(Forestville, MD)  October 11, 2024- ATU Local 689 is appalled by WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke’s lies today on the Politics Hour. There, he claimed that he could not hire DC Circulator workers while honoring their years of experience due to the ATU Local 689 collective bargaining agreement. This is simply false. WMATA has full authority to reach an understanding with the Union, as it did at Cinder Bed Road Garage to bring workers into the system and respect their predecessor service. Claiming otherwise is willful ignorance at best and a way blatantly to mislead the public at worst. This is shameful behavior.

DC Circulator workers were lied to by the Mayor, by DDOT, and now by WMATA’s General Manager. These transit heroes deserve better than this. The Union reiterates the fact that WMATA has taken over bus systems and companies multiple times in the past, including when MetroBus was founded through the acquisition of four bus services in 1973. Likewise, WMATA has accepted negotiated structured settlements to bring in private sector transit workers as recently as 2020.