After three and a half years of negotiations, ECAT workers worked out pay raises with county administration on Friday, July 23.
Upon ratification by ATU Local 1395 members and the Escambia Board of County Commissioners:
Full Time Bus Operators 2.9% increase,
Part Time Bus Operators & Part Time Trolley Operators 3.95% increase to $15.34 an hour.
Customer Service Associates 6% increase to $11.44 an hour.
Master Technician 4.75% increase to $25.29 an hour. Not including ASE certification educational pay and potential shift differential pay.
Technician III – 4.5% increase to $23.83 an hour. Not including ASE certification educational pay and potential shift differential pay.
Technician II – 5.55% increase to $22.90 an hour. Not including ASE certification educational pay and potential shift differential pay.
Technician I – 3.55% increase to $21.58 an hour. Not including ASE certification educational pay and potential shift differential pay.
Fueler – 2% increase to $16.34 an hour.
Cleaner – 2.9% increase to $15.08 an hour top rate.
Building Maintenance – 4.4% increase to $15.68 an hour.
Grounds Maintenance – 4.95% increase to $13.91 an hour.
Plus, all ECAT bargaining unit employees are eligible to receive any additional increases potentially scheduled and approved by the Board of County Commissioners for October 2021 / Fiscal Year 21/22.
The accomplishment will come to the chagrin of Clerk Pam Childers, who blasted ATU leader Curtis Howard during the open forum of the BCC meeting on Thursday, July 23.
“Commissioner Bender, I would like to comment that I’m attending the ECAT union agreements that are on track,” interrupted Childers. “There is one this Friday; I am appalled at how unprepared the union is when they come to the table. I am appalled at their lies. I’m appalled at what they say about our administrator, both Ms. Gilley and Mr. Moreno that has been there at the table.”
She continued, “When they take a break, they take a break. They say they’ll be back in 20 minutes and they leave for the day and nothing is done.”
Childers claimed she and the county couldn’t get the union to negotiate: “We continue to try to schedule with them. I would just like to set the record straight of what happens in those union agreements.”
She then attacked the union: “And it is appalling at the lives that are happening from this union representative and how we have stopped the raises to the best drivers that could have happened through an MOU. I will be attending again on Friday. Thank you.”
ATU Local 1395 president Mike Lowery told Inweekly that Childers had only attended one bargaining meeting when she attacked Curtis Howard. However, she did show up for a second time on Friday, July 23 for a few minutes.
Lowery said, “On Friday we started at 9 a.m., and she was there. She heard the very opening communications that were positive, and good communications between Wes Marino and our side. And then we went to take a caucus, and she got up, walked out and never came back.”
