Metro bus drivers to receive $6.4 million in back pay

Metro bus drivers will receive $6.4 million in back pay after King County Metro broke federal labor rules.

The Department of Labor handed down the decision after nearly 150 complaints from drivers about not getting paid for their work.

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One of the issues had to do with the pre-trip bus inspections the drivers are required to do before they drive out of the bus barn in Seattle’s SoDo area.

The Department of Labor ruled Metro wasn’t paying the drivers enough for that work.

For years, the practice has been to pay drivers for 10 minutes of pre-trip preparations. But more than 100 drivers filed a complaint, saying the inspections take longer than that, so they have to get started before their shift begins.

There were other payroll violations as well — not paying drivers overtime when they were called in for meetings with supervisors or had to fill out reports.

The general manager for King County Metro, Rob Gannon, says when the complaints were filed, they cooperated with the investigation.

Under the ruling, 2,403 current and former Metro bus drivers will be paid between $44 and $8,500 next month, depending on how many hours they worked.

The back pay only covers the last two years.