DC ParaTransit Info The Wheels are broken, but it's not our chairs …

ATU Local 689 Isn’t Helping Either

Washington Examiner: Metro racks up $1M in legal fees so far in union wage dispute

This is one of the biggest issues I've had with WMATA's claims of being in the middle of a budget crisis.

It's not that they're spending $1 million to date trying to get the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 to reduce its pay raise and benefits a little for the next four years.

It's that ATU Local 689 seems oblivious to the fact that in order to get what they want, the riders are going to suffer a little more than we're already going to have to - and we're going to be pointing the blame right at them for thinking everyone but them should be tightening their belts right now.

If ATU Local 689 had any sense they'd go back to the negotiating table and make a deal that will benefit its members once the budget crisis is passed - and in return for that get a deal that will reduce the risk of its members being laid off.

Even Craig Simpson, who posts over at Greater Greater Washington, has mentioned ATU Local 689 compromising as one option (I think) to help with the budget crisis - and he's the Legislative and Political Representative of ATU Local 689!

(And as a separate aside, check out Craig's 9 part series on the budget crisis - it's well worth reading!)