Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices — Union Involvement

Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices — Union Involvement
Transit Workforce Center
August 2026

While hiring new transit operators is typically the purview of the transit agency or contractor responsible for operations, in some cases frontline labor unions have a role in the recruitment, hiring, and training process. Partnering with frontline labor can be a particularly effective strategy for expanding the pool of eligible candidates through pre-employment training. This brief, part of TWC’s Streamlining Operator Hiring Practices initiative, includes strategies for union involvement in hiring initiatives and features two mini case studies.