TWU Local 1 Members Ratify Six-Year Contract with Akron Metro, Locking in Big Raises
Agreement is “light years” better than terms proposed by a factfinder and Akron Metro management, union officials say.
Sept. 25, 2026
Transport Workers Union Local 1 members today ratified a six-year contract with Akron Metro that includes a 21% compounded wage increase over the life of the agreement, substantial retroactive pay, and a signing bonus. The agreement comes nearly three months after workers authorized leadership to call a strike. A Bus Operator making $66,500 today will make $80,200 by the end of the contract in May 2030.
Local 1 represents 310 Bus Operators, Vehicle Service Workers, and Clerical Workers at Akron Metro. Running retroactively from June 2024 to May 2030, the contract includes:
- $8,300 in retroactive pay per member, on average, not including overtime.
- A $2,000 Signing Bonus
- A $2,000 Annual Attendance Bonus, up from $1,000
- Annual raises of 3%, 3%, 3.5%, 3.5%, 3%, and 3%
The contract is substantially better than the three-year proposal that was drafted by a fact-finder/arbitrator and approved by the Akron Metro Board in June. That proposal included two years without a raise, one 4% increase, a $3,500 signing bonus – but no retroactive pay.
“We fought back and drove the economic value of the contract much higher than the bosses ever thought possible,” TWU International President John Samuelsen said. “We put together a strategic campaign with Local 1 leadership, executed the plan, and secured a contract that gives workers the respect and economic advancement they deserve.”
“This is a major victory for the hard-working men and women who provide vital bus service to Akron and the surrounding communities,” TWU International Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate said. “The terms of this contract are light years better than what the fact finder recommended and what Akron Metro was looking to impose, including two years without raises. We rejected that 100% and stood our ground.”
“I’m proud of my members,” TWU Local 1 President Wayne Cole said. “They leafleted riders, held rallies, spoke out at Metro Board meetings – and were ready to strike. Once management realized workers were organized and ready to take strike action, they buckled.”
Local 1’s previous contract with Akron Metro expired June 1, 2024, and workers received their last raise was June 1, 2023. The new contract includes increases to workers’ health insurance premiums, but they are dwarfed by the significant wage and bonus gains, and they remain flat for the duration of the agreement.
