CATS contract has been ratified, Union leaders say there will be no strike

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - On Saturday, Charlotte Area Transit System reached an agreement to avoid a strike after nearly a year of labor contract negotiations.

Union Reps and CATS bus operators spoke with WBTV after the union voted on a deal that averted a strike, and ratified a contract.

The agreement was passed by a vote of 240 to 11.

Christy Kiser, the assistant general chairman for the CATS Union said the process took longer than expected because of a few key reasons.

“They were taking a lot of things from us. With Pension and it was just so much going on. Seniority, some of us have been here for thirty-something years. I’ve been here for almost 26, It’ll be 27 in August. So If we get sick they wanted to take that away from us. I could lose my job because I’m sick. We weren’t gonna give that away,” shared Kiser.

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Along with Pension and Seniority, Kiser said the union worried about insurance.

“Insurance is high you know we want better insurance for our families, a lot of our co-workers can’t have family insurance, they can only have single. That’s all we can afford,” said Kiser.

Joseph Paglia, the general chairman of Smart Union Local 1715 said safety was another main concern after CATS bus operator of Ethan Rivera was killed.

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“That’s what we wanted to address and we wanted to make the company understand that hey, you know what? We’re people, we drive, we get it. It wasn’t about money, it was about our safety, the working conditions. And we still have a job ahead of us. Our committee is going to keep fighting on that. Because we still have a lot to go,” said Paglia.

For now, the Union as a whole stated the ratified contract is well-rounded, but adjustments must be made.

“We do have a contract now that I’m able to say that going forward we can build on. It sets a great foundation. In my opinion, it’s probably the best contract that Local has ever seen,” shared Paglia.

Paglia said the contract will be active for three years, but because they are starting it 11 months late, the Union will be meeting again for more negotiations at the end of 2024 for the upcoming contract in 2025.

Following the passing vote, CATS interim CEO Brent Cagle issued the following statement:

“I am very thankful for the hard work that has gone into reaching this agreement. This agreement aligns with our values at the City of Charlotte. It focuses on the employee, which is our most valuable asset. This new contract calls for significant wage increases, making our operator positions among the top paid on the east coast. We will continue to work with RATPDev and SMART Union bus operators, so we can continue to provide essential mobility solutions that connect communities to opportunity, places and each other.”

CATS bus operators also shared their thanks and gratitude to their passengers for sticking with them through the process.

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