CapMetro budget excludes union raises

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) -- Monday afternoon Capital Metro will hold a public hearing concerning its new budget.

It is a budget that does not include raises for the union employees, who have been trying to work out a contract agreement with the company.

Meanwhile, the latest numbers show ridership is up, especially at park-and-rides where 30 percent more people are taking a bus than this time in 2007.

Next year's $182.6 million budget is 8 percent higher than in 2007.

However, it does not include raises for the 885 union employees who are without a new contract.

The latest proposal by Star Tran to the workers is a 3 percent raise the first two years and a 3.25 percent raise on the third.

The talks between the two sides are continuing in an effort to avoid a strike, but Capital Metro's board will vote on the proposed budget next Monday, Sept. 29.

A spokesperson for Cap Metro said once an agreement is reached with the union, "the finance staff will bring a budget amendment to the board for approval."

That would add an additional $1.4 million to the budget.

Capital Metro officials said the reason the budget is increasing by 8 percent, even though bus fares are nearly doubling starting Oct. 13, is the commuter rail service.

It was originally planned to start within the next few weeks.

However, Capital Metro has pushed the date back to possibly next year, because two rail stations will not be complete by the fall.

A decision on when the commuter rail service will start is expected to be made Oct. 1.