LA: CATS union says buses are unsafe for workers, the latest conflict in Baton Rouge agency

The Capital Area Transit System's bus worker union says administrators have allowed a systemic failure" of safety, citing among other examples a recent event in which an operator shielded a woman and child from a violent spouse for 12 minutes while waiting for responders to arrive.

"The workforce is shocked, frustrated, and fed up," a release from the union on Sunday said.

The disagreements over safety have led the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1546 to hold off on signing the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan, which CATS is required to submit as a recipient of funding from the Federal Transit Administration.

It's the latest point of tension between the two parties, who failed to reach an accord earlier this year over contract negotiations, triggering a weeklong strike that slowed public transit around the capital region.

A Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan creates procedures that lay the groundwork for a systematic and comprehensive safety management system, according to the Federal Transit Administration.

ATU Local 1546 President George DeCuir also referenced a brake-failure incident and near-miss collision in the release as effects of CATS' inability to "meet basic safety compliance requirements."

"We just want a safe, reliable, comfortable work environment," DeCuir said in an interview.

A statement from CATS Tuesday said the agency maintains internal committees to review safety incidents and adopt "meaningful improvements." After the brake failure referenced in the union's press release, CATS implemented enhanced brake safety protocols, it said.

"We also want to clarify that other incidents referenced in the press release were reviewed internally," the statement said. "In each case, appropriate procedures were followed, and no safety violations were found. CATS remains transparent and responsive in how it addresses such matters."

CATS confirmed that union-appointed members declined to vote on the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan at the most recent meeting due to "ongoing labor negotiations."

"This delay is procedural in nature and does not reflect a lack of compliance or commitment to safety on behalf of the agency," the statement said.

In addition to the union's complaints that recent events put drivers in unsafe situations, DeCuir said CATS facilities are aging and need to be updated. The lighting in the garage behind the administrative building is a particular issue, he said.

"We're calling for proper oversight to have the safety concerns addressed, with adequate lighting and safe and reliable equipment, DeCuir said.

© 2025 The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.
Visit www.theadvocate.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.