From left, Collier Area Transit drivers Jeremy Pelissier, Jorge Salinas and Héctor Hernández are among employees transitioning from MV Transportation to WeDriveU as union negotiations continue.
Union negotiations are continuing between Transport Workers Union of America, which represents 112 bus drivers and 16 other employees at Collier Area Transit, and a San Francisco transit company that was awarded the county contract earlier this month.
The 128 employees, plus 23 nonunion workers, began a 45-day transition from Dallas-based MV Transportation to WeDriveU, including managers, dispatchers, reservationists and customer service representatives.
“Everything went well,” Kevin P. Smith, president of TWU Local 525, said of last week’s negotiations. “… We won’t have particulars until we discuss bridging the current agreement or negotiating another contract. … We are discussing negotiations now.”
Employees will begin job interviews with WeDriveU next week, he said.
WeDriveU hasn’t responded to inquiries from Gulfshore Business about whether it plans to hire all 151 employees. It’s seeking a general manager for $115,000 to $125,000 annually on Indeed for the CAT facility at 8300 Radio Road in East Naples, where the 151 employees work.
The Collier Area Transit Operations Center at 8300 Radio Road in East Naples.
MV Transportation, which won the contract in 2019, filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter with the state on July 30, saying it plans to lay off 151 workers on Sept. 30 or within 14 days after that. However, Smith said he’s working to ensure they remain on the job.
The new contract came after a heated bidding process that led to WeDriveU being awarded a $12.55 million CAT contract, with $297,268 in additional startup costs, to manage CAT’s fixed-route buses and paratransit routes. It was the fourth-ranked bidder after negotiations stalled this spring with top-ranked MV Transportation and two other bidders. The contract, which involves a fleet of 28 buses, reflects a 3% increase and funding for an increase in paratransit trips.
The three-year contract, with two possible one-year renewals, was approved by County Manager Amy Patterson on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 11 and will be ratified by the full board Aug. 25. Current CATConnect paratransit costs of $4.56 million will increase to $5.62 million, partly due to an increase in riders, while the fixed-route bus contract will rise to $4.733 million from $4.57 million.
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