As we’ve been saying here for weeks, CATS and the Teamsters are not exactly seeing eye-to-eye on a new contract. Now, finally and predictably late, the Charlotte city council is in the loop. As ever, CATS chief Ron Tober is useless in explaining what is going on.
It turns out that the union rank-and-file, comprised of CATS bus drivers, has rejected two contracts since February 1. Omniously, the latest rejected contract had the backing of union negotiators and included a 15 percent raise over four years. The rejection should not exactly be a suprise as the last contract included raises of up to six percent a year for some drivers.
Recall that Teamsters struck the Ft. Worth bus system for five days in November. That system is also operated by McDonald Transit Associates, the same operator CATS hired after the 1998 transit tax passed and the transit spending went wild.
The Observer’s Richard Rubin reports that Tober was not able to give city council much detail last night on what the issues might be — coughmoneycough — holding up a deal.
“I’m getting a little nervous about what’s going on there,” Tober offered.
Oh, boy. Hang onto your wallet, Charlotte. Ron Tober is nervous.
