WASHINGTON — Bus drivers for D.C.'s Circulator buses have now reached an agreement after going on strike Tuesday.
The strike followed about two months of negotiations between the company that owns the buses, RATP Dev, and the union that represents the bus drivers.
On Thursday, RATP Dev and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 announced that a tentative agreement was reached in the early morning hours. The union will be voting on the proposed contract today and if ratified by the members of Local 689, DC Circulator service will resume normal services on Friday.
In a statement, ATU Local 689 said bus drivers were "fed up" with a lack of progress in contract talks and unfair labor practices.
“RATP Dev left us with no other options but to walk off the job at the DC Circulator,” said ATU Local 689 President Raymond Jackson in a statement. “We encourage commuters to seek other forms of public transportation throughout the city. After months of negotiations, it has become clear that RATP Dev has been negotiating in bad faith, committing multiple unfair labor practice (ULP) violations in the process.”
RATP Dev warned commuters that as a result of the strike, service at the D.C. Circulator would possibly be interrupted, delayed, or canceled. The company encouraged riders to check for updates and make other transportation plans if necessary.
"ATU Local 689’s decision to engage in a labor strike is disappointing to RATP Dev. The Company proposed to extend the term of the parties’ current collective bargaining agreement beyond April 30, 2022, but ATU Local 689 rejected the Company’s offer to avoid a strike," RATP Dev said in a statement after the strike was originally announced.