Matt Gontarchick is a government affairs and business development professional with a passion for all things DC area. The ATU forced through a tentative agreement before workers had a chance to sufficiently study the agreement. Moreover, local Democratic politicians intervened to demand that the WMATA step up its efforts to break the Cinder Bed strike. As the World Socialist Web Site Transit Workers Newsletter warned workers at the time, the deal would “extend the low-wage regime in the private sector to the public system, while utilizing the ATU to enforce the attacks on the public workers.” This has now been confirmed. The remaining four issues are currently being remediated. (Antonio Olivo / Post), Properties in DC that are owned by foreign governments don't have to pay property taxes or follow building codes, so residents have to go through the State Department or do their own outreach when properties become neglected. Continue the conversation about urbanism in the Washington region and support GGWash’s news and advocacy when you join the GGWash Neighborhood! International Committee of the Fourth International. Is Maryland giving people enough notice about Purple Line construction? Despite being a tireless advocate for smart growth and public transit, Matt can still be seen on the weekends cruising around in his sweet 2007 Toyota Camry. The first privately operated WMATA bus garage in more than 40 years, Cinder Bed is managed by Transdev, a French multinational corporation that specializes in taking over public transportation systems and slashing wages and benefits. This is despite a 2018 strike ratification vote of 94 percent by the local’s 8,000 workers after WMATA general manager Wiedefeld violated the contract by outsourcing their work. The agreement is the result of two years of negotiation during which health care and wage expenses were the largest points of negotiation. The contract involved the sale to KBC of WMATA's rail cars, which were then leased back to WMATA. In reality, the Democrats have spearheaded the cuts to social services in the DC area. The contract, a collective bargaining agreement with contractor Transdev that sets guidelines on annual raises and calls for an improved benefits package, still needs to … (Josh Hicks / Post), The plan to move TSA's headquarters to Springfield is the culmination of a long effort to revitalize an area known for its warehouses. The contract has already been approved by the members of Local 689, which represents most of WMATA’s Metrobus… (Chris Teale / ARLnow), Maryland public officials and residents say the state isn't doing enough to communicate news on construction related to the Purple Line, citing the closure of the Georgetown Branch Trail with only a few days' notice as an example. Finally, nearly an hour after the meeting’s scheduled start time, the WMATA board members trickled in. The contract covers the manufacture and supply of an initial order for 256 8000 series metro cars with an option for an additional 800, to be delivered from 2024 onwards. resolved, pending negotiation of escrow account to cover increased maintenance costs. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Contract No. This is the first strike at WMATA since 1978. Unfortunately, as this dispute has demonstrated, WMATA likely needs to take a more proactive role in ensuring that this provision of its contracts is enforced. LinksBy Matt Gontarchick (Contributor) September 11, 2017 26. At the time, the ATU Local 1764 officials declared that local Democratic Party representatives had stepped into the dispute between Connector drivers and their employer, requiring they end their strike and return to the bargaining table. In a statement Saturday, ATU President John A. Costa announced its endorsement of Joe Biden in the presidential primaries. Riders of parallel bus systems which serve localities would not receive the free transfer. Unfortunately, as this dispute has demonstrated, WMATA likely needs to take a more proactive role in ensuring that this provision of its contracts is enforced. Earlier versions of the budget had said nothing about the proposed cuts in bus services. Transdev bus operators and maintenance workers at Cinder Bed have … However, the self-described “democratic socialist” covered for the ATU’s sellout in a tweet hailing the ratification of the deal. We also understand that WMATA believes this to be a sufficient practice to ensure that all WMATA contract employees are fairly compensated. In a photo-op on the picket line, Sanders ignored the role of the Obama administration in forcing through wage cuts in the auto industry in 2009. Though the strike is over, negotiations between Local 1764 and Transdev on a new contract are ongoing as the union pushes for improvements in wages, benefits, and work conditions. Approve, in writing, the Contractor's progress schedule when required; xii. In a 2011 contract negotiation, the arbitrator awarded 3% per year raises. The budget calls for a raising of fares across the board, for all trips, by 10 cents, with the longest distance trips increasing by $1. Have a tip for the links? Not only has no contract proposal materialized, but the union has ceased even making public updates on the negotiations. They have controlled the mayor’s office and the city council since home rule began in 1975. During the nearly three-month strike, the statement adds, workers “risked eviction and foreclosure … Many members had to delay essential medical care and spent what little savings they had. The Washington Post is reporting that the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is in negotiations with Hitachi Rail to build 256 8000-Series rapid transit cars, with an option to purchase up to 800. This was a rehash of his role in the General Motors strike last year, when he promoted the United Auto Workers, which is embroiled in a massive corruption and bribery scandal implicating much of its top leadership. The new five-year contract was ratified last week by Local 2 members and will take effect immediately upon approval by WMATA’s Board of Directors in September. (Benjamin Freed / Washingtonian), Montgomery County is getting tough on negligent landlords by hiring more home inspectors to inspect multifamily properties every two years and by launching a campaign to help low-income tenants know their rights. Visit PayScale to research Wmata salaries, bonuses, reviews, benefits, and more! Participate in negotiations for modifications; xi. A proud