D.C. officials are moving forward with plans to shut down the city’s Circulator system by Dec. 31, despite protests from employees who operate the free bus system. Layoffs began on Oct. 1. (Photo courtesy of Meta (Facebook) / Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO)
By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
The District’s DC Circulator bus system, which has been a popular mode of transportation for riders throughout the Greater Washington Area, began laying off employees on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Ninety Circulator employees were laid off on Oct. 1. Seventy-eight employees have already secured positions within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. However, they will lose their seniority, start at lower hourly wages and be assigned different shifts. Circulator drivers also learned that they will not be given preferential treatment in the hiring process.
During a recent council transportation hearing with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and members of the D.C. City Council, Circulator spokespersons noted that employees who secure jobs with Metro could expect their hourly wages to decline from $40 to $28 while those who have worked their way up in seniority to get nights and weekends off, many of whom are now in their 50s and 60s, could be reassigned to graveyard shifts.
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The layoffs represent part of D.C.’s plan to phase-out the bus system, which has been around for 20 years. Last year, the D.C. Circulator bus system had 1.9 million riders and close to 300 employees. In recent weeks, transit workers and District residents have held rallies criticizing the shutdown, asking Metro to take over the beleaguered bus system to no avail.
Union representatives, including Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689, one of the unions that represents the workers, said it will continue to fight to retain current pay rates. ATU asserts that Circulator employees had five-year contracts that guaranteed job security through 2028. Nonetheless, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser slashed funding for the Circulator from this year’s budget.
Riders on the Circulator bus system can expect to see changes and cancellations of service beginning in October.
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