Strike Out?

A took a bizarre turn Friday, though delays and disruptions along bus routes were said to be at a minimum.

Union leader Charles Smith declared the strike would be over at 2 p.m., but shortly after accused Forsythe Transportation of locking-out employees who had been on strike. Gainesville, Texas-based Forsythe Transportation operates the county bus system.

Bill Forsythe, chief executive of the company that bears his name, said no one was locked out – but the 21 employees who participated in the strike remained under suspension pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

“I’m sorry that he created this situation, but we’re not going to cut it short,” Forsythe said. “Their status has not changed.”

Meanwhile, Arlington Transit buses ran at 97 percent Friday morning. They are forecast to be at 100 percent going forward. Forsythe has had select managers driving buses and spent the week training new drivers.

Monday morning, nearly 30 bus drivers began their protest of working conditions – including, they say, the denial of bathroom breaks – and alleged sexual harassment on the part of management.

Tension escalated between the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3001 and Forsythe Transportation as the week progressed, with Arlington County seemingly caught in the middle.

Frustration and confusion grew among those who were most hit by the strike – the bus riders. Most of the affected routes were in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

Shortly before 10 a.m. Friday, Smith, the Local 3001 executive director, told Patch that the union had accepted terms proposed by the Arlington County Board earlier in the week. Those terms, he said, included mediation beginning Monday through George Mason University; ending the strike effective 2 p.m. today; and that no retaliation would be taken against employees who went on strike.

“It was a heroic struggle,” Smith said. “Hundreds of people called and emailed. Support built every day for the cause.”

But no Arlington County officials could confirm Smith’s story. Messages to board Chairman Chris Zimmerman and County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac were not immediately returned.

Further, Forsythe maintained that his company had “absolutely no contact” with the union Friday morning.

Later in the day, Smith told Patch, “Now, it’s a lock-out. They’re refusing to have people return to work.”

Forsythe, again, maintained that nothing had changed in terms of the employees’ status.

“He’s not been able to gather the kind of support he wanted. He won’t share any evidence he claims to have. So, we’re continuing to run our business as we did before 2 o’clock. The fact that he has declared they should go back to work has no impact on us at this point,” Forsythe said.

“We have all the routes covered. There’s no lock out. It’s a continuation of the status quo for us.”

Arlington County is in the process of renewing its annual contract with Forsythe Transportation.

The county is projected to pay the company $7 million next fiscal year to operate Arlington’s buses.