Bus Operator Workforce Management: Practitioner’s Guide (2023) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A - Case Studies
Appendix A - Case Studies
Pages 84-117
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Transit Agency Background Information Geographic FTA Region Fixed Demand Full-time Part-time Union Area Route Response Operators Operators Status Bus Bus (Fixed Route (Fixed Route Service Service and and Paratransit) Paratransit)
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The situation resulting from COVID-19 impacts created a very unusual environment for both workforce development and recruiting. Moreover, the workforce needs analysis is taking into account the fact that potential bus operators see more job opportunities with better pay and working conditions.
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Bus operations monitors and evaluates the part-time bus operators for their eligibility. According to one bus operator interviewed, issues between senior and new bus operators, like wage inequities, do not seem to exist in DART.
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Training In 2020, DART's Bus Operations trained 1,408 bus operators. The training staff includes eight training supervisors, two temporary training supervisors, and 37 bus operator instructors.243 The Bus Operations department has its own training department and delivers training "in-house." Courses taught are shown in Table A-1.
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One DART interviewee explained that a mentorship program could help remind and reinforce new bus operators about available resources. Refresher training takes place for both new and experienced bus operators.
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So far and according to one manager interviewed, the program has been a big motivator for employees of the department. A challenge for bus operator workforce retention and motivation at DART is generational changes.
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The transit agency hires on the basis of apparent need. If the transit agency is not able to provide all of the paratransit rides that are requested, for example, they know that they need to hire more bus and paratransit operators.
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To address this, the transit agency has transitioned toward a workforce primarily of full-time bus and paratransit operators. Compensation FMCTA provides a competitive wage for the area according to FMCTA management.
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Senior bus operators are selected to provide the on-the-job training based on how responsible the transit agency feels they are and how qualified they are to provide the training. Bus operators are paired based on whether they have been hired primarily for paratransit or fixed-route service.
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Finally, survey respondents indicated success with training and development offerings, including their regular post-onboarding training opportunities, mentorship program, and a temporary CDL training program partnership with a local community college. Transit Agency Background Information Geographic FTA Region Fixed Demand Full-time Part-time Union Area Route Response Operators Operators Status Bus Bus Service (Fixed Route (Fixed Route Service and and Paratransit)
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Specifically, it states the need to "continue cross-functional collaboration" between Human Resources, Operations, Office of Management and Budget, and Marketing to improve recruitment and retention for several positions, including bus operators.247 Interviews with GCRTA employees indicate that outside of internal transit agency coordina tion, the local union currently has limited involvement in bus operator recruitment. However, interviews with union leaders indicated their desire to be more involved in the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes, based on their awareness of successful outcomes in other transit agencies who have partnered with their local unions for these purposes.
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Previously, benefits were not available until the 6-month employment mark for all bus operators, but the transit agency recently lowered the period down to 60 days. The GCRTA human resources department considers part of their responsibility to educate potential employees about total compensation, which includes not just informing employees on wages, but also how benefits are also a part of compensation.
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Overall organization-wide results led the transit agency's management to pursue the following engagement initiatives:249 • Frontline supervisor training and development program • Labor relations training • Health fairs • Involvement of frontline bus operators in bus design and procurement • "Mystery shopper" ridership program to better understand the customer experience • Customer service trainings GCRTA has taken steps including the development of an employee resource group and leader ship fostering a team approach to help improve the bus operator's work environment where morale is considered low.
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Employees and union members feel included in and are an integral part of management conversations and considerations. Retention and Motivation GCRTA is taking a wholistic approach of internal improvements and collaboration to retain bus operators and maintain effective service in the current competitive job market.
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The Human Resources Department uses a 4.5-percent absenteeism factor and may increase the percentage based on the number of bus operators out for more than 30 days to help determine the number of bus operators the transit agency needs to hire in that quarter. Numbers can vary a lot throughout the course of a year.
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Hiring Processes The application process for a bus operator position at NJ Transit begins online. The transit agency posts its applications online on its website.
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This program enables NJ Transit to train more bus operators because it decreases the load on the training department staff. Refresher training is offered on topics ranging from serving customers with disabilities and troubleshooting to defensive driving.
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Despite needing to increase capacity to hire and train such a large number of bus operators, interviewees from NJ Transit management stated that the standards of the training have remained critical to the training department and quality has never been compromised. According to interviewees, some of the successful practices embedded in NJ Transit's bus operator training stemmed from the transit agency's involvement in the Transit Green Jobs Training Partnership.
