WMATA to Metro Employees: Stop Making Excuses

WASHINGTON, DC -- With the arrest Wednesday morning of a Metro Transit Police officer accused of attempting to support ISIS, not many people were paying attention to a massive mandatory meeting for Metro employees hosted at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C., that same morning — and material handed out during the event had stern words for employees.

During the meeting, Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld told employees that "safety trumps service" and that a culture change was needed, according to WMAL reporter Steve Burns. It appears Wiedefeld wasn't eager to talk to reporters about the SafeTrack plan, the recent derailment, the Metro Transit Police officer accused of supporting ISIS or any other recent fiascos involving Metro.

"GM Wiedefeld, usually not one to shy away from the media, so far is nowhere to be found following the safety meeting at Verizon Ctr," Burns tweeted.

WTOP reporter Max Smith tweeted out a picture of the pamphlet handed out to employees at the meeting, which states that every manager is "responsible for his or her own safe actions" and that there "is no excuse" when it comes to safety.

"'They didn't tell me' and 'We've always done it that way' are excuses that don't fly any longer at Metro," the pamphlet reads. "Every employee is expected to use common sense and good judgment. No work rule, collective bargaining agreement, or agency past practice takes precedence over safety."

The pamphlet states that Metro is placing a renewed emphasis on safety.

"Metro General Manager/Chief Executive Officer Paul J. Wiedefeld has three top priorities: improving safety, providing more reliable service, and getting Metro's financial house in order," the pamphlet states. "For Metro customers and employees, one priority rises above the others: safety.

"Nothing comes before safety," the pamphlet continues. "Every decision a Metro employee makes should put safety ahead of operational concerns, including on-time performance, schedule adherence, convenience, and cost efficiency."

Image via Wikimedia