Collier County transit contract changing hands, leaving 151 workers in limbo

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — A new company is set to take over Collier County's bus system, and more than 150 transit workers are waiting to find out what that means for their jobs.

WeDriveU is expected to take over Collier Area Transit from MV Transportation later this fall, with the contract change expected at the end of September.

County leaders say riders should not expect any service interruptions during the transition.

But behind the scenes, 151 employees have received WARN notices, meaning their positions could end when the contract changes hands.

Kevin Smith, an international representative with the Transport Workers Union of America, said the notices have left workers feeling uncertain.

"Receiving a notice like a WARN Act, it's written very official. It looks like it's the end of your job, the end of your career, and does put you in a little bit of position where you're nervous about the future," Smith said.

Smith said his main concern is whether workers will keep the same wages and benefits under the new company.

"Are they going to be employed? My concern specifically are wages and benefits and all those things remain the same as they are now," Smith said.

He said there are no guarantees those terms will carry over when a new company steps in.

"There are not a lot of protections within the law under the National Labor Relations Act that guarantee certain things within their contract and we have bargained for the past 20 years with all the other companies that have been in place to get exactly what we have right now," Smith said.

Smith said he has already reached out to WeDriveU hoping to start a conversation before the transition happens.

"If I had the ability to sit in front of them today, I would ask them what their intentions are with employees," Smith said. "One? Are they going to recognize the union? Two. Are they going to pick up 100% of the employees?"

Smith noted this is not the first time workers have faced this kind of change.

"This is you know fourth or fifth time they've gone through this transition. And although it's worked out every time, every time is new. Every time can be different," Smith said.

WINK News reached out to both MV Transportation and WeDriveU to ask about hiring plans and whether current employees will be offered positions, but neither company has responded.