Tentative 4-year agreement includes a more than 13% wage increase, 401a contribution increase, new childcare subsidy, tuition reimbursement and other changes that bolster TriMet’s ability to expand service and improve the customer experience

*Information on union vote has been updated.

TriMet and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757 leadership have reached a tentative agreement on a proposed new Working and Wage Agreement. The new contract includes compromises and improvements that benefit TriMet’s union employees, the agency and TriMet riders. If ratified by TriMet union members and approved by the TriMet Board of Directors, the new, four-year contract will take effect on Dec. 1, 2024, though an increase in the agency contribution to union employees’ 401a plan would go into effect after Board approval.

Proposed Working & Wage Agreement – by the numbers:

• 2,664 – TriMet employees who are members of ATU Local 757
• 13.64% – Wage increase over four years, with 4.0% coming in December 2024
• 2% – Increase in TriMet’s contribution to union employee 401a plan (10% total employer contribution with increases included in contract)
• Up to $5,250 – New yearly tuition reimbursement for continuing education for ATU members
• $150 – New monthly childcare subsidy for ATU members
• 2 – Additional floating holidays
• $0.70 – annual increase in hourly ‘longevity’ pay for Transportation employees, the first in 25 years (Longevity pay is a retention tool that increases the pay for longer-term union employees in certain work classifications who have reached the top of the scheduled, step pay increases.)
• 4 years – Longer contract term to provide greater stability for all parties involved

“This tentative contract agreement underscores our unwavering commitment to attract and retain people who want to work for TriMet, support their families, better themselves and make a meaningful contribution to our region’s economic vitality,” said TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr. “I appreciate the bargaining team, which conducted negotiations in record time and with a collaborative approach focused on improving working conditions for our union staff while improving TriMet’s ability to provide the service our riders need.”

“This truly is a landmark agreement proposal that will greatly benefit ATU 757 members in a variety of ways, including personally and financially,” said ATU 757 President Shirley Block. “As my tenure with TriMet and leading the ATU Local 757 comes to a close, I know this contract leaves my union brethren in a much better situation and sets them up for a prosperous future.”

TriMet must continue to improve staffing and retention levels, especially among operators, maintenance and other union staff. That is critical to agency plans for increasing service, expanding safety and security, and enhancing cleanliness for a better customer experience.  

* ATU requires Transportation employees, Maintenance employees and salary employees to all separately approve the agreement. All work groups, except for Transportation employees, approved the agreement in a vote held on Aug. 3. Transportation employees ratified the agreement on Wednesday, Aug. 14. It now goes to the TriMet Board of Directors for approval at the Board’s Sept. 25 business meeting.

More enforcement and accountability aimed at making transit system cleaner, safer and more accessible

TriMet is redoubling enforcement of our rules for riding to improve cleanliness and accessibility on board while addressing inappropriate behavior. This is part of our ongoing and long-term efforts to give riders a better overall experience. Beginning July 1, our safety and security staff will start focusing on increasing enforcement on behavior and actions that are expressly prohibited by TriMet’s Code of Conduct—our rules for riding. These rules cover everything from paying your fare to not bringing items on board that leak and block aisles, as well as smoking of any kind.

With more safety and security staff now than ever before, TriMet believes it’s necessary to keep accelerating efforts to make the system cleaner, safer and more accessible. To achieve that, our Customer Safety Supervisors will be checking fares and, along with our Customer Safety Officers and Transit Security Officers, they’ll let riders know they need to follow all the rules. Most important are those put in place to make sure people can move safely through our vehicles, especially those who have disabilities and older adults looking to reach priority seating areas. Large items can block aisles and doors.

Items that leak create a sticky or slippery hazard. Large bags of recyclable bottles and cans may do both, not only creating messes but blocking safe access. We also prohibit grocery-store sized shopping carts and open containers of food or beverages that may spill. If you traveling to or from the airport or with children, travel luggage and strollers with kids are welcome on board, but they should not block aisles or doors.

