Metro Statement on Safety
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Local transit union president Jackie L. Jeter urges the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to develop a safety communications plan to notify Metro workers and the union of safety incidents. The union argues that WMATA failed to notify frontline workers or contact the union about a recent "near-miss" incident on the Red Line. The union president states that workers have a right to know when their safety is at risk and that not being notified blocks them from union protection. The union urges WMATA to immediately alert all employees to incidents and respect workers' right to union representation during investigations.
Metro Statement on Safety
- 1. Contact: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Donna Lewis Johnson May 14, 2010 (202) 617-1359 Donna@mckpr.com Local Transit Union Urges Metro to Keep Workers, Union in the Loop on Safety Incidents The following statement is issued by Jackie L. Jeter, President, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 Jeter says Notification Needed for Safety Precaution and Worker Protection It is clear that WMATA does not have a system for notifying Metro workers when safety incidents occur. A case in point is the May 5 reported near-miss in which the operator of a Red Line train applied emergency brakes to avert what he perceived was a possible collision with another train. In the minutes, hours and days following that disturbing incident, Metro failed to alert frontline workers or contact the union that represents Metros workforce. Keeping emergency situations hush-hush infringes on the right of workers to know when their safety is at risk and essentially blocks workers from union protection. Once again, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 urges Metro to develop a safety communications plan that alerts all WMATA employees immediately to incidents and respects the right of workers to have union representation during investigatory interviews. ###