WMATA's biggest union ended contract negotiations with WMATA because WMATA wants to replace its pension fund with a 401(k). resolved, pending negotiation of escrow account to cover increased maintenance costs. The remaining four issues are currently being remediated. Facilities, Section 52. 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 … Not only has no contract proposal materialized, but the union has ceased even making public updates on the negotiations. The budget announcement comes after the nearly three-month strike by 130 bus workers at the Cinder Bed Road garage. Experience Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) May 2015 - Present WMATA February 2011 - May 2015 WMATA May 2004 - January 2010 WMATA May 2004 - February 2009 Skills Rail, Contract Negotiation, Team Building, Operations Management, Process Improvement, Budgets, Logistics, Transportation, Customer Service, Contract Management, Project Planning, Public … International Committee of the Fourth International. (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. (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. Earlier versions of the budget had said nothing about the proposed cuts in bus services. Moreover, local Democratic politicians intervened to demand that the WMATA step up its efforts to break the Cinder Bed strike. Metro expects to reduce its healthcare costs by approximately $2.3 million over the term of the contract … (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. 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. 2. The workers are employed by Transdev, which contracts with WMATA to operate several bus routes in Northern Virginia. Loudoun's Metro stations won't be ready until 2020, and the District probably won't have enough commercial space available. However, the self-described “democratic socialist” covered for the ATU’s sellout in a tweet hailing the ratification of the deal. 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. 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. 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. The last contract expired in June 2016. 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. 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. 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. 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. They must appeal for support, not from the capitalist Democratic Party, but from the working class, which stands to be impacted by the attacks on public services and living conditions. The union has been in negotiations since February. Transdev workers, who earn $12 less an hour than their public sector counterparts, demanded raises, healthcare benefits, and an end to the privatization of public services in the Washington, DC area. 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. We also understand that WMATA believes this to be a sufficient practice to ensure that all WMATA contract employees are fairly compensated. Fairfax County officials hope that the move will catalyze future development. Not only did the union and WMATA come to an agreement without a bitter arbitration process, but it’s a good deal for riders and taxpayers. 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. 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). WMATA, union talks break over proposed benefit changes, Arlington to continue weighing options on future VRE station in Crystal City. The contract involved the sale to KBC of WMATA's rail cars, which were then leased back to WMATA. The union’s endorsement is a flip from 2016, when it endorsed Bernie Sanders in the primaries. (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. 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. The last contract expired in June 2016. However, the latest proposal calls for the elimination and “restructuring” of 68 routes in the WMATA bus system. (Katherine Shaver / Post), Some area jurisdictions have challenges to address if they want to snag Amazon's new headquarters. 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 Operating Contract. This is the first strike at WMATA since 1978. 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. Approve, in writing, the Contractor's progress schedule when required; xii. 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. 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. Instead, workers were forced to vote immediately after an all-day “informational” meeting at Local 689. 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. The ATU forced through a tentative agreement before workers had a chance to sufficiently study the agreement. Is Maryland giving people enough notice about Purple Line construction? 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. WMATA's biggest union ended contract negotiations with WMATA because WMATA wants to replace its pension fund with a 401(k). Now a federal mediator will decide on the new contract terms. 