Your help is always appreciated. We want to hear from you. If you see someone smoking or being disruptive, or carrying items that are blocking aisles or doors or are leaking, please alert our security team via our 24-hour security hotline: Text or call 503-238-7433 (RIDE). This helps us respond to situations as they happen. You can also report graffiti, or damaged and broken equipment, using the same number. Or, you can contact TriMet security online.

Fares required

Valid fare is always required when riding TriMet. Those without valid fare face a citation with a fine of up to $250 or exclusion from the system. Those cited for not having proof of fare may have their penalty reduced, depending on their citation history. They can avoid a court record by paying a reduced fine, performing community service or, if they qualify, enroll in our Honored Citizen reduced fare program.

Oregonians whose income is less than double the federal poverty level or who participate in an assistance program qualify for our Honored Citizen fare, which is half the cost of our adult fare or a maximum of $28/month. Learn more online at trimet.org/income.

People with a disability, those over 65 and veterans, active-duty members of the military or reservists also qualify for the reduced fare.

TriMet’s Access Transit programs also work with nonprofits throughout the Portland area that help connect people in need with community assistance to provide free fares. Find out more at trimet.org/accesstransit.

Safe, clean and accessible

Cleanliness and safety also go hand-in-hand. Our riders thrive when they see a transit system that feels comfortable and inviting.

We have never given up sight of our riders’ comfort and safety. More enforcement starting July 1 is simply one more step in a series of improvements we’ve been making since 2022 to enhance security and improve customer support. Over the past two years, we’ve done the following:

• Doubled the amount of frontline safety and security staff, bringing the number to more than 400 employees and contractors
• More than doubled the number of On Street Customer Service staff
• Created a Security Operations Command Center to manage incident responses
• Piloted a program to restrict elevator access to those with a valid form of fare
• Expanded and made improvements to our network of more than 8,000 cameras
• Increased our Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design initiatives to improve sightlines and lighting at transit centers, rail station and park and rides, making these areas brighter and reducing hiding spots by cutting back shrubs and tall plants.

We have also emphasized cleaner vehicles, platforms and transit centers by hiring more cleaners and maintenance staff, what we’ve dubbed our “Clean Team.” With more cleaning, customer support and security resources now than ever before, we’re using them day-in, day-out, to keep our riders and employees moving safely.

For more information about security on TriMet, visit trimet.org/security.

From June 16-21, nightly MAX service between PDX and Gateway will be disrupted beginning at 7:30 p.m.

A milestone approaches for TriMet’s newest trains before they enter regular service: testing on the MAX Red Line. It will happen this June over six consecutive nights. To provide dedicated space for testing, the Red Line will experience nightly disruptions from Sunday, June 16, through Friday, June 21, between the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center and Portland International Airport.

To lessen the impact on riders, we’re limiting the disruption to evenings and the overnight hours when ridership is lower. Shuttle buses will replace MAX Red Line trains starting at 7:30 p.m. and last until the end of service, stopping at all closed stations between the Gateway Transit Center and PDX. Red Line service will then resume each morning on its regular schedule.

MAX Red Line service will be fully restored after testing is completed on Saturday, June 22.

The disruption is necessary to give our newest light rail vehicles— our “Type 6” MAX trains — dedicated track space to conduct electromagnetic compatibility tests. Electromagnetic fields are common. It’s how radio, TV and cellular signals are transmitted. During testing, crews will need to clear an area to set up equipment to measure the train’s electromagnetic characteristics to ensure the trains do not create excessive emissions and that emissions don’t interfere with safe train operation. These tests are required before any new light rail vehicle enters regular service, ensuring that it’s compatible with industry standards as well as our existing rail system.

June 16-21: Know before you go

We’ll be moving riders around the nighttime disruptions using shuttle buses. Those shuttles will run between Gateway and PDX, arriving about every 10 minutes. They will continue until the end of service in the early morning hours. There will be no impacts on the MAX Blue, Green, Orange or Yellow lines.

