Union Transit Workers Call for Fair Contract at CapMetro Board Meeting in Austin
AUSTIN, Texas – Today, CapMetro/Keolis workers represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1091 testified before the CapMetro board to call for a fair contract.
“Come to the table, give us a fair contract, and let us do what we do best — get our Austinites around this city safely home, work, and school,” said Brent Payne, ATU Local 1091 president and business agent. “It's not always about money. It's about training. It's about insurance. It's about the quality of work that we're expected to do. So to the CapMetro board and Keolis: take care of the people that give you the work that you require.”
“I'm a bus operator for Keolis / CapMetro, and I'm a part of the wheel that keeps the city moving,” said Cedric Edison, an ATU Local 1091 member and CapMetro bus operator. “We feel proud every day when we leave and go home, knowing that we helped change the city. But there are some harsh realities and this is just personal. There is no reason I should be paycheck to paycheck. We're working for the city. So please, please do the right thing and give us a fair contract that we deserve.”
“The Austin and Texas labor movements are in full solidarity with our ATU Austin members in their fight for a fair contract,” said Lorraine Montemayor, Texas AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer. “CapMetro board members are trying to pass the buck onto Keolis, their subcontractor, instead of taking care of the workers who make our community run. That’s shameful. Stand with workers and bargain a fair contract now.”
“Public transit only works because of the workers who keep it running every single day,” said Austin City Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, a CapMetro board member. “I've been asking CapMetro leadership tough questions throughout this process. I've consistently pushed the agency to listen to the workers to do the right thing. The strongest transit systems are built on strong labor partnerships.”
More than 75% of CapMetro/Keolis workers cannot afford to live in the city of Austin where they work. Workers are demanding a fair contract that includes regular wage increases, better training, and adequate time off.
While CapMetro holds the purse strings, board members have tried to pass the buck onto Keolis, their subcontractor. Keolis has offered a one-time stipend during negotiations, but that won’t pay the rent. ATU members are joining together to demand a fair contract now.
Background: With a CapMetro strike on the table, workers say better training would improve bus service
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Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1091 represents more than 1,400 members who work in mass transit in the Austin area.
The Texas AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is the state labor federation consisting of more than 250,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org