DAY 43: ATU TRANSDEV STRIKE UPDATES

by Todd Brogan, ATU

Today marks the 43rd days on strike for ATU Local 689 Metrobus workers employed by Transdev at WMATA's Cinder Bed Road garage. It's also Day 1 on strike for 600 more Transdev employees, members of ATU Local 1764 who work at the Fairfax Connector. 
· Cinder Bed Road pickets continue tomorrow at 7901 Cinder Bed Road, Lorton, VA. Local 689 has suspended the WMATA HQ pickets to support Local 1764.
· Connector pickets begin at 3:00 a.m. and run until 5:00 p.m. at these locations:
o Fairfax Connector Herndon: 268 Spring Street, Herndon, VA
o Fairfax Connector Huntington: 8101 Cinder Bed Road, Newington, VA (right down the street from the 689 picket0
o Fairfax Connector West Ox: 4970 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA
· This week, DC Councilmembers Robert White and Elissa Silverman, who both sit on the committee that oversees WMATA for the DC Council, wrote letters urging Paul Wiedefeld to intervene in Cinder Bed. Elected officials from Virginia and at the federal level have re-upped their demands that he do the same.
· Strikers took the picket line to DC Board Member Tom Bulger’s house Wednesday morning (see photos below), and to MD Board Member Michael Goldman’s as well.
· The company showed zero interest at the Cinder Bed table yesterday in reaching a settlement. They even had the gall to put new, offensive overtime language on the table.
· At Cinder Bed bargaining on Wednesday, a dozen ATU local union presidents from across the country joined the table, because all of them have contracts with Transdev expiring in the months ahead.
· At Connector, they again asked the union to agree to a contract extension, which was roundly rejected by a committee that made clear we won’t extend a contract they walk all over and violate everyday anyway.
·  The rider leaflet for Fairfax Connector is at right; please post and share online.

​Here’s how you can help:
· Help ATU 1764 Connector members by calling Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova at 703-324-2321. Tell her that the County must rein in Transdev and compel them to quit committing Unfair Labor Practices.
· Picket with 689 in VA (daily): https://facebook.com/events/2310195405775260/
· Picket with 1764 in VA (daily): https://www.facebook.com/events/1376386502538887/
· Donate $ to the 689 strike fund: http://bit.ly/cinderbedstrike
· Donate  to the 689 picket line: http://bit.ly/cinderbedmeals
· Link up with DC JWJ to help with solidarity direct actions: [email protected].
· Firewood is still key as the weather gets cold. We’ve got more burn barrels now, and need kindling and logs.
· Call out @wmata and @transdevna on Twitter and @metroforward on Facebook with words of support for the strikers. Remember to tag @atulocal689 and @atucomm on Twitter or @atulocal689group and @atu1764 on Facebook so we can repost.

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