Area Transit Workers Score Two Wins

Local transit workers won two major victories recently, reports the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU). After ATU filed a group grievance against private contractor First Transit over its violation of DC’s paid sick days law, First Transit agreed to bring its policies into compliance with the law, retract disciplinary points from current employees, and re-hire workers who were unjustly fired. And after years of bargaining attempts, the more than 150 MetroAccess Call Center workers employed by private contractor MV Transportation ratified a new contract this week that includes pay raises, hourly guarantees for full-timers, and more. Workers at both companies are member of ATU Local 1764...click below to read more.

photo: ATU 1764 members take a break from a practice picketing in late July; photo courtesy ATU 1764

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The win at First Transit “sets a critical precedent,” said ATU. “While the DC Mayor and the Council have passed strong laws, they have completely failed to enforce them even when asked by the union. But when the workers united in the bus garage, they forced the law to have real value for them.”

The workers at MV Transportation won their contract by flooding WMATA’s phones, visiting Prince George’s County elected officials, organizing a mass rally outside of the suburban property, “and taking creative action in the workplace despite threats of discipline and termination from the boss,” says ATU.