By james art 
Negotiations between the Baton Rouge bus system and the local transit union have hit a wall again.
Metropolitan transit system leaders say they are committed to a fair contract, but union workers say the company is not responding to their call for higher wages.
The Cats and union members have agreed to extend their current contract through January 31. But since then, communication on the new contract has deteriorated, union leaders say.
On Friday, Union members voted 91% in favor of approving possible future work. That means the union is now empowered to take action, including a strike or walkout, to pressure the Cats back to the bargaining table.
According to Garland, an organizing committee made up of officials from the international level offices of the United Transit Union will travel to Baton Rouge to decide what’s next. This process will take two weeks or more and will not necessarily result in a strike or suspension of service.
“It’s a shame because the riding public is going to suffer because of this,” said Anthony Garland, international vice president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1546. “We bent over backwards to try to get a contract with cats.”
He added that the union was pleased with Friday’s vote, which members hope will allow them to fight what they see as anti-union contract tactics.
A Cat spokesman could not be reached for comment after Friday night’s vote.
The union claims CATS pays substandard wages compared to other transit systems in the state and has failed to address “dangerous working conditions and workplace violence,” according to a release.
CATS chief executive Theo Richards said he could not comment on ongoing negotiations, but the company intended to work towards a solution to keep the buses running.
“Our commitment is to reach a fair and equitable contract resolution that meets the needs of our agency and our employees, and most importantly, we continue to provide service to our customers,” Richards said.
Garland said the Cats’ wages are $4 to $5 behind what transit systems in Jefferson Parish, Shreveport and New Orleans pay their workers. Current salaries are “unacceptable,” he said, given the fact that CATS receives funding through property taxes.
“Cats is the only transit system in the state of Louisiana that has a mill,” Garland said. “They have a means of payment.”
The union has threatened to go bigger in contract negotiations in the past, including in 2022, when the parties eventually agreed to wage increases, changes to vacation policies and greater protections for bus operators during accident investigations.
During negotiations earlier this month, Garland said, the Cats informed the union through an intermediary that the company did not have enough funds to meet the wage increase. Then talks broke down, making Friday’s vote the union’s only recourse, he said.