On June 30, 2012, the current contract between ATU Local 689 and Metro expires. Metro has already indicated that they are planning on a 3 year wage freeze, a reduction in pension benefits, and new rules governing the distribution of overtime. What is going to be our response to this attack?
We can take the same path we did four years ago and let an arbitrator decide the terms of our next contract or we can prepare ourselves for a fight to achieve a decent wage increase, a reduction in the length of the progression for operators and unskilled workers, proper funding of our pension system, a reduction of the cost of our health insurance and a less harsh disciplinary policy.
We learned from the last arbitration award that the process is tilted in favor of management. The award which resulted in a loss of retiree health insurance for those hired after January 1, 2010, a one year wage freeze, a reduction in health benefits, and a deferral of $190 million of pension contributions was a clear win for management.
Can we reverse the setbacks from the last contract and move forward this time? Yes and the reason why is because of a changed political climate in this country. Since last September a movement of millions of people who are angry with the attacks on working people that have gone on over the last 30 years has erupted. The Occupation Movement seeks to reverse the trends of the last 30 years which have seen a tremendous decline in the labor movement as workers’ wages and benefits have been cut, and millions of other workers have lost their jobs. At the same time the top 1% of the population has amassed tremendous amounts of wealth.
Our union and the Occupation have similar goals and can draw strength from each other. Members of the Occupation are students who cannot find jobs, federal workers who have had their wages frozen for two years and Metro riders who are facing another fare increase in July.
The local governments and the federal government that control Metro believe by using racism they can divide us from the riding public and other government workers. We must show them they are wrong.
The leadership of our union has no plan other than begging the politicians to toss us a few crumbs. The Occupation Movement views the politicians as a bunch of liars who will tell you anything to get elected. Once elected to office they serve themselves and the 1%.
The system of capitalism is in crisis. It is a political crisis because the politicians need working people to believe in them and follow their leadership. Workers are no longer willing to do this. It is an economic crisis because the system cannot meet the need of the 99%. We can advance only when we rise up and fight the system. This is what the occupation is doing and we should join them.
