MetroAccess Call Center workers, represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, went on strike at 10:30 am today, in protest of WMATA contractor MV Transportation’s poor treatment and unfair labor practices.
“MV left us with no other choice but to walk off the job,” said ATU International President John Costa. “These workers have been heroes working since the pandemic began to ensure people who depend on MetroAccess have transportation. For the sake of our members and their passengers, we hope this comes to a quick end.” Costa added that “We didn’t want to do this to our customers who depend on us. We’ve reached out to groups that represent people with disabilities to let them know what’s going on.”
MV Transportation, a private corporation, provides dispatch, reservation, and scheduling of all MetroAccess paratransit services.
Although MetroAccess workers have been working throughout the pandemic, MV Transportation started bargaining by proposing a wage freeze for most employees, and eventually moved to offer a 1% wage increase, driving morale down and turnover up. Because of the conditions, service has been suffering for riders with disabilities who rely on MetroAccess to get around.
This isn’t the first time workers in this region have gone on strike. Since 2019, workers have been forced to go on strike at the Fairfax Connector, Omniride, and the 85-day long WMATA Cinder Bed Bus Garage strike that ended in victory when WMATA agreed to end privatization in the Metrobus and Metrorail systems.
“MetroAccess Call Center workers are done with being disrespected. These jobs help provide a critical lifeline to riders with disabilities who need to get to doctor’s appointments, pick up prescriptions, and more. Despite this, private contractors like MV Transportation are refusing to give workers enough to live. Shame on WMATA for contracting out these essential services in the first place,” Costa continued. “These workers are standing up and standing together not only for themselves but for their passengers who deserve nothing less than quality service.”
ATU Local 689 is comprised of more than 13,000 members and retirees performing occupations within the many skilled transportation crafts for the WMATA, MetroAccess, DASH, and the Fairfax Connector and DC Circulator and Streetcar, among others. Local 689 is part of the Amalgamated Transit Union (AFL-CIO/CLC), the largest labor organization representing transit workers in the United States and Canada.
 

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​On Wednesday, International Nurses Day and the close out of Nurses Week, National Nurses United (NNU) hosted two D.C. actions to honor the more than 400 registered nurses who have died from the Covid-19 pandemic. Within view of the White House, NNU nurses placed one pair of shoes for every RN who has died during this pandemic due to a lack of employer and federal government action to protect nurses and other health care workers from getting infected with Covid-19 at work. The action also included reading of the names of each deceased nurse and remarks from NNU President Jean Ross, RN. Later that evening, the names of each of the fallen nurses were projected onto the AFL-CIO building, which sits across from the White House.  “We are honoring our sisters and brothers, our siblings, who have fallen due to this deadly pandemic,” said Ross. “We take this moment to celebrate the lives of these frontline workers, and promise to fight for improved working conditions to prevent more deaths from happening. One loss is too many.”
photo: NNU President Jean Ross (right) and Judea I. Lawton. photo by Korey Hartwich

Nearly one-third of domestic workers surveyed in Africa were laid off during the pandemic—85 percent of whom were the main family breadwinner, per International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF). Only 17 percent received emergency income, food or other state-provided social support—and most received such support through another household member because they were not eligible. Says IDWF Lead Research Associate Louisa Acciari: Losing your job when you do not have access to unemployment benefits, social security or any income support "is something where the unions can really campaign at the national level to get more inclusive social protection policies.” Read more at Solidarity Center.