RTA employees voice workplace concerns at New Orleans City Council meeting

Raeven Poole
·2 min read
1

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Happening Thursday, Nov. 30, members of the United Labor Union representing New Orleans Transit workers will present a list of concerns to the city council about the Regional Transit Authority.

A representative with United Labor Union said following an invite from the Transportation Committee of New Orleans City Council, union members will be given the opportunity to speak on the “severe” morale crisis happening among RTA employees.

Four union leaders will be in attendance to present Local 100’s proposals for addressing the crisis:

  • Make RTA safer by creating a rule that would stop members from being asked to violate safety protocols, better training and have quarterly labor-management meetings to address problems

  • Make for a fairer more family-friendly and more collaborative workplace

  • Retain employees by linking pay to years of service, creating a paid family leave policy

  • Have overtime eligibility for severely taxed repair supervisors and safety analysts

  • Have transparency about the qualifications of outside hires

2023 Atlantic hurricane season ends with 20 named storms, few U.S. landfalls

The fight between management and the Board of Commissioners against the Local 100’s membership rights has been going on since August. This has reportedly sent RTA employees into a lengthy financial battle.

“I’ve never seen it this bad in my 47 years in New Orleans transit. RTA needs to recognize all of Local 100’s members and sit down at the table with us. We deserve a voice,” said current operations supervisor Lawrence Williams, Jr.

Also attending the meeting will be supporters of the fight, such as the local NAACP chapter with a “Respect Our Union Rights” sign along with RTA officials.

The union’s reason for the meeting is to explain their reasons why RTA is not functioning, which are:

  • Director and manager positions get filled by crony appointees with no knowledge of transit

  • Leadership isn’t listening to employees who identify major problems before they turn into crises

  • The pay structure is irrational and unfair

The meeting is set to happen at 1:15 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in City Hall.

Stay updated with the latest news, weather, and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play store and subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.

Latest Posts

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.