Community Benefits Snapshot: New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement

The New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), signed in 2022 between New Flyer of America Inc., Jobs to Move America (JMA), and Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM), establishes workforce development and equity standards for bus manufacturing plants in Anniston, Alabama, and Ontario, California. The agreement mandates that 45% of new hires and 20% of promotions come from historically disadvantaged groups, including BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ persons, and formerly incarcerated individuals. It also establishes pre-apprenticeship and technical training programs, a discrimination complaint system managed by the NAACP in Alabama, and semi-annual safety training. The CBA was the result of a multi-year campaign by JMA and a broad coalition that used legal challenges and research on pay gaps to pressure the company. While the Ontario facility has since closed, the agreement has led to increased hiring of disadvantaged groups and contributed to the successful unionization of the Anniston plant in May 2024.

• The New Flyer CBA mandates specific diversity targets for employment, requiring that 45% of new hires and 20% of promotions at each plant be selected from historically disadvantaged groups.
• Historically disadvantaged groups under the agreement are broadly defined to include BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+ persons, veterans, formerly incarcerated people, persons emancipated from foster care, and Anniston residents without a high school diploma or GED.
• The agreement establishes a structured workforce pipeline consisting of a pre-apprenticeship program focusing on life skills and literacy, followed by a technical training program intended for registration as an official apprenticeship with the U.S. Department of Labor.
• To address workplace equity, the CBA created a discrimination and harassment complaint system where the Alabama State Chapter of the NAACP serves as the designated community organization for the Anniston plant.
• The CBA was preceded by a campaign highlighting systemic issues, including a study that identified a $3.14-per-hour pay gap between white and Black workers at the Anniston facility.
• Beyond the CBA, New Flyer signed a neutrality agreement with the CWA, which facilitated the successful unionization of the Anniston facility in May 2024, resulting in a contract with raises between 15% and 38% by 2026.
• The agreement includes rigorous oversight mechanisms, requiring New Flyer to disclose hiring and promotion data quarterly to JMA, GBM, and coalition members, with disputes resolved via non-binding mediation or binding arbitration.

APA

Saha, D. (2024). Community Benefits Snapshot: New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-new-flyer-community-benefits-agreement

Chicago

Saha, Devashree. Community Benefits Snapshot: New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement. World Resources Institute, 2024. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-new-flyer-community-benefits-agreement.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Saha |first1=Devashree |title=Community Benefits Snapshot: New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=19 December 2024 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-new-flyer-community-benefits-agreement |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{saha2024community, author = {Saha, Devashree}, title = {{Community Benefits Snapshot: New Flyer Community Benefits Agreement}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/community-benefits-snapshot-new-flyer-community-benefits-agreement}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }