IndyGo extends bus operator, mechanic incentives
IndyGo's Board of Directors has approved pay increases and an extension on its $3,000 signing bonus incentive for new hires applying to become a coach operator or mechanic, which began July 2023.
The increase was put in motion Jan. 1, 2024, and was a result of a new collective bargaining agreement negotiated between IndyGo and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1070 leadership.
Current compensation includes
- Coach operators (after training): $23-plus per hour starting pay (nearly $47,800 annually)
- Mechanics: $29-plus per hour starting pay (nearly $62,400 annually)
The amounts ldo not include significant overtime potential that’s often available to operators and mechanics.
Last July, IndyGo implemented its signing bonus incentive in direct response to the ongoing driver shortage, as the agency aimed to right size its workforce. From the incentive’s launch in July 2023, until Dec. 31, 2023, the agency received 1,147 coach operator and mechanic applications. The applications resulted in at least 176 candidates being hired, which represented a nearly 180 percent increase in applicants and a nearly 185 percent increase in new hires for that timeframe in 2022.
The agency hopes to continue this positive hiring trend in 2024.
Other benefits available to drivers and mechanics include:
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Free onsite wellness clinic for employees and their families.
- IndyGo’s esteemed Mentorship and Apprenticeship Program to provide support for new hires in their first year
- Career advancement and continued educational opportunities
- Retirement plans
- Local work and no overnight travel
- Free IndyGo transportation for employees and their families
- Federal Loan Forgiveness Program
- Tuition reimbursement
