It helps for workers to have allies in elected office. We make sure they get there.

Local 689 stays active in politics, working to elect pro-worker, pro-union, pro-public transit candidates every election. We do this by:

• Knocking on doors to encourage union members to vote.

• Vetting and endorsing candidates for public office.

• Talking to our members at worksites, passing out flyers, and mailing our members to ensure that they know about upcoming elections and candidate’s positions on our issues.

• Communicating about candidates and issues to our members and the public through social and targeted media.

• Organizing and attending rallies, events, and actions.

• Encouraging participation in the ATU’s COPE fund, supporting pro-worker and pro-transit candidates

Any candidate seeking our endorsement for public office must fill out our questionnaire.

Local 689 is a democratic and collective organization of workers from diverse backgrounds, opinions, and views. What ties us together is solidarity around key issues facing transit workers, the labor movement, and working-class people around the DC area.

We do not believe any candidate is automatically entitled to our support. Filling out a questionnaire showing basic levels of knowledge, care, and passion around our values and concerns is a necessary prerequisite. Each of our candidate questionnaires includes tailored questions to a candidate’s jurisdiction and the office being sought.

Upon receipt of a candidate’s questionnaire, the Union’s leadership will then decide how to act in regards to endorsement. This may include a round of interviews or outright immediate endorsement.

To submit a request for endorsement and receive our questionnaire, please click here.