After nearly two years of negotiations, D.C. Streetcar frontline workers have ratified their first contract. ATU Local 689 and the Streetcar’s private operators The Midtown & RDMT signed the deal last Friday. Highlights include wages competitive with their WMATA counterparts, and an affordable medical insurance program. “We are encouraged to see D.C. Streetcar’s private operator play a positive role in fair compensation for transit workers in this region,” said ATU Local 689 President Jackie L. Jeter, who led the Streetcar contract negotiations. “Both parties realize that this is only the beginning of building a structure for good jobs at the D.C. Streetcar, and we plan to continue to advocate for wage parity with WMATA and livable, reliable benefits for all transit employees in this region.” Workers at the D.C. Streetcar voted overwhelmingly in March of 2016 to join ATU Local 689, which already represents more than 13,000 WMATA Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess active and retired employees in the region.
photo: February 2016 ATU march and rally for Streetcar workers; photo by David Stephen
photo: February 2016 ATU march and rally for Streetcar workers; photo by David Stephen