Striking Arlington County bus drivers put their grievances on the record Thursday. Representatives of bus drivers filed a complaint with the Arlington Human Rights Commission, citing ongoing sexual harassment from county contractor Forsythe Transportation, union representative Charles Smith said.
About 20 drivers, four women allegedly affected by the harassment and Smith gathered outside the Arlington County offices today to mark the filing of the complaint.
“We can’t stand for the sexual harassment of our sisters, and we can’t let our brothers go unpunished when they abuse our women,” Smith said to applause.
The bus drivers have been on strike since Monday, causing delays and cancellations throughout the week.
In addition to the sexual harassment charges, drivers claim management switched drivers’ schedules unfairly, didn’t pay enough and refused drivers bathroom breaks, forcing them to urinate in cups.
The strike was ignited when local union leader Patricia Blowe was suspended for wearing a union pin to work. Blowe had been fighting against sexual harassment in the workplace, Smith said.
Company owner Bill Forsythe promised a prompt investigation but said the union had yet to provide any evidence of harassment.
“They’re just stonewalling and making allegations, and that doesn’t lead to mediation or resolution,” he said.
City leaders waded into the debate Wednesday evening when Arlington County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman issued a statement saying the situation was “unacceptable” and that drivers’ claims should be taken “seriously.”
“I’m frankly very concerned,” Zimmerman told The Washington Examiner. He said any comment on the charges of sexual harassment would be premature, but that “it seems like a pretty clear violation where someone was improperly disciplined for having a union pin on.”