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. While the Transdev workers were certainly willing to sacrifice, the ATU relied on this hardship to wear the strike down. The workers are employed by Transdev, which contracts with WMATA to operate several bus routes in Northern Virginia. Q40. In a statement Saturday, ATU President John A. Costa announced its endorsement of Joe Biden in the presidential primaries. To do this, transit workers must form independent rank-and-file committees, run by workers themselves. The contract has already been approved by the members of Local 689, which represents most of WMATA’s Metrobus… Visit PayScale to research Wmata salaries, bonuses, reviews, benefits, and more! The 84-day strike was the longest work stoppage in WMATA’s 53-year history. Finally, nearly an hour after the meeting’s scheduled start time, the WMATA board members trickled in. “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. Metro’s unions can’t strike, but instead, arbitrators resolve any contract dispute. In a statement on January 16, the ATU praised the “overwhelming” contract ratification by ATU members at Transdev. Image by brownpau licensed under Creative Commons. All text, and images marked as created by the article's author, are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. Close the contracts and task orders once all requirements have been accepted by the Authority. Matt Gontarchick is a government affairs and business development professional with a passion for all things DC area. Last Thursday, the WMATA Board of Directors voted to ratify a contract with Local 689 of the Amalgamated Transit Union. 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. Within each 5 year period, the Concession Agreement can be terminated for cause only. “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. 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. FILE PHOTO: ALEXANDER BROWN/THE HOYA Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority services saw severe disruptions this week, as the authority and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 589, the largest union representing WMATA employees, clashed over contract negotiations. Submit it here. Now a federal mediator will decide on the new contract terms. The agreement is the result of two years of negotiation during which health care and wage expenses were the largest points of negotiation. When negotiating contracts with vendors, for example, your company may push for the ability to pay month … (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. Continue the conversation about urbanism in the Washington region and support GGWash’s news and advocacy when you join the GGWash Neighborhood! Have a tip for the links? In October 1985, WMATA awarded the $24.9 million contract to excavate the tunnel between the Waterfront and Navy Yard stations to Harrison Western Corp. WMATA's board awarded a $41.5 million contract for the construction of the Anacostia station to Kiewit Construction Co. in June 1985, and said the station would open in 1990. Following the signing of a new four-year contract between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, transit officials have announced plans to cut bus routes and increase fares for riders of the system. LinksBy Matt Gontarchick (Contributor) September 11, 2017 26. 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. The ATU Local 689 has yet to make an official statement on the Metro budget cuts. 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. WMATA said it couldn’t afford that cost without raising fares; Arbitration: (e) “remove the mandatory-binding-arbitration provision associated with union contract negotiations” is a key debate. 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. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Contract No. In a 2011 contract negotiation, the arbitrator awarded 3% per year raises. We also understand that WMATA believes this to be a sufficient practice to ensure that all WMATA contract employees are fairly compensated. Throughout the duration of this project, as with any other project, many quality issues were identified. WMATA and JLREP expects the proposals to include all premiums required to complete the project on or ahead of the schedule listed in the present RFQ. At a public hearing in January, WMATA general manager Paul J. Wiedefeld justified the cuts by citing laws limiting local funding increases to 3 percent per year. Riders of parallel bus systems which serve localities would not receive the free transfer. The average salary for Wmata employees is $100,188 per year. 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. They have controlled the mayor’s office and the city council since home rule began in 1975. Section 5. The Union agrees to indemnify and hold the Authority harmless from any Some strikers borrowed money from friends and family to survive for nearly three months.”. Participate in negotiations for modifications; xi. Prepare WMATA's estimate for proposed Contract modifications. GGWash is supported by our members, corporate supporters, and foundations. The 84-day strike was the longest work stoppage in WMATA’s … 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. WMATA and JLREP will invite the selected artists/artist teams whose qualifications are deemed acceptable to receive detailed contract information for the purpose of submitting site-specific, Phase 2 artwork proposals. Receive from the Contractor, monthly, if applicable, DBE status reports and forward them to the DBE Office; xiii. 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. Employing bureaucratic language, the proposal states that cutting bus routes in areas which are already underserved will create “a stronger network of services with fewer route branches and variations and better [utilize] capacity.”. negotiation, and/or contract administration. When two companies negotiate, both parties seek to obtain favorable terms and minimize financial, legal and operational risk. Transdev bus operators and maintenance workers at Cinder Bed have … What events constitute “cause” is subject to negotiation. WMATA Selects Hitachi Rail for 8000-Series Cars Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor. (Jenna Portnoy / Post). However, it is the current intent of WMATA to exercise each 5 year option up to a total of 50 years. 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. 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