Metro Transit workers vote on new deal, avoid Super Bowl strike

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The Twin Cities are hoping to avoid a crippling Metro Transit strike during the Super Bowl this February. 

On Monday, Metro Transit workers are voting on a new contract. The workers have been using the upcoming Super Bowl as leverage to try to get a better deal. The agreement affects 2,500 Metro Transit workers, drivers, mechanics and other staff. 

One month ago, they overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. That put pressure on Metro Transit. Both sides returned to the table and came up with a deal the union is recommending they approve. 

The deal includes a 2.5 percent pay increase over three years, provides a pilot program for protective barriers for drivers, which would put 21 of them in buses to see how well they work stemming violence against drivers. The proposed contract also addressing other issues drivers have in terms of accessibility to restrooms and cleanliness. 

The union says they should have a tabulation to find out whether they have approved this contract or whether they will head back to the negotiating table again.