Metrobus Drivers On Strike, Some NoVA Routes Not Running

LORTON, VA — Bus drivers at one of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority garages went on strike Thursday, leaving riders on certain bus lines scrambling for alternatives. The strike affects more than a dozen bus routes in Northern Virginia run by workers at the Cinder Bed Bus Garage in Lorton.

Impacted lines include the Richmond Highway Express (REX), Alexandria-Fairfax (29K and 29N), Annandale (29G) Braeburn Drive-Pentagon Express (29W), Kings Park-North Springfield Line (17B, 17M), Kings Park Express (17G, 17H, 17K), Springfield Metro Circulator (S80, S91), Burke Centre Line (18P), and Orange Hunt Line (18G, 18J, 18H). These represent about 5 percent of Metrobus routes.

Metro said REX, 29K and 29N are running on a Sunday schedule, while the other impacted bus lines are not operating.

According to WAMU, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 has been negotiating a contract since February with Transdev, a French private company Metro contracted out in 2018 to manage the Cinder Bed Bus Garage.

Workers are demanding the same benefits other regional bus operators receive, according to a union press release. The Local 689 union claims Cinder Bed Road garage workers earn $12 per hour less than other bus operators in the region because they work at the privatized garage. Workers also called for safety and working condition improvements, which would include guaranteed times for pre-trip safety inspections.

A Transdev statement provided to WAMU said the strike was "premature" and inconvenienced riders. The company denied the union's claim about lowered wages and says negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement continue.

Metro asked riders to use alternate transportation and Metrorail when possible.