April - Amalgamated Transit Union -Local 757

NORTHWEST
LABOR
PRESS &
THE
BULLETIN
Official Publication of
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757
503-232-9144 • 1801 NE Couch St., Portland, OR 97232-3054
Vol. 114, No. 7 Portland, Oregon April 5, 2013
Around the union
By Bruce Hansen • ATU Local 757 President
When filling out accident/incident reports,
it is extremely important to
include a very detailed report of what happened.
Remember the facts and if you need
help filling out any reports, please ask the
officer at your facility.
At First Student (Portland), members
are being terminated without their due
process. I encourage everyone who doesn’t
agree with the determination of the accident/review
board for your accident to go
through the appeal process. When an accident
is deemed preventable, you have the
right to appeal. If you have questions when
filling out an accident report, please consult
the officer at your facility.
At TriMet we continue to work on a
new Hours of Service policy. We continue
Vice President’s report
By Jon Hunt • Vice President
to work on our contract negotiations as
well. TriMet employees are suffering from
the poorly administered Reed Group.
Watch for details and updates at
www.transitvoice.org about TriMet transit
issues. Please share this website with coworkers,
family, and friends.
John Johnson from ODOT attended
the March Charter meeting to address our
concerns about MAX and the conditions of
the light rail system. The most concerning
part is that no matter what safety concerns
the union brought forward, ODOT’s answer
and TriMet’s solution is to reduce the
speed of the MAX trains. That is not the
answer, in our opinion. They need to fix
the problems so our members and the pub-
(Turn to Page 16)
Ihave recently been bargaining the first
contract for one of our newest properties,
COIC (Central Oregon Intergovernmental
Council) in Bend. Their lead negotiator
retired unexpectedly, and we are still
uncertain as to why. COIC members are
now meeting with our Bend Area Transit
group. Their next general member meeting
is April 12.
Bend Area Transit: We settled an outstanding
arbitration in which wages for
three of our members were recovered.
There was a recent change in health insurance
with which we do not agree. This is
currently moving through the grievance
procedure.
Tillamook: We are negotiating a settlement
for an operator who was wrongfully
terminated. I anticipate that this will be
completed shortly.
MV Salem: We had yet another change
in the management negotiating team. We
had negotiations March 21 and 22.
MV Canby: We’re still working on
grievances pertaining to seniority and our
401(k). Officers are preparing for negotiations,
which should be scheduled soon.
Salem: We are currently in contract negotiations
and hope to have an agreement
soon.
PPS: The contract has been ratified by
the members. The officer is reviewing the
new contract, and we hope to have copies
of it out shortly.
(Turn to Page 16)
Secretary-Treasurer’s
Report
By Mary Longoria • Financial Secretary-Treasurer
Brothers and sisters, I want to bring you
up to date on some of the changes that
have been made in our local union office.
First and foremost, I have an obligation to
our membership to open our books and
show transparency. I believe this has been
accomplished in a direct way. Now members
are able to see how funds are itemized
and distributed (if you are unable to attend
a meeting, you may make an appointment
to look at the reports or if you have any
other questions). These new reports have
helped in many ways. One such way is to
help focus our efforts on cutting costs and
becoming more efficient in our daily work.
We have an internal budget and audit
committee that has met and made recommendations
to our Executive Board members
regarding some of the ways we are able
to cut costs.
Mark-off seems to be a top talking
point. All mark-off is submitted and approved
by our president before it is taken.
During contract negotiations, arbitrations,
and Step 3 grievance hearings, the time
that is taken off has been approved. I want
to thank the officers and members for their
continued dedication to standing up for
what’s right. We have several people who
testified in arbitrations and others who
have spent countless hours going through
contract negotiation summaries. We want
to thank you for your dedication. It is not
always easy to testify in court under the
watchful eyes of management, even when
you know you are right.
With the adversarial approach that
some of our employers have taken with
their employees, we want to make sure
people know you are all “assets” to the
companies where you are employed, not liabilities.
Employers’ budget responsibility
and priorities should be to make sure they
have enough money in their operating
budget to run the transit system (business)
that they are hired to manage. This has always
been a fundamental approach. It costs
money to run a transit system or any business,
and management should know several
years in advance just what those numbers
will be. After all, it is in the contract.
I found it peculiar when, for example:
TriMet filed a lawsuit in Clackamas
County Circuit Court to require the
County to follow through on its longstanding
commitment to the Portland-Milwaukie
Light Rail Project. Yet TriMet has
no problem not upholding their longstanding
collective bargaining agreement
with their employees. Our members show
up every day and work relentlessly for their
employers and the public.
As employees, we all want our work
days to go smoothly and to make it home
safe and sound to our families. It’s time we
put our employees first and get back to
working together to improve the community.
We also need to take an active role in
the implementation of the Affordable Care
Act, which will change healthcare as we
know it today. One can talk, talk, talk,
about healthcare, but it’s all going to
change. I’m sure our employers are aware
of the need to make sure that when it is
implemented we all understand what the
changes will be. I know we want the
healthiest and best workforce we can get.
I’m confident our employers feel the same.
United we stand!
Introducing: The ATU Latino Caucus
The Latino Caucus opens its gates to all ATU members interested in promoting solidarity.
The next meeting will be held April 9 at 1 p.m. at the Burgerville on 82nd and Glisan in Portland.
Amalgamated