Photo by Dave Bloom

Metro’s largest union has announced that WMATA employees, doctors, riders, and advocates will gather Friday to protest the transit agency’s excused absence policy.

The regulation requires employees to call of out work 72 hours ahead of the time they anticipate being sick.

“This policy is unsafe, and further illustrates WMATA’s complete disregard for the health, safety and well-being of their employees and riders,” says the union, ATU Local 689, in a release.

The press conference is taking place at 11 a.m. in front of the Western Bus Garage in Friendship Heights.

The event is being organized after Metro said on Wednesday that officials denied 500 sick leave requests for Friday, when they suspected a “sick out” was in the works. It’s unclear if the employees were who denied excused absences will be attending the protest. Metro says it will offer “full bus and rail service” to riders as scheduled on Friday.

This morning, Metro union employees protested contract negotiations outside of the agency’s headquarters where a board meeting was taking place.