Local 248 Contract News: Transit Workers in North Carolina Advance on Wages in New Contract

TWU Local 248 members at the Winston-Salem Transit Authority recently ratified a new three-year contract that provides significant wage increases and keeps intact existing contract language despite a recent change in operators.  

Fixed Route Bus Operators in their first year on the job will see a wage increase over 25 percent over the life of the contract while Para Transit Operators and Mechanics in their first year on the job will receive a wage increases of over 26 percent over the length of the contract. Local 248 represents about 100 Fixed Route Bus Operators, Para Transit Operators, and Mechanics.  

“This new contract puts our hardworking Local 248 members in line with other transit agencies and preserves existing contract language despite a new operator taking over,” said TWU TUUS Division Director Willie Brown. “It was a successful fight, and we will keep working to deliver contracts that benefit workers and their families.”  

The new contract also improves sick pay. Previously, workers who called in sick were not paid for their first day off. Sick pay will now begin on the first day a worker calls in sick. The employer is now also required to pay their portion of health benefits while a worker is on paid leave.  

“We preserved a lot of the existing contract language even thought a new company took over and their original proposal was to change a lot of contractual benefits,” said TWU Local 248 President Cassandra Boozer. “Big wage increases and protecting health benefits were massive wins for us.”  

In addition to the raises, Local 248 members will receive a retroactive pay increase dating back to July of 2024, an increased tool and shoe allowance, and an expansion of qualified bereavement leave.  

The Winston-Salem Transit Authority was operated by Transdev until August of last year, when Fort Worth-based operator RATP Dev USA won a multi-year contract to run and maintain Winston-Salem’s transit system.