L.A. Metro, Teamsters Union sign new agreement for L.A. Metro Ambassador personnel
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) Board has agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union (Teamsters) to represent the agency’s Ambassador personnel. The new CBA went into effect on July 1, 2025.
The board also approved 85 additional ambassador program positions to manage the program in house and expand ambassadors to more bus lines and new stations that will be opening before the end of 2025.
L.A. Metro notes that with the board approvals, it can begin the process of building an in-house Metro Ambassador Department, which the board approved in October 2023. L.A. Metro will begin the process of hiring those ambassadors who are currently deployed on the system through two contractors.
“I’ve been impressed by the support the Metro Ambassadors provide to transit riders,” said L.A. Metro Board Chair and Whittier Council Member Fernando Dutra. “They connect riders to resources they need and provide a welcoming and visible presence that customers rely on and help [L.A.] Metro respond to issues more quickly.”
L.A. Metro says a 2023 survey of customers found that the visible presence of ambassadors contributes to the perceptions of safety, as 63 percent of survey respondents who reported having seen ambassadors stated that seeing made them feel safer. That number increases to 66 percent among women and among people earning less than $25,000 a year, 68 percent among people Hispanic/Latinos and people under the age of 18 and 70 percent among Asian/Pacific Islanders.
As part of the board’s approval, L.A. Metro’s fiscal year 2026 budget was amended to include $11.8 million for the implementation of the new wages and benefits for the approval of the final CBA. The CBA will result in the addition of 388 contract positions Teamsters comprised of 309 transit ambassador program staff who are currently in the field and 79 new transit ambassadors to continue and expand the visible presence and in-person support across the L.A. Metro bus system, as well as the new Metro/LAX Transit Center, A Line extension to Pomona and D Line extension to West L.A.
In addition, L.A. Metro will add 49 positions for supervisors to oversee ambassador staff in the field and two non-contract positions to oversee expanded day-to-day operations, staff training, reporting and customer experience improvements related to the ambassador program.
“Metro Ambassadors have been an incredible addition to our system, helping us make it friendlier and safer while keeping a watchful eye out for issues that need to be addressed,” said L.A. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “They’re a key part of our customer experience and safety strategies, as we work to deliver the type of world-class transit service necessary for us to become the first choice for transportation among L.A. County residents and visitors.”
L.A. Metro says ambassadors are an essential part of the agency’s public safety ecosystem, in concert with transit security, law enforcement, homeless outreach and crisis intervention teams. They help riders navigate the L.A. Metro system, provide them with assistance, connect them to resources and report any issues that need to be addressed on the system, including summoning emergency help for those customers in distress, as well as providing critical live-saving support. According to L.A. Metro, ambassadors have saved 334 lives through suicide prevention and the use of Narcan.