Gold Coast Transit District Board of Directors Approves New Contract Agreement with SEIU Local 721

Gold Coast Transit District has announced that the GCTD Board of Directors approved a three-and-a-half-year contract with GCTD’s Administrative Support, Mechanical and Bus Operator Units who are represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 721 at the January 3rd Board meeting. The contract provides incremental increases in wages and medical benefit contributions.  The total cost of the contract represents an increase of slightly more than 10 percent over the next 42 months.

“We are pleased that an agreement has been reached, and we appreciate the efforts on both sides of the negotiating teams to come to an agreement that benefits the employees, while preserving GCTD’s fiscal obligations to provide service to the community.” said Steve Brown, GCTD’s general manager.

GCTD is also pleased to announce that Ventura County Supervisor John Zaragoza was elected as the board chair for the 2018 calendar year. Supervisor Zaragoza has served on the GCTD Board since 2009. Before becoming an elected official, Supervisor Zaragoza worked for the city of Oxnard for over 30 years, and spent time early in his career a bus operator for Oxnard city Lines, an early predecessor to Gold Coast Transit District.    

In addition, city of Ventura Councilmember Cheryl Heitmann, who joined the Board in 2017, was elected as vice-chair. Councilmember Heitmann serves on numerous Boards and Commissions in the community.

Supervisor Zaragoza and Councilmember Heitmann, serve on the GCTD Board of Directors alongside continuing Board Directors Port Hueneme Councilmember Jon Sharkey, city of Ojai Councilmember Paul Blatz, and city of Oxnard Councilmeman Bryan MacDonald. The five-member Board of Directors represent nearly 4 million annual passengers who utilize GCTD’s fixed route and paratransit services in the cities of Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Ventura and the county of Ventura.