WASHINGTON 鈥� After nearly a year of emergency safety and and facing a budget proposal that includes fare hikes, service cuts and layoffs, the head of Metro鈥檚 largest union charges that Metro is still not moving in the right direction.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 President Jackie Jeter told reporters she鈥檇 give Paul Wiedefeld a C grade on his first year at Metro, largely because of his that she has said could contribute to a 鈥溾�� for Metro. Wiedefeld Nov. 30, 2015 after a .
鈥淒id she mark that on a curve?鈥� Wiedefeld joked, when asked about it later Thursday.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 grade myself, you know I鈥檝e got so much to do I鈥檓 not focusing on that,” he said. “We are working very hard to do the best that we can for the customers, for the agency and for this region,鈥� he said.
Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans, who also is coming up on a year in that role, said he has seen progress.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e doing well compared to where we were last year, so that鈥檚 my only benchmark,鈥� Evans said. 鈥淟ast year it was a rather 鈥� I hate to use the word 鈥� chaotic situation, but it seemed to be.鈥�
He cited and .
鈥淭he finances seemed very unsettled and the operations were not good at all,” Evans said. “We had no plan in place to deal with the maintenance situation that was deteriorating by the hour it seemed. That has all been changed.”
While Jeter acknowledged that Wiedefeld had at Metro 鈥渢hat happened long before him,鈥� she said she does not believe the system is heading in the right direction.
鈥淭here are some very significant requests that we鈥檝e made, the public has made, that haven鈥檛 been met,” she said. “If you鈥檙e going to say that the safety of the system has to be done, if you鈥檙e going to say that we need to build a safety culture, there is a way to do that. And that requires training 鈥� it requires intensive training 鈥� and that hasn鈥檛 taken place,鈥� she said.
Metro has in recent months to address identified by internal or federal investigations, including a .
鈥淗e did inherit a system, just like when I take over the union, I take over the union and I鈥檓 supposed to make it better,” Jeter said. “And so he took over this system and he鈥檚 supposed to make it better. And right now I don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 doing that,鈥� Jeter said.
She added: 鈥淲hether or not the jurisdictions [are] giving him the support that he should have in order to have a budget that鈥檚 going to allow him to do those things, that is the second part of the question.鈥�
Jeter has led the union for more than 10 years, and spoke at a Metro Board meeting Thursday that was packed with union members and supporters. Her union is in the midst of contract negotiations, and has become much more vocal in recent weeks than at any time in recent memory.
鈥淐ontract negotiations are still ongoing,鈥� Jeter said.
She suggested the unions had decided to become more vocal now because Metro is 鈥渘ot performing in our best interests.”
Wiedefeld said his toughest decisions over the past year have been to cut jobs at the agency. Many of the positions he has cut so far have been vacant, but .
鈥淚 know that impacts, obviously, individuals鈥� lives and their livelihood and their families,鈥� Wiedefeld said.
His budget proposal would lead to further cuts, since fewer workers would be needed if the Metro Board approves trains running , eliminating some bus routes and .
Many of the proposals have sparked on the Metro Board. Ridership has continued to , a trend only during 24/7 work zones.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been dealing with some difficult issues, so it鈥檚 clearly understandable that we鈥檇 have some debate about those issues, and to me that reflects that we鈥檙e actually getting at some of the core issues we need to get to,鈥� Wiedefeld said.
鈥淚 continue to do what is best for this agency, that is what I was brought in to do, and I will continue to do that,” he said.
