No wonder things are so quiet with CATS — Ron Tober and crew are readying for a rumble with CATS’ Teamster bus drivers. Their contract with the city expires at midnight tonight.
Barely three years after organizing CATS drivers, the Teamsters have CATS right where they want them. CATS either meets the union’s demands, or Charlotte gets a transit strike. Oh happy day!
To back up, CATS hired McDonald Transit Associates in September 2003 to serve as the front-group for running the bus system. This arrangement allowed the Teamsters to organize the bus drivers as the city, technically, does not operate the bus system (wink wink.) By December 2003, the Teamsters had done just that, as drivers voted to join Local 71.
By April 2004 the CATS members of Local 71 had their first contract with Fort Worth-based McDonald. The contract gave drivers of large buses three percent annual raises and the drivers of smaller shuttle buses raises of four to six percent.
By March 2005 allegations were made that kickbacks were flowing through CATS’ to McDonald’s managment via vendors. This prompted a full-on audit from the city of Charlotte. A few months later, the city’s investigation announced no substantiated kickbacks, but a need for better “record keeping” and a need for McDonald to align its “gift and personnel hiring policies” with those of the city. Wink, wink — again.
Just about the same time the Teamsters’ PAC gave $2,000 to city councilwoman Susan Burgess. Big wink. And by October of last year the Teamsters had given $5,000 to Jim Black’s legal defense fund. Huge frickin’ wink.
The Teamsters struck the McDonald-operated Ft. Worth transit system in November for several days before a contract was approved.
Public-sector labor unrest — world class city all the way. I can hardly wait for the garbage strike.
Update: Here’s some details on what Teamster Local 997 got out of its five-day strike in Ft. Worth.
