Employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development will save up to $1500 in mass transit expenses this year, thanks to Local 476 of the American Federation of Government Employees. As a result of bargaining demands by Local 476, HUD agreed to increase the transit subsidy on May 1 and then announced that the increase would be retroactive to January 1, 2016. While HUD did not acknowledge the union in either of its announcements, attempting to make it appear as if the increased subsidy were an unsolicited benefit offered by the Department, Local 476 president Ashaki Robinson Johns told members that "AFGE Local 476 is proud to be advocating for you, both in the workplace and on Capitol Hill, and we are pleased to share in this latest victory with you." Read more on Local 476' website.