Less than a year after Citi Bike employees in New York City joined a union, they became the first bike-share workers in the country to reach an agreement for a union contract.þþThe workers will receive substantial raises under the agreement announced on Thursday between the union, Transport Workers Union Local 100, and NYC Bike Share, the company that operates Citi Bike. The union represents about 200 bike mechanics, call center agents and other employees of Citi Bike.þþUnder the agreement, workers will immediately earn at least $1.50 more an hour, bringing the wage for a bike mechanic to $18.41, from $16.91. The union said it hoped to use the agreement as a template in other cities like Boston and Chicago where it represents bike-share workers.þþA woman riding a Citi Bike near Madison Square Park in late May. Women take about a quarter of all Citi Bike trips and make up just under a third of its members.A Mission for Citi Bike: Recruiting More Female CyclistsJULY 7, 2015þCiti Bike workers joined the union, which represents thousands of subway and bus workers in New York, in September. The agreement includes additional wage increases over the course of the contract and other benefits, including eight weeks of paid parental leave.þþThe union and Citi Bike said they were pleased with the four-and-a-half-year agreement. The contract needs the approval of union members, who are expected to pass it next week.þþSince Citi Bike came under new leadership last fall, the company has worked to improve the system and plans to expand to new neighborhoods this year. The company said in a statement that it valued its “talented and dedicated work force” and looked forward to “building a bigger and better Citi Bike together.”þ
Source: NY Times
