Why CATS union workers are weighing a strike

Tensions between transit union members and the Capital Area Transit System over stalled contract negotiations came to a boil Tuesday.

Members of Amalgamated Transit Union 1546, wearing bandages on their faces to convey injury by CATS, were emphatic in expressing their frustration with the agency at the CATS Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Tuesday evening.

Anthony Garland, the international vice president for ATU 1546, tells Daily Report that last night’s display was the beginning of a “string of actions” that the transit union will take to secure desired wages for CATS union workers. He says a strike is still very much on the table.

“We hope to avoid such a drastic measure as we know the pain and frustration that it may cause to our riders, but CATS is leaving the union and its workers with no choice in this round of negotiations as we fight for equality and wage parity,” Garland says.

In a statement provided to Daily Report, CATS emphasizes its desire to ink a fair contract and avoid a walkout.

“We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and equitable resolution that serves the best interests of our employees, riders and taxpayers,” the statement reads. “While the possibility of a strike is a concern, we are focused on finding a swift resolution to prevent any disruptions.”

ATU 1546 is the Baton Rouge chapter of the Amalgamated Transit Union, an international labor organization that represents employees in the public transit industry. The union represents CATS workers as well as bus operators for First Student in Central and Zachary and LSU’s Tiger Trails transit system.

ATU 1546 and CATS have agreed to extend their current labor contract―originally set to expire on Dec. 31―through Jan. 31. But the union says negotiations have stalled.

ATU 1546 President George Decuir on Tuesday told WAFB-TV that transit workers in Jefferson Parish, New Orleans and Shreveport all make about $4 or $5 more per hour than CATS workers do.

Last week, 102 out of 106 union members voted to authorize a strike if an agreement that the union deems sufficient is not reached. CATS has previously contended that it does not have adequate funds to meet the union’s demands. Even so, the agency maintains that it is committed to finding common ground with the union.