You can sign up for alerts now by going to trimet.org/emailupdates and be reminded of the disruptions directly as they approach. We encourage riders to plan an extra 30 minutes for their trips for the times when shuttle buses are operating in place of MAX service. Shuttle buses at PDX will pick up and drop off riders outside the doors of the lower baggage claim area, near the MAX station. Look for signs directing the way.

Luggage is welcome aboard MAX Red Line shuttle buses, but please keep in mind that there will be less space on board. We will have extra staff available to assist riders and help them make their connections.

We want to thank riders in advance for their patience and understanding. Although introducing a new type of train is involved work, it’s something that’s worth the investment. Light rail vehicles are capable of serving riders for decades. Our oldest trains have been in continuous operation for 38 years!

Type 6 testing

We’re eager to get our newest MAX trains rolling for riders. And we’re getting close! In total, we’re introducing 30 new vehicles, and we’ve been putting them through a series of tests these past several months to prepare them for service. Two trains have already entered the final operational testing phase, what we call the “burn-in,” where we run them out of service for 5,000 miles. The rest of the trains will go through a 1,500-mile burn-in.

TriMet expects to start introducing the new vehicles beginning this summer. Similar to all but our oldest trains, which were introduced in 1986, these are manufactured by Siemens Mobility. They feature operator cabs on both ends and space on board for 168 riders.

Once the trains are in service, riders will be greeted by a top-of-the-line vehicle that’s comfortable and efficient, with improved technology, better lighting, updated digital displays and improved temperature controls. They will also feature upgraded diagnostics, making it easier to predict when maintenance is needed. For more information, visit trimet.org/max6.

$1.84 billion budget provides framework to grow ridership, improve the customer experience and add service, as operator staffing levels allow

During its May business meeting, the TriMet Board of Directors adopted the agency’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The $1.84 billion budget supports TriMet’s goals to restore ridership to pre-pandemic levels and beyond in an ambitious, agency-wide effort to bring more people on board our buses and trains than ever before. Our world-class transit system – which currently serves about 1.3 million trips each week – connects people with opportunities and improves our region’s livability. When the community supports transit, you not only help people who ride, but you also benefit the entire Portland region, bringing us closer to achieving climate goals, relieving traffic congestion, improving the movement of freight and other goods and fueling economic growth.

TriMet’s budget for the coming fiscal year that runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 includes:

• $508 million for operations
• $229 million for general and administrative costs
• $200 million for capital and operating projects
• $903 million for contingency, debt service, fund balance, other non-operating requirements and other post-employment benefits.

When it approved TriMet’s FY2025 Budget in April, the Multnomah County Tax and Supervision Conservation Committee (TSCC) confirmed all estimates to be reasonable and in compliance with Oregon Local Budget Law. Following the TSCC’s certification, TriMet revised some budget totals based on updated financial performance and internal reports. Altogether, the changes increased expenditures by approximately $89 million, an amount which falls within limits allowed by state law.

Funding priorities

The budget provides for the continued operation and maintenance of our transit system, which covers 533 square miles across Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. It accounts for plans to expand and improve bus service with our Forward Together service concept; continue expanding investments in safety, security and cleaning; invest in capital and operating projects that improve the rider experience; and, advance our transition to a 100% zero-emissions bus fleet. In addition, the budget provides a framework for TriMet’s reorganization and strategic planning, including the creation of two new divisions to align agency initiatives and priorities to grow ridership. TriMet is working to address operator and mechanic shortages, but we expect staffing challenges to continue through the next fiscal year.

Funding resources

TriMet’s primary funding resources include $83 million in operating revenue; $540 million in tax revenues and $170 million in federal funding. Additional resources include the Statewide Transportation Investment Fund (STIF), which is a vital resource for service and fare programs. 

The fiscal year 2025 budget incorporates the first full year of the fare increase that began in January 2024. The base fare increase was our first in more than a decade, but TriMet minimized the impact, especially for frequent riders, by choosing not to increase monthly rates for Adult, Honored Citizen and Youth riders. One hundred percent of the funds that TriMet receives from fares go toward our transit service. 

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget

The adopted budget reflects TriMet’s Business Plan, which provides critical guidance to TriMet’s operating and capital investments. Review the final, adopted version at trimet.org/budget.

