Yesterday, it was revealed that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority was forced to rehire a couple of bus drivers who they had fired. One was involved in an accident in which he killed the driver of another car, the other assaulted an off-duty police officer dressed as McGruff the Crime Dog. It’s a sign of the silliness of the arbitration process that a driver can be involved in a fatal accident and not only be rehired but given back pay. It’s a sign of sickness within the world of labor unions that questioning this sequence of events can be compared to endorsing slavery:

On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 1:11 PM, Jackie Jeter
[email protected] wrote:
> Apparently you believe in slavery. Individuals that belong to this union
> have the right to fight for fair and equal treatment. Currently you and
> others only know one side of the story, that’s the side that WMATA chooses
> to tell you and apparently you choose to believe. Too bad! An arbitrator
> made a ruling based on the information presented by both sides, not just
the
> union and not just WMATA.
>
> In this country workers still have rights. Join a union so you can
broaden
> your knowledge on what your rights as a worker is suppose to be.
>
> Jackie Lynn Jeter, President
> Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 689
> 2701 Whitney Place
> Forestville, MD 20747
> 301-568-6899
> [email protected]

That’s the response that DC metro blogger “Unsuck DC Metro” received when they emailed the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689. That’s right: Suggesting that a driver who was involved in a fatal accident — a driver who carries our children and our loved ones to and from school and work every single day — be fired is tantamount to slavery. Words fail.