Bus drivers at Columbia Area Transit (CAT) in Hood River have won union representation with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757.
Ten full- and part-time CAT bus drivers filed a petition with the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) Aug. 18 asking state agency to certify them as members of Local 757. ERB accepted the drivers’ petition Sept. 21 because the overwhelming majority of eligible workers filed union authorization cards.
In a press statement, Local 757 said CAT bus drivers just want to be treated fairly. Drivers have seen their hours cut without being consulted, the union said. They get less time to inspect their buses to make sure they’re safe before a trip. And the company has demanded that they work a two-hour layover in Portland without pay.
Now that the drivers’ petition has been approved by ERB, drivers will appoint a bargaining team to begin negotiating their first contract with Columbia Area Transit.
No bargaining dates have been scheduled.
