The Golden Gate Bridge’s governing agency voted to lay off nearly 150 ferry and bus workers rather than raise tolls as it works to address a multimillion-dollar shortfall.
The layoffs are set to take effect on Jan. 4 and were approved as the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District is preparing to run out of about $52 million in federal stimulus funds at the end of the month with no replacement in sight.
These stimulus dollars have allowed the agency, which maintains the bridge and bus and ferry services, to avoid layoffs since March despite losing an average of $2 million per week as fewer people ride transit or commute into San Francisco. The agency faces a $48 million budget shortfall.
The district board was originally considering laying off the employees on Dec. 5 or temporarily raising bridge tolls by as much as $2 to prevent the layoffs. The board instead voted 11-5 on Friday to lay off 146 employees and cut 59 vacant positions on Jan. 4 because of the holidays.
“Yes, it will cause the district great additional financial pain, make no mistake about it,” said board director Brian Sobel of Sonoma County, who recommended the delay, “but we will have to find the money and it may be money that we have set aside to pay for other essential projects and services. But I believe that we have to sacrifice some of those cherished resources at this time.”
Board directors Dick Grosboll, Sabrina Hernandez, Elbert Hill, Michael Theriault and Norman Yee of San Francisco voted against the motion for various reasons, such as the need to consider other options such as furloughs and temporary toll hikes.
Hernandez of San Francisco raised concern about laying off 88 bus operators, a large portion of whom are people of color.
“I would like to see some median, some in-between measure that we could discuss before going to the absolute layoff after the beginning of the year,” Hernandez said before the vote.
The layoffs were considered as the bridge district faces a $48 million deficit as a result of a significant drop in bridge toll and transit fare revenue as a result of the pandemic. Ferry and bus ridership is down by 96% and 75% respectively with bridge crossings down 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to district staff.
“The district is facing a fiscal cliff,” district General Manager Denis Mulligan told the board.
Some bus drivers are being sent home with full pay when there are no routes to drive and ferry workers are being tasked with other jobs, such as painting curbs and parking lot bollards, Mulligan said.
Several of the district’s bus drivers, ferry workers and union leaders urged the board to consider other options on Friday. Their proposals included dipping into the district’s nearly $220 million reserves for bridge and transit projects; cutting pay for top administrators; furloughs and delaying any decision to January when a new federal administration is expected to take control.
“What is the purpose of your surplus? For a rainy day. Well, isn’t it pouring? It is pouring right now in San Francisco,” said Art Aguilar, chairman of the Amalgamated Transit Union California Conference Board, which represents the bus drivers. “You need to take care of these men and women who are providing a service during this pandemic, who are jeopardizing their lives as well as their families’ lives to provide this service. Yet there is no regard.”
Some workers expressed concern about losing health care benefits during the coronavirus pandemic. The board did approve a severance package on Friday that would extend their health care coverage to June 1.
“I have three children that are covered under my medical care and I would hate to see these layoffs happen,” ferry deckhand Mike Carnduff said. “I do feel there are projects that possibly could be postponed like paving a parking lot, building a boat.”
“We are hardworking individuals with families,” district ferry employee Eric Turner told the board. “Protect our health and welfare with no layoffs.”
Delaying the layoffs to January will likely require the district to dip into its nearly $220 million reserve fund set aside to pay for bridge projects and replacing or repairing buses and ferries. Mulligan estimates $2 million will be needed. The funds are used to leverage federal grant funds, with a $10 million loss in the reserves equating to about a $50 million loss for projects such as the ongoing earthquake retrofit and construction of a suicide barrier on the bridge, he said.
Even with the layoffs, the district will need to use all $25.7 million in its emergency reserve fund to balance its budget. Should current trends continue, the district also faces a deficit in the upcoming fiscal year, which would require deeper cuts. Bus and ferry trips have already been significantly reduced, with no weekend ferry trips and remaining bus routes now being concentrated along the Highway 101 corridor.
The district intends to rehire the laid-off employees when funding is available, Mulligan said. Alternative options to the layoffs could still be considered before January, he said.
In addition to the layoffs, the board voted 14-1-1 — with Director James Mastin of Mendocino County dissenting and Director and Marin Supervisor Kate Sears absent — to cut the pay for 34 managers and bridge administrators, including the general manager. The board’s $50 per meeting stipend is set to be cut by 10%. The pay cut will last from Nov. 15 to May 15 and will save the district an estimated $440,000.
Mastin had previously proposed a more significant pay cut of 20% for all management and administrative positions and a 90% cut to the board’s meeting stipend. Under his proposal, these pay cuts would last until 75% of laid-off employees were rehired.
“I don’t believe 10% goes far enough,” Mastin said.
A divided board rejected Mastin’s motion in an 8-7 vote. The dissenting votes were cast by directors Judy Arnold, Alice Fredericks and Patty Garbarino of Marin as well as David Rabbitt of Sonoma County, Sobel, Yee, Gerald Cochran of Del Norte County and Barbara Pahre of Napa County.
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November 14, 2020 at 07:37AM
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Golden Gate Bridge district to lay off 146 bus, ferry staff - Marin Independent Journal
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