Washington Metro, union leaders meet amid strike threat

WASHINGTON – Leaders of the Washington Metro’s largest union have met with Metro officials in the first meeting since workers overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike, but little appears to have been resolved.

News outlets report that officials with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority met with leaders of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 at a secret location on Tuesday, following the union’s vote Sunday. Striking is forbidden under Metro’s bargaining agreement with the union, but workers have been without a contract since July 2016.

Union spokesman David Stephen said in a statement that there was “no change in either part’s position.” WMATA released a statement calling the meeting “a constructive and frank discussion.”

The two sides plan to meet again Wednesday.

The transit system carries about 1 million passengers daily.