Metro’s largest union says WMATA’s new private contractor for bus service in Virginia is making some drivers work 10 hours without a break.

Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 protested the practice, which they say has been going on for months, at the Franconia-Springfield station during the Thursday morning rush hour.

They asked riders to contact the Metro board and representatives to ask for change.

“Imagine driving 10 hours straight … we could be at the Florida state line,” said 689 President Raymond Jackson. “Imagine doing that without stopping for the restroom one time or getting something to eat.”

Jackson said the union previously was able to get a promise for meal breaks from the contractor, Transdev, but these breaks were then taken away.

Transdev has not responded to a request for information or comment.

Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said he was not aware of the details of the union’s complaints.

Transdev is a multinational company that won the contract to operate and maintain WMATA buses in parts of Virginia last year as part of Metro’s effort to cut costs. The union has long railed against outsourcing the system to private companies.

“For these guys to take a break… it’s not profitable for Transdev,” Jackson said. “And that’s what happened when you bring in private industries … it’s all about the profits.”

Metro bus drivers are supposed to get a mandatory 20-minute meal break on any route that is longer than five hours and 40 minutes. Those breaks are built into a route’s schedule, Jackson said.

However, Virginia’s labor laws only require a meal break for 14 and 15-year-olds. Select Transdev routes, like the Richmond Highway Express and the S80, are among the worst offenders, according to the union.

Routes have a few eight-to-23 minute breaks in a schedule, but those often disappear when drivers get caught up in traffic and have to make up lost time. Drivers have to pull over, find a bathroom and still keep on schedule.

“It’s not about the safety, the public or anything else. It is strictly about business and profit … and that’s the difference between public transportation and private transportation,” Jackson said.

Local bus drivers with Transdev also make $10 less per hour than WMATA bus operators who used to drive the same exact routes, Jackson said. Transdev workers voted to join ATU Local 689, but negotiations are ongoing.

The issue of breaks goes beyond the dispute with TransDev. Some bus drivers on other routes have worn adult diapers or refrained from drinking fluids to deal with the schedule challenges. A Metro worker recently had their photo plastered on social media for eating on the train, which is against the rules. The union said they didn’t have enough time to eat before their next assignment.

Drivers must take meal breaks outside their work area, so they have to find sufficient time to pull over, inform the passengers that they need to exit the vehicle, properly secure the vehicle, and allow passengers back on to the vehicle in time for its departure.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.