Guns on buses, disruptive passengers force TARC employees to protest conditions

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Transportation Authority of River City employees are protesting their working conditions as their union contracts are set to expire at the end of this month.

A dozen TARC union members chanted "What do we want? Safe work. When do we want it? Now!" outside of the TARC3 office near Broadway and 13th on Wednesday.

Safety while working remains a top concern for the drivers.

"Where safety is made a priority to where we don't have to fear getting threatened to be shot, attacked or having functioning equipment when we pull a bus out," Lillian Brents, ATU Local 1447 president, said.

WDRB obtained security footage from a driver being threatened by a disruptive passenger on a TARC bus last month.

"I wanna shoot this mother f***** in the head for real, but I ain't gonna do it," the passenger said in the video.

"You make sure you tell them, when I got on. You make sure you tell them I'm s****** your d***, and you make sure that you tell them that I said I was gonna shoot you," the passenger later said.

The passenger then gets off that bus, and gets on a different bus — and then threatens a second driver.

"I just want to beat you in your God **** face with my God **** [inaudible]," the passenger said.

Union members believe the next sound in the video is a passenger firing a gun. TARC officials confirm that someone showed a gun, but says it was never fired, adding that because of state law, they cannot prevent riders from boarding a bus with a gun.

Viewers can see a flash right before they hear the sound.

"Safety should be the number one priority," Brents said. "Safety is the message we want to get across."

She added that she would like to see better training for workers.

The contract is up at the end of this month, and at least three more days of contract negotiations are scheduled to take place.

TARC said it can continue to operate under the current contract until an agreement is reached, even if it's beyond the expiration date.

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