“Put the public back in public transit” DC Circulator workers urge

While DC Circulator workers are closer than ever to becoming public employees, they face a tough battle at the Wilson Building. ATU Local 1764 reports that DC Councilmembers are seriously considering municipalizing – that is, bringing in-house – DC Circulator operations and maintenance. This would be a breakthrough in the union’s three year campaign to reverse the trend of transit privatization gripping DC, Maryland, and Virginia. But there’s a catch: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and DDOT’s new director are trying to convince the Council that they need to try a new private contractor for five – possibly up to ten – years before municipalization is possible. That’s nonsense, the union says, pointing out that DDOT already tightly manages more of the day-to-day affairs at Circulator than in almost any privatized system in the country. The union has launched a website and is asking fellow trade unionists to sign their petition.
photo: DC Circulator operator Gary Stoddard testifying before the DC Council on Tuesday