Intercity Transit and union reach tentative agreement 

Intercity Transit and the union representing its bus operators have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract. 

General Manager Emily Bergkamp delivered the update to the transit agency's board of directors on Wednesday, April 16. 

The tentative agreement was formed after the transit agency and Local Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1765, which also represents Dial-A-Lift dispatchers and customer care representatives, entered a mediation session with the Washington State Public Employment Relations Commission on Tuesday, April 15.  

The union’s previous contract expired at the end of 2024, and negotiations for a new one stalled, mainly due to disagreements over wage increases. Members of the union have been turning up at the agency’s board meetings since December 2024 to demand higher wages in response to rising living expenses. 

Bert George, a member of the union’s executive board, shared the details of the agreement during public comment at the Wednesday meeting. 

According to George, the contract would include a 14.25 percent wage increase over three years. Wages would rise by 7 percent this year, with an additional 3.3 percent increase for customer care representatives. Wages would further increase by 3.75 percent in 2026 and 3.5 percent in 2027. 

George said there is a mechanism in place to boost 2026 and 2027 wages up to 4 percent if the consumer price index exceeds a certain negotiated threshold. 

Beyond wages, the contract would contain a higher employer match to union members’ 457 and 401(k) retirement plans, guaranteed overtime pay for all work past 12 hours, longevity pay for employees with 15 years of experience, a wellness benefit and a $1,700 ratification bonus. 

George also spoke about a newly organized committee tasked with reviewing accidents involving drivers. This committee, which will include union representation, will evaluate incidents and recommend appropriate corrective actions, if needed. 

The tentative agreement would also grant drivers the option to take administrative leave if they experience discrimination at work. 

“I also recognize this is one of the biggest wins in this contract,” George said. “If a driver is spit on, if they are punched, if they are called a racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic slur, they do need time to recover.” 

With the agency and the union reaching a tentative agreement, union members and the agency's board of directors will now have to vote to ratify the new contract. 

Alleged retaliation 

Despite the progress made in the contract, George also spoke out about the agency allegedly retaliating against two members of the bargaining team who have now been terminated. 

“The union believes that Intercity Transit has fired these members without just cause,” George said. 

George spoke about the agency disclosing disciplinary action against the two members on a notice board and requiring employees to read them, which he believed was an attempt to slander the bargaining team.  

He added that the agency changed the location of the bargaining sessions without consulting the union, and later told them the change was due to the two members being barred from company premises as they were under investigation. 

“It was a breach of trust and goodwill. Bargaining is done, but now we've got this to deal with,” George said.