AC Transit Approves Union Contract Costing $7.5 Million

The two-and-a-half year agreement with AFSCME Local 3916 covers planners, analysts, supervisors, and administrators through December 2028.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Unions

Bold vector editorial illustration of a single plain city bus on a concrete yard beside a low shed, in muted slate and cream with coral accents. — AC Transit's board approved a $7.5 million labor contract on October 14, 2026, covering planners, analysts, and administrators through December 2028. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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AC Transit's board approved a labor contract with AFSCME Local 3916 on October 14, 2026, after union members ratified it on October 6. The estimated cost of the agreement is $7.5 million.

Why it matters

The agreement is intended to attract and retain experienced professionals who serve riders in Oakland and across the East Bay. Phased wage increases are designed to spread expenses over time and give AC Transit greater budget predictability.

The contract raises on-call pay from $75 to $200 per week, the first increase in a decade, and sets 3% annual raises for FY 2027-28 and FY 2028-29. Specific cost breakdowns by year beyond the $7.5 million estimate were not provided.

The players

AC Transit

AC Transit is the East Bay public transit agency that operates bus service across Oakland and surrounding Alameda and Contra Costa County communities.

AFSCME Local 3916

AFSCME Local 3916 is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local representing planners, analysts, supervisors, and administrators at AC Transit.

The details

The agreement covers planners, analysts, frontline supervisors, and administrators represented by AFSCME Local 3916 and runs through December 2028. It requires AC Transit to buy new illuminated safety equipment and gives union workers a greater role in recommendations on contract worker use.

October 6, 2026: Union membership ratified the agreement.
October 14, 2026: AC Transit's board approved the agreement at a meeting.
December 2028: The contract expires.

Season Trajectory

The Regional Transit Measure would provide $14 billion over 14 years to Bay Area transit agencies, with a proposed half-cent sales tax increase in Bay Area counties. This labor agreement is one of the commitments that regional transit funding must support over the coming years.

Planners, analysts, supervisors, and administrators at AC Transit now have a contract running through December 2028 with 3% annual raises and higher on-call pay. Riders in Oakland and the East Bay can expect the agency's budget to follow a more predictable wage schedule through the contract period.

The takeaway

Labor agreements for public transit staff directly shape both the agency's budget and the service quality riders experience. Watching how phased raises fit within regional funding will show whether the contract holds through 2028.