Company Illegally Threatened to Fire Workers If They Went on Strike, Illegally Interrogated Workers, Adopted Illegal Work Rules
Silver Spring, MD – With Loudoun County Transit riders left without service for the past eight weeks since workers went on strike, Keolis has settled Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) with Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 rather than go to a hearing over their ongoing illegal treatment and intimidation of their workers prior to their strike.
ATU Local 689 filed numerous ULP charges against Loudoun County Transit contractor Keolis beginning in March 2021. This settlement resolved four charges. The National Labor Relations Board is currently still investigating three other ULP charges against Keolis.
“Keolis is a serial violator of the law. This is at least the 6th Unfair Labor Practice settlement that Keolis has signed rather than go to a hearing,” said ATU International President John Costa. “The National Labor Relations Board recognizes what we have known for a long time – Keolis has a long history of engaging in illegal intimidation and bullying of their workers. Shame on Keolis for violating the basic rights of our members.”
Among the ULP charges filed by the ATU against Keolis, the company had threatened its employees in writing with discharge in order to discourage employee interest or participation in a strike. Keolis also illegally interrogated our members and illegally threatened them with reprisals for engaging in union activities. The company adopted illegal work rules, and also illegally disciplined an employee without bargaining with Local 689.
Under the terms of the settlement, Keolis has pledged to bargain with ATU Local 689 in good faith going forward, it must rescind the illegal work rules, and it must respect employees’ rights under the law.
“While there is finally justice for our members for Keolis’s illegal threats and actions over the past two years, this has emboldened our members to stand even stronger and more united than ever on our picket lines,” Costa continued. “But this strike has been going on too long. It’s time for Keolis to live up to this settlement and bargain fairly to give these workers the contract that they deserve for sake of their riders and the people of Loudoun County.”