The D.C. Metro’s largest union voted to authorize a strike on Sunday. If the union takes action, it would be the first Metro strike in 40 years.
There are about 6,000 members in the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 and 94 percent voted to allow a strike, a union spokesperson told NBC Washington. MLB All-Star Week has attracted even more visitors to Washington, D.C., which means a strike this week would be even more disruptive than usual.
The board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) was given a five-day notice so that board members could talk about the strike. It’s unclear whether a strike will take place or when a strike would happen if thousands of members do go on strike. The union hasn’t had a contract since 2016.
The union and management have tangled over issues such as whether workers should be permitted to work a seventh consecutive day and receive double pay, whether they have to provide three days notice for sick leave, and some changes to work locations. Janitors were reportedly moved from rail yards and bus garages to Metro stations without any sort of discussion with the union.
Local 689 President Jackie Jeter told NBC Washington that he doesn’t think the WMATA follows the collective bargaining agreement.
“WMATA negated their seniority, relegated them to the rail, regardless of whether or not they could’ve picked a day run with their seniority in a facility. They have told them that if it’s only nights left, you have to work nights. That’s not right. It’s not fair,” Jeter told NBC Washington. “It’s against the collective bargaining agreement and it’s just pushed us too far.”
Under the Metro system’s governing compact, they aren’t allowed to go on strike, according to the Washington Post, and an arbitrator could order the strike to end and workers could penalized if they decide to stay on strike. Metro Chief Labor Relations Officer John M. Gilman recently reminded Jeter of this and called on the union to “cease and desist from any further illegal action.” On Monday, the union expects a response from management.
“We have to call a meeting of the executive board after this vote, and then we’ll decide on what we’re going to do,” Jeter said during a press conference on Monday.
Recent transit strikes include the 2016 Philadelphia transit strike and 2013 Los Angeles DASH bus strike. The Philadelphia strike lasted nearly a week, and the union represented more than 4,700 workers. This resulted in bad traffic and travelers crowding Regional Rails where workers weren’t striking. Workers were striking over pensions, health care, and worker rest, NPR reported at the time. In 2013, Los Angeles, DASH buses were at limited capacity after workers went on strike. These buses served 26 neighborhoods, according to Curbed. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 572 responded with the strike over a contract dispute with Veolia Transportation, which is in charge of running the routes under its Los Angeles Department of Transportation contract.
One of the most famous transit strikes is the New York City transit strike of 1966, which lasted 12 days, according to AM NY. It was estimated to have cost the region $1.2 billion. After the strike, lawmakers passed the Public Employees Fair Employment Act, which makes unions deal with contract disputes through the State Public Employment Relations Board, prohibits public employees from striking, and imposes penalties like the loss of a day of pay for a day of striking. That hasn’t stopped public employees from striking in the state, however, since teachers and transit workers have gone on strike since 1967, when the law was passed.
This spring, teachers went on strike in several states to demand more education funding and better salaries. In some states, such as Arizona and West Virginia, past attorneys general wrote opinions that said public employee strikes are forbidden or current attorneys general said they could seek injunctions to end strikes by public employees. But that didn’t stop teachers in those states from participating in work stoppages.