Charlotte bus driver union rejects contract proposal, negotiations continue
Charlotte bus drivers rejected a contract that would raise wages by $2 an hour but reduce the number of unexcused absences drivers have, a Charlotte Area Transit System spokesman said Friday.
This will not affect services, it just means the managing company which drivers work for and their union will return to negotiating a new contract. WBTV first reported on the failed contract.
“It doesn’t mean a strike or anything at all,” CATS spokesman Brandon Hunter said.
Starting wages for CATS drivers is $18.77 an hour and the rejected contract would have raised it to $20.78, Hunter said. The proposed contract also included higher shift-differential pay, meaning the additional pay for working off-hours, including nights, Hunter previously told The Charlotte Observer.
CATS also proposed reducing unexcused absences from 10 to six days, Hunter said.
CATS drivers are managed by RATP DEV USA and represented by Smart Union.
Driver shortages led CATS to trim the frequency of some bus routes this summer.
Vacant positions, employee absences, scheduled vacations and days off all affected transit system schedules, officials said.
Monday night, CATS officials are expected to unveil a design for the new Charlotte Transportation Center, which could move the bus facility underground and add retail, office and hotel space.
This story was originally published September 23, 2022 at 4:35 PM.
