Members of the United Transportation Union (UTU), which represents Metro bus and train operators, schedule makers and schedule checkers, voted Wednesday to give their leadership strike authorization authority.

No one has called for a strike. Metro continues to negotiate with the UTU and our other major labor unions representing mechanics, service attendants and clerks in an effort to reach agreements that are fair and equitable to all parties.

We use an interest based negotiating approach where both sides focus on first understanding each other’s interests and then work together to develop a mutually agreeable solution. We remain confident that using this negotiating practice will result in agreements with our union partners.