Who negotiates bus and transit worker contracts

(a) With respect to collective bargaining agreements with bus and special transit service personnel: (1) The transit management services contractor shall be the employer that shall have all responsibilities and prerogatives of an employer, as defined in 29 USC § 152(2), in dealing with labor organizations; (2) The transit management services contractor shall advise the department of significant labor relations developments, but shall not be bound by any recommendations or advice of the department; (3) The department shall not have the power to approve or disapprove any collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the transit management services contractor or any of the terms contained therein; and (4) All cost items shall be negotiated or established by the transit management services contractor, subject to funding limits established by the council through the budget process. (b) Applicable collective bargaining agreements may include provisions concerning personnel who retired from service with the bus management services contractor or any predecessor thereof, subject to funding limits established by the council through the budget process. (c) If an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations for a labor agreement covering bus or special transit service personnel exists, the transit management services contractor shall invoke the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and engage in other good faith efforts to settle disputes with the assistance of any available governmental mediation or fact-finding resources, consistent with 29 USC § 158(d).