The latest bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill could spare nearly 150 Bay Area bus and ferry workers from losing their jobs. The board of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District voted on Wednesday to rescind an earlier decision to lay off workers in the wake of a $48 million budget shortfall.
The reversal came after passage of a federal stimulus bill awaiting President Trump’s approval that includes $14 billion for transit agencies, of which the Bay Area could see up to $975 million.
The original vote to terminate workers "was something that was done with tears, but yet as representatives of the Golden Gate Bridge district, we had to look at the total picture,” said district board member Judy Arnold, during an emergency meeting Wednesday.
The unions representing transit workers have resisted layoffs, calling any decision before the new year premature.
“While I believe people’s lives were ultimately played a bit close to the edge here for my comfort ... the bottom line is that the governing body made all the difference,” said Robert Estrada, regional director of the inland boatman's union, representing district terminal agents and ferry crews.
Trump has yet to sign the relief bill, and he has demanded significant changes that have disrupted what was thought to be a done deal.