house; and providing safety documents (SSPP and PTAS) to every employee within seven calendar days of a finalized agreement so staff can read and sign them.
"We would like that once the agreement is reached, that within 7 calendar days, an actual copy is given to every employee and they sign for it," Lincoln McDonald said, pressing for ready access to safety protocols. He also asked for limits on mandatory meetings and for better notice: "We would like, 10 days notice rather than the current existing contract that's 5 days."
Why it matters: employees said unresolved maintenance and staffing problems are already undermining safety and service. The union described repeated, unaddressed defects (oil leaks, broken air conditioning, pest problems) and warned the maintenance workforce is losing senior mechanics, creating risk for daily operations if those departures continue.
County staff accepted some requests for further review but cautioned on others. Powell said the HR manual language can be copied into the contract where appropriate, and the county will ensure safety materials are accessible on PowerDMS. The county also said it will review tool and uniform allowances to align with countywide standards.
Staffing and pay: the union proposed wage progression, a larger tool allowance for technicians, increased uniform allowance ($500), and recognition payments for million-mile drivers; the county said budget constraints will shape any wage decisions and noted a preliminary across-the-board 2% increase is under discussion but not finalized.
Next steps: negotiators agreed to caucus and reconvene June 18. County staff said they will return with redlines and cost estimates on several proposals, including incident-review board language and tool/allowance amounts.
County reply and limits: West Marino, the county administrator, and other staff acknowledged many of the concerns and said they would gather wage-history data for formerly contracted operators to inform cost estimates. Several operational items — including the county's ability to attach entire HR policies to the contract — will be handled by staff and legal counsel before the next session.
The parties did not vote or adopt any changes at the May 29 meeting; they agreed to continue negotiations at the scheduled June session.
