Labor Updates (6/30/08)
Monday, June 30, 2008
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Transit Workers Still Waiting for Increased Safety
Measures: A recent shooting injuring a bus operator outside the
Anacostia Metro station underscores the need for the US Congress to act on a
measure that would increase security for transit workers, says a letter
posted on the ATU Local 689
website. This "shooting demonstrates the need for increased safety on our region's public transit system," says the letter.
"Over the past five years, assaults of Metrobus operators have more than
doubled, from 36 in 2002 to 84 last year." The DC City Council passed the
"Transit Operator Protection and Enhanced Penalty Act of 2008" in April (DC
Council Increases Metro Worker Safety 4/7/08 UC) but the US Congress has
stalled on giving final approval to the measure. "There are 10 Metro Transit
Police officers who are supposed to protect 2,200 drivers, said Roland Jeter,
first vice president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689," reported Allison
Klein and Sindya N. Bhanoo of the Washington
Post on Thursday, June 19. "About half of the buses have security cameras,
and many have defective emergency buttons, which drivers use to call for help,
he said." Federal Workers Get More Paid Parental
Leave: The US House passed a measure last week that "would provide
four weeks of paid maternal or paternal leave for the birth or adoption of a
child," reported an article by Brittany R. Ballenstedt, of the Government
Executive website, posted of the AFSCME
Council 26 website. "It would, for the first time, let new parents use their
accrued sick leave for an additional eight weeks of paid leave." President Bush
has threatened to veto the bill.