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NJ Transit management has worked to ensure that bus operators feel safe and that their com plaints are heard and addressed. In response to COVID-19, the transit agency set up a barrier system, provided PPE, and had a mandated testing program.
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NJ Transit also has retention programs that are fairly typical among transit agencies. These programs highlight bus operators' achievements and recognize bus operators who have gone above and beyond the requirements of the job.
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For the last two contracts between the bus operator union and PSTA, an increase in pay rate to remain competitive had been included as part of the contract negotiations, and another pay rate increase was added 6 months after the most recent con tract negotiation with a special adjustment to address inflation. As of March 2022, PSTA bus operators were the highest paid in the state of Florida.
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Since the middle of 2021, PSTA has offered a referral award to employees who refer to PSTA new bus operators who make it through training and a 6-month probationary period. Four awards have been handed out so far, and the program seems to be taking off as rewards are handed out and the program gains increased visibility across the transit agency.
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To overcome this chal lenge, PSTA initiated an Early Start Program which allows new hires to begin in a paid position like a paid internship immediately when hired. The program not only provides income to the new bus operator but also allows them to begin early training with work tasks that assist the transit agency but do not require as much skill as the bus operator position.
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The mentor program is also available for bus operators who reach out for additional support at a later time after their formal mentorship is completed. These more experienced bus operators seeking help may be paired with another bus operator for a re-visit of OJT or with an instructor for more targeted training.
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In an effort to ensure insurance availability is sustainable for the long term, PSTA leadership regularly monitors and studies insurance quarterly reports. This analysis is then used to help select topics for PSTA to focus on for health and wellness promotion across the transit agency, to keep costs as low as possible, and to help their bus operator workforce remain healthy.
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From page 109... ...
These packages are intended to let the new bus operator know the transit agency and the community appreciate them and to introduce them to the PSTA culture. As one interviewee mentioned, PSTA strives for a warm, welcoming, friendly, and caring culture, and it is the little things that sometimes mean the most when it comes to retention.
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PSTA hopes that by adding some of these extra features, it will demonstrate to bus operators, as well as frontline employees and administrative staff, that their well-being is a priority of the agency, which in turn may hope fully boost retention numbers as well as employee job satisfaction and employee engagement overall. PSTA also utilizes communication as a retention strategy.
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Hiring Processes RCPT has a fairly standard, but informal, interview process; bus operator applicants are interviewed by a representative from human resources and by the transit agency's "lead driver." After the interview, in situations where both parties are still interested in moving forward, the bus operator applicant is paired with one of RCPT's drivers for an hour of ride-along experience to get a better feel for the position. Training In response to COVID-19, much of a bus operator's training was delivered online; this included training for new vehicle operators as well as many of the recertification trainings required for incumbent bus and paratransit operators.
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Every year in July and August RCPT holds a "safety week." It is designed to be a fun learn ing event where the transit agency brings in all their bus and paratransit operators and other employees from all of its locations and goes over everything they have learned and collected throughout the previous year related to driving and safety, including any new types of wheel chairs or chair securements or new technologies among other issues, and they put on their own internal "Bus Roadeo" event. Bus operators are given the chance to work with any new equipment and compete in the Bus Roadeo against their peers.
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Bus operators at VTA are represented by ATU Local 265. Transit Agency Background Information Geographic FTA Region Fixed Demand # Full-time # Part-time Union Area Route Response Operators Operators Status Bus Bus (Fixed (Paratransit)
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In general, VTA provides bus operators with a fairly typical benefits package. Of note are several provisions.
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In order to prevent situations where bus operators would be pulled from their route schedule to attend new employee orientation, VTA now schedules these classes to line up with the start of new operator training. This change was made because of the increased volume of vacancies that the transit agency needs to fill.
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After hearing about the details of this issue from the union through the safety committee, a supervisor with experience of the stress that bus operators face, joined the push for a change to transit agency policy. As a result, the policy was changed so that bus operators are now only required to state the fare if asked by a passenger.
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Although the retention rate has reduced due to factors unrelated to the quality of the JWI program, the existence of the program has helped to sustain the relatively high number of bus operators who stay past the training period. VTA has worked to ensure that there are no "dead-end" jobs at the transit agency.
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