At 26, Schetrone Collier had a dream. Now, he’s wrapping up a decades-long career with the Detroit Department of Transportation, which he says helped him surpass it.
The outgoing president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 was honored Tuesday with a Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council for his service and role in negotiating wage increases for himself and fellow DDOT drivers.
Collier said his goal was to leave conditions within DDOT better than he found them when he joined the department in 1989, and the lifelong Detroiter said, “I was able to accomplish that.”
“My fight was to get parity,” Collier, 63, told BridgeDetroit, saying when he took the job he didn’t realize the broad pay disparities between Detroit’s drivers and other transit operators.
“We’re all doing the same work. How do I have a SMART driver driving past me and make five or six more dollars than me?” he said. “We’re picking up the same people, and we’re members of the same international union.”
The father of six said he was working two jobs – at a group home and special education workshop – when he became a DDOT bus driver in an effort to solidify healthcare and a pension. He came in earning $3.65 an hour during his training and $7.60 an hour once he was on the road.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, DDOT had upwards of 1,200 drivers. But due in part to fear, pay and challenging working conditions, those numbers plummeted to about 250 drivers, he said.
The department, under former mayor Mike Duggan, began aggressively recruiting and has since regained hundreds of DDOT drivers, now hovering around 650, Collier said.
Before he was elected union president in 2022, Collier spent 20 years as a steward or board member with the union’s executive board. The president position wasn’t one Collier initially wanted.
“I decided that I was not comfortable with the leadership of my own union,” he said, reflecting on his decision to take more of an active role in the ATU. “I finally just got frustrated and jumped in.”
Under Collier’s leadership, the city approved a $3 wage boost and quarterly attendance bonuses in early 2024. Last November, a new contract upped driver pay by another $6 an hour and brought wages in alignment with neighboring SMART. By 2029, starting pay for drivers should be $35 per hour, Collier said.
In April, the department graduated its largest class yet following the fall wage boost.
Collier told Council Members Tuesday that he’d endured difficult negotiations and obstacles during his time serving as a union leader.
“People (are) throwing arrows at your back and you crawl over and under and go around things to get small things done,” he said. “Each victory will help you win the war. I’m a Detroiter who didn’t have to stay here. I chose to live here and raise my family here. I love my city, I love my union and I love my family.”
President Pro Tem Coleman. A Young II presented Collier with the award, calling him “a champion for the people of Detroit.”
Detroit Council Member Latisha Johnson cited Collier’s dedication and commitment to serve and his willingness to join her for a bus ride-along.
“We were standing on the street, waiting for the buses together and witnessing the improvements that needed to be made,” she said. “Thank you for being there, on the ground, always doing the work and being committed not only to union members but the residents of the city of Detroit.”
Transit advocate and ambassador Michael Cunningham said during Tuesday’s meeting that Collier was always willing to take calls from the community and sit in on meetings to provide advice.
“He’s in those calls,” he said. “He didn’t have to be but he chose to be. I’m going to miss him.”
Council Member Renata Miller agreed, saying her “heart dropped” when she learned of Collier’s retirement.
“Your unwavering commitment to the ATU is a testament to Detroit city workers,” she said. “You fought hard for the union’s brothers and sisters who deserve to have a fair wage comparable to the transit systems. It was long overdue.”
Collier’s last day was July 1. He’s replaced by Frank Lacey. From here, he plans to take some time off and potentially join a transit advocacy organization.