University of Maryland alumnus, Matt currently resides in Petworth. The union’s endorsement is a flip from 2016, when it endorsed Bernie Sanders in the primaries. Metro’s unions can’t strike, but instead, arbitrators resolve any contract dispute. Q40. All text, and images marked as created by the article's author, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. The Union agrees to assume responsibility to insure compliance with the requirements established by federal court decisions with respect to the constitutional rights of service fee payors. Negotiations are currently ongoing between WMATA and Hitachi to finalise the terms of the contract following the submission of a notice of intent to Hitachi Rail USA on September 30. While the Transdev workers were certainly willing to sacrifice, the ATU relied on this hardship to wear the strike down. The union also deliberately isolated the strike by shutting down a separate walkout of 600 bus drivers in the Northern Virginia-based Fairfax Connector bus system, also operated by Transdev, without any of the strikers’ demands being met. Receive from the Contractor, monthly, if applicable, DBE status reports and forward them to the DBE Office; xiii. WMATA's biggest union ended contract negotiations with WMATA because WMATA wants to replace its pension fund with a 401(k). Arbitration: (e) “remove the mandatory-binding-arbitration provision associated with union contract negotiations” is a key debate. As vice president under Barack Obama, Biden is directly responsible for the record increases in social inequality which were the intended product of Obama’s policies, which included freezes to social spending. “The current constructs that we have, the financial constructs, we have to work within that [sic].” The deliberate aim of these laws is to starve the public transit network of funding. The contract, which was ratified by 93 percent of ATU 689 members, is being presented by WMATA and the union as putting an end to the privatization of transit operations. Image by brownpau licensed under Creative Commons. WMATA Selects Hitachi Rail for 8000-Series Cars Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor. The current budget is an exposure of the role of the ATU, whose new contract with the WMATA in December was supposedly aimed at ending outsourcing and privatization in the Metro. (Jenna Portnoy / Post). (Martin Di Caro / WAMU), Arlington's planning commission will take more time to study where a new VRE station should go in Crystal City, rather than move forward with the plan popular with VRE and county staff to keep the station close to the Metro station. On January 6, the date of the last publicly available bargaining update for Connector, ATU 1764 officials told workers to prepare to go back out on strike if Transdev and the union did not have an agreement within a week. To do this, transit workers must form independent rank-and-file committees, run by workers themselves. The workers are employed by Transdev, which contracts with WMATA to operate several bus routes in Northern Virginia. (Katherine Shaver / Post), Some area jurisdictions have challenges to address if they want to snag Amazon's new headquarters. The Union agrees to indemnify and hold the Authority harmless from any “Next week in negotiations is going to be critical,” stated ATU spokesperson John Ertl on the union’s social media account, “we will most likely have the makings of a contract, or we may have to go out on strike again.” Nearly a month’s passing exposed such claims as so much hot air. The Operating Contract. Section 5. 2. They clearly weren’t eager for the public comment section of the day’s meeting, in which they’d have to hear from the workers at Cinder Bed Road garage, who had walked off the job 29 days before thanks to failed contract negotiations. Submit it here. The union has been in negotiations since February. What events constitute “cause” is subject to negotiation. We also understand that WMATA believes this to be a sufficient practice to ensure that all WMATA contract employees are fairly compensated. In addition, the scheme will charge an additional 25 cents to those who pay for their fares with cash, which will disproportionately affect those with lower incomes. This is more than enough to offset the added costs from the budget’s modest improvements, including the restoration of late night services, which were cut in 2016, and free transfers between rail and bus. The workers are employed by Transdev, which contracts with WMATA to operate several bus routes in Northern Virginia. KBC claimed that the WMATA was in technical default of a contract following the collapse of American International Group, which had guaranteed the loan that KBC made to WMATA in 2002. Last Thursday, the WMATA Board of Directors voted to ratify a contract with Local 689 of the Amalgamated Transit Union. The latest developments within the metro system underscore the need for metro workers to take their struggle out of the hands of the ATU, as a necessary first step for organizing a genuine struggle against privatization and budget cuts. The last contract expired in June 2016. Prepare WMATA's estimate for proposed Contract modifications. The 84-day strike was the longest work stoppage in WMATA’s … The ATU Local 689 has yet to make an official statement on the Metro budget cuts. The last contract expired in June 2016. Throughout the duration of this project, as with any other project, many quality issues were identified. DC and Loudoun need to address office space, transit issues to land new Amazon HQ, Montgomery to bad landlords: we’re coming for you, New TSA HQ spurs hopes for revitalization of Springfield, It’s hard to get foreign governments to fix their blighted DC properties, MAP: Where roads are closed for the inauguration, DDOT Director Jeff Marootian has a new gig in the Biden Administration, What transit corridors tell us about land use intensity in Montgomery County, Your Metrorail trips in 2021 might get quicker – five seconds at a time. Within each 5 year period, the Concession Agreement can be terminated for cause only. Now a federal mediator will decide on the new contract terms. Contract negotiation is the process of coming to an agreement on a set of legally binding terms (here, we’ll focus on negotiation between two companies). The 84-day strike was the longest work stoppage in WMATA’s 53-year history. negotiation, and/or contract administration. 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