WASHINGTON 鈥� Track inspectors fired over what Metro describes as falsified or copied track inspection reports are simply guilty of 鈥渟hoddy paperwork,鈥� which means at least some likely should not have lost their jobs, a top union leader said.
In all, 16 front-line workers and five supervisors in the track inspection department were fired as a result of an investigation that began after a train in July. Including others disciplined, faced some kind of punishment.
Metro is now finishing a rewrite of its track inspection manual and plans a 10-week retraining course for inspectors who remain employed at the agency. Metro is hiring 10 contractors to fill in as inspectors while the remaining staff are retrained in cycles.
A union official argued Thursday that less-experienced inspectors were regularly given more work to do than was realistically possible, so they should not be blamed for any incorrect reports.
鈥淚f you give me an assignment to do 37 switches, and you know that it鈥檚 an uncompletable task by me, and you鈥檙e my manager, why are you giving me this assignment?鈥� said Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 Second Vice President Raymond Jackson.
He said the union, which represents most Metro workers, was still trying to get more information from Metro about the evidence the agency has to support the firings. The union is in the process of raising grievances that could eventually lead to arbitration panels in each case.
鈥淚 would say the answer is the culture at this company, and once you change the safety culture 鈥� and I don鈥檛 know how many times we can say this to you 鈥� once you change the safety culture at this company, you鈥檒l change the problem,鈥� Jackson said.
An arbitration panel ruled earlier this year that a worker who should be reinstated due to throughout the agency that may have contributed to his actions.
Metro Chief Safety Officer Pat Lavin met this week with ATU Local 689 President Jackie Jeter and improvements after a series of other problems were uncovered.
The a train operator opening the doors of a moving train while it was outside the Reagan National Airport Station who then failed to do proper safety follow-ups, a worker who fell down an air shaft that was not properly marked for safety, and a worker and supervisor shocked by the third rail while doing work that should only have been done with the power off.
Federal Railroad Administration Chief Safety Officer Robert Lauby, who is a Metro Board member, cited these as examples of “practical drift.”
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the difference between what the policy says and what actually happens in performing the work, and I think that鈥檚 certainly an issue here,鈥� he said Thursday.
The union鈥檚 first vice president, Caroll Thomas, agrees with Lauby that workers know where potential safety issues lie.
鈥淲hen Metro comes to the table and invites the union to the table to start to address these issues, we will be safe, the public will be safe 鈥� it鈥檒l be a better system. You can no longer discipline your way out of these problems,鈥� Thomas said.
鈥淵ou know what it takes? It takes money. These politicians have to stop playing Russian roulette with folks鈥� lives. If you want a better system, you have to put the money in the system. That鈥檚 what it takes,鈥� he said.
Metro and the union . Their agreement expired in the middle of last year.
