TriMet has announced another increase in starting wages and a hiring bonus to attract more new drivers:
Starting today, April 22, all newly hired bus operators at TriMet will earn $25.24 per hour to start and be eligible to receive a $7,500 hiring bonus. That’s a $4,000 bonus increase! TriMet must hire more than 300 operators to bring staffing levels back to where they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent incentives have resulted in more applications coming in, but it hasn’t been enough to reverse the most severe staffing shortage in agency history.
The new starting pay is a nearly $4 increase on top of the $4 salary upgrade TriMet made last fall. All operators receive regular, guaranteed pay raises according to our Working and Wage Agreement with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 757. Under the agreement, bus operators reach the top rate of $33.65 per hour with their 35th month of employment, guaranteeing a base pay of at least $68,000 before any overtime.
TriMet relies and depends on our people. As we look to add back service that was reduced during the pandemic and due to the operator shortage, we’re committed to rebuilding the team that’s kept the Portland metro region moving for more than 50 years. Visit trimet.org/drive to learn more and apply today!
Source: TriMet