Keolis employees who operate CapMetro buses have taken a big step toward a possible walkout, voting overwhelmingly this week to authorize a strike if contract talks collapse, union leaders said. The move came after members rejected what they described as Keolis’s final contract offer and staged a “period of rest” by turning down overtime. No strike has been called, and union leaders say negotiations are still on.
According to KLBJ, ATU Local 1091 reported that 99.5% of members who took part in the vote backed authorizing a strike after rejecting the company’s final proposal. Union officials describe the vote as leverage for higher wages, stronger training and more time off. Keolis had not publicly answered the union’s latest claims at the time of KLBJ’s report.
“Time’s up, Keolis! This vote sends a powerful message that our members are unified and strong,” ATU Local 1091 President Brent Payne told KLBJ. The union also told the station that more than 75% of Keolis employees on the CapMetro contract cannot afford to live in Austin and alleges the company failed to deliver a scheduled wage increase earlier this year. ATU International President John Costa said the union wants to avoid a work stoppage but pinned stalled negotiations on the company.
Why workers say they're fed up
Local leaders point to ongoing staffing shortages, training gaps and pay disputes that they say have piled up since Keolis took over operations, and union officers argue those issues have dragged morale down. The Amalgamated Transit Union has been airing the conflict in public this month, including a series of member actions in May. A recent National Labor Relations Board docket shows a case tied to CapMetro/Keolis was filed May 4, 2026, highlighting the deeper tensions. See the Amalgamated Transit Union and the NLRB docket for background.
How a work stoppage could hit riders
Strike authorizations do not always result in a walkout, but they can tighten overtime and complicate scheduling, which often shows up as fewer buses or longer waits on already crowded routes. Transit workers in Dallas also authorized a strike earlier this month after talks with a contractor broke down, though leaders there said they were trying to avoid service disruptions while bargaining continued. CapMetro riders should keep an eye on the agency’s service alerts and sign up for updates to track routes, detours and emergency notices. See coverage from KERA News and CapMetro service alerts.
Union leaders say they still favor a negotiated settlement and again urged Keolis to return to the table. Keolis did not issue a public response to the union’s June announcement. This story will be updated as talks move forward, and riders are encouraged to follow CapMetro and Local 1091 channels for official notices.
