Union chief blasts D.C. Metro on safety secrecy
Jackie L. Jeter, president of Amalgamated Transit Uniion Local 689 in Washington, just threw a little thunderbolt in the direction of the safety-impaired Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority regarding its openness about safety issues in the aftermath of last summer's nine-person fatality on the Red Line.
When is WMATA going to learn that stonewalling the union is counterproductive? I was almost going to call it a strategy, but it's unclear that the Lords of WMATA have any idea that is.
Since last June’s fatal Metrorail crash, Metro has added bricks to its wall of secrecy about safety issues. This week alone, I learned about two near-collisions on Metrorail from the news media, not WMATA.
As president of the union representing nearly 11,000 Metro workers, I have asked WMATA repeatedly to alert ATU Local 689 to safety incidents when they occur. But Metro continues to ignore the union’s request. I am demanding the following:
• WMATA adhere to the agreed upon protocol of notifying the union immediately when a safety incident occurs
• WMATA provide a status report within 24 hours of its safety investigations
• A union representative be present when a worker involved in an incident is being questioned
• WMATA issue a blanket notification throughout the system so that all workers are alerted to any safety breach
• Train speeds not exceed 40 miles per hour until Metro has resolved the train circuit issuesEach day, Metro workers face the potential risk associated with repeated safety lapses. The frontline workers have a huge stake in creating a reliably safe transit system. They must be critical partners in the development and implementation of safety measures and procedures.
The members of Local 689 stand ready to help put Metro on a safe course. We only need the opportunity to do so. So once again, we are calling on WMATA to keep the union informed of incidents and to seek our input on solutions. We are Metro’s strongest safety ally.