Non-TriMet employees are now eligible to apply directly for MAX operator jobs and enter training pipeline

***UPDATE (June 2025): Hiring bonuses for new operators have now closed.***

TriMet is offering a fast track to a career in light rail operations. For the first time ever, we are seeking candidates from outside TriMet who are interested in becoming MAX operators. This comes as TriMet continues our biggest hiring push in the agency’s history.

Positions come with a starting wage of $29.18 per hour and a $7,500 hiring bonus, with regular pay increases as part of the Working and Wage Agreement between TriMet and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757. In addition to representation by the ATU, MAX operators receive great benefits, access to overtime, generous retirement accounts, paid time off and career development opportunities. 

Beginning Friday, April 26, people with no prior TriMet experience can apply to become MAX operators at trimet.org/careers. This gives you the chance to join an exclusive team of dedicated, highly-trained light rail professionals who keep the region moving every day. No bus training is required!

After the hiring process, candidates will bypass the seven-week bus operator training and instead be slotted into the next available MAX training class. Due to the fast-tracking of available MAX positions, they are open to candidates with a safe driving record and who already possess a valid Class “A or B” Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or who can obtain a CDL permit. This requires taking three written tests at the DMV. Once employed, TriMet provides CDL driving training, with new hires obtaining their licenses on the job.

MAXimum career potential 

We know that operating a train is a dream for many people. After all, it isn’t an opportunity that comes along often. It requires learning the “language of the railroad” and developing unique skills, along with committing to a culture of customer service and safety. No matter what position you fill at TriMet, you’re the point person to help our customers and make sure they feel safe and welcome. These foundational skills are priorities for TriMet, and excelling at them opens a world of possibilities! 

In addition to the $7,500 hiring bonus, MAX operators receive a generous package of benefits that includes:

• Medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance plans at low or no monthly cost
• Two retirement plans, with an 8% agency base pay contribution to an employee’s 401a account
• One week of paid vacation and up to 40 hours sick leave in the first year of employment, with paid time off rolling over and increasing over time
• Health and dependent care spending accounts
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program with mental health and counseling services, legal assistance, financial coaching and home ownership programs
• Annual transit pass for employee and eligible family members
• 24-hour access to five exclusive, low-cost, on-site fitness centers
• Representation by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 75

Requirements and opportunities

One of the unsung benefits of TriMet is the opportunity for career advancement. TriMet often hires from within for supervisory and managerial positions that require knowledge of our procedures and system. Exciting future career opportunities include Rail Training Supervisor, Rail Supervisor, Rail Controller, Rail Service Coordinator and many others.

MAX operator positions themselves were first extended to internal candidates before being made available to the general public. They require:

• A high school diploma or GED
• At least three years of driving experience with a clean record
• Ability to obtain an Oregon or Washington Commercial Learner Permit
• Ability to meet the physical requirements of the position

Get hired, receive training

Becoming a MAX operator requires extensive training. During training, you’ll become an expert on each of TriMet’s five lines. Training lasts 12 weeks and includes classroom and field instruction behind the controls. In addition to obtaining your Commercial Driver’s License, you’ll learn the ins and outs of operating a train safely and ways to troubleshoot problems. 

Join the team!

TriMet is hiring for a whole range of positions amid an historically tight employment market. Nonetheless, jobs in transit remain competitive, appealing and stable. We continue to hire maintenance workers, technicians, cleaners, mechanics and operators. 

Growth is our goal. This means bringing on even more operators–not only to match the current demand, but also to help meet future needs. Starting this summer, we will be increasing MAX Red Line service by extending it 10 stations west, from Beaverton to Hillsboro. Along with that, our Forward Together Service Concept emphasizes growing ridership and improving connections by expanding our Frequent Service bus network and extending bus service to new areas. This multi-year concept for service improvements, through 2029, requires bus and rail operators to support it.
To learn more about all the jobs TriMet offers, visit trimet.org/careers.

