In any county or city, the commission referred to in § 33.2-1915, in addition to other prohibitions, shall not operate any such transit facility, or otherwise provide or cause to be provided any transportation services, unless fair and equitable arrangements have been made for the protection of employees of existing public transportation systems in the transportation district or in the metropolitan area in which the transportation district is located. Such protections shall include (i) assurances of employment to employees of such transportation systems to the fullest extent possible consistent with sound management, and priority of employment or, if terminated or laid off, reemployment; (ii) preservation of rights, privileges, and benefits, including continuation of pension rights and benefits, under existing collective bargaining agreements or otherwise; (iii) continuation of collective bargaining rights; (iv) protection of individual employees against a worsening of their positions with respect to their employment, to the extent provided by 49 U.S.C. § 5333 (b), also known as § 13(c) of the Federal Transit Act; and (v) paid training and retraining programs. Such protections shall be specified by the commission in any contract or lease for the acquisition or operation of any such transit facilities or services. The employees of any transit facility operated by the commission shall have the right, in the case of any labor dispute relating to the terms and conditions of their employment for the purpose of resolving such dispute, to submit the dispute to final and binding arbitration by an impartial umpire or board of arbitration acceptable to the parties.

1974, c. 53, § 15.1-1357.2; 1997, c. 587, § 15.1-4517; 2014, c. 805.