Transdev workers at the Cinder Bed Road facility have voted unanimously to strike if ongoing negotiations stall. The workers belong to ATU Local 689 and drive the same routes, on the same roads, with the same buses as WMATA, but earn $12 less per hour than other operators in the region because they work for a private contractor. The workers are also demanding improvements to safety and working conditions. “The workers at Cinder Bed have stood together for almost a year to fight Transdev and WMATA to make sure that they’re treated with respect,” said ATU Local 689 President and Business Agent Raymond Jackson. “This strike authorization vote should serve as a warning to every transit authority and private contractor in the area that workers are fed up with schemes to profit off the low wages of transit workers. Transdev and WMATA cut corners at every turn with the Cinder Bed Facility, but these workers won’t let them!”
photo: Transdev workers practice picketing; photo courtesy ATU 689
photo: Transdev workers practice picketing; photo courtesy ATU 689