Transit centers, rail stations and vehicles are focus of efforts to improve cleanliness, safety and the overall riding experience

Equipped with grabber claws and bright orange buckets, members of TriMet’s specially trained “Clean Team” receive the ‘all clear’ from their lookout to start walking the tracks when MAX trains have passed. Once on the tracks, they use the claws to scrape, pry and pluck away trash, filling their buckets with enough debris to make a significant dent in litter.

Each month, they collect roughly 1,200 pounds of trash across our transit system, the equivalent in weight to an adult female polar bear. Considering most of this waste is made up of scraps–empty cups, wrappers and cigarette butts–it’s a big haul. It’s also just one part of a larger initiative to spruce up our system through enhanced cleaning, with a growing, multi-team effort that TriMet spearheaded in late 2023 to improve the system’s overall look and feel. 

The Clean Team is made up of employees from TriMet’s Facilities and Maintenance of Way departments, along with contractors specializing in painting and other repair work. 

Six months after getting started, more than 100 internal employees along with contractors are now dedicated to the effort, which spans everything from deep cleaning stations, to removing and replacing bus shelters, to repainting stations and installing new signs everywhere we can.

It’s more than picking up trash—it’s a comprehensive series of upgrades to make the experience better for our riders. Altogether, the continuous work serves a dual purpose: In the short term, it addresses the use that our system sees from more than 1.3 million trips per week. But in the long term, it sends the message that litter, tagging and damaged amenities are not tolerated and will be addressed quickly. 

Clean Team 

At the Providence Park MAX Station, a pressure washer is blasting away dirt and bird droppings. It’s something you might see elsewhere in the system right now, in part as a preemptive measure to maintain safety and cleanliness.

Pressure washing has become one of TriMet’s priorities in 2024. After all, the cleaner a station is, the more inviting it is. With more than 90 stations in the MAX light rail system, some receive extra attention due to higher ridership and the number of pigeons they attract.

Compared to two years ago, TriMet has more than doubled the number of times we have cleaned stations in the first quarter of 2024. We are already on track to wash and scrub stations more than 2,100 times this year!

Compared to two years ago, TriMet has more than doubled the number of times we have cleaned stations in the first quarter of 2024. We are already on track to wash and scrub stations more than 2,100 times this year!

The emphasis on stations will be expanded starting this summer. Crews will start rehabilitating every MAX station, spending about one month per station improving the tactile strips, repainting shelters and performing other upgrades. This comes on top of the bus shelters we have already replaced throughout the system.

Preventing damage

TriMet’s Clean Team is also working to prevent concrete from buckling, making it safer to walk by protecting stations and sidewalks from cracks that could create hazards. Often, this results from roots damaging concrete as trees grow.

Crews have started replacing the metal grates around trees, which can become tripping hazards when heaved up. They’re using a softer material that, unlike concrete, allows the trees to receive water but prevents roots from breaking through the surface. For empty tree wells, where trees have already been removed, crews have filled them with concrete to create a flat surface. It also makes them look better.

Making it cleaner and safer

Cleanliness and safety go hand-in-hand. Our riders thrive when they see a transit system that feels comfortable and inviting. TriMet’s enhanced cleaning comes as we also continue building out a comprehensive series of safety and security initiatives. 

Since 2022, TriMet has more than doubled the number of safety and security personnel we have on the system. That number will continue to grow in the months ahead, with TriMet’s 2025 approved budget quadrupling the safety and security budget compared to where it was in 2022.

In addition to having more safety and security personnel out on our system, our Clean Team and other field staff provide an extra presence. Among them are end-of-the-line cleaners. They are stationed at key transit Centers and MAX stations to take care of spills and trash during parts of the service day. They help make sure vehicles remain welcoming while in active service.

You, too, can do your part to help our Clean Team and take pride in the system.

• Use trash cans at stations and on board vehicles.
• Don’t feed the pigeons.
• Report unwanted or inappropriate behavior.

To report a non-urgent concern directly to TriMet Security 24 hours a day, text or call 503-238-7433 (RIDE), or submit a report online. And for more information about TriMet’s security initiatives, go to trimet.org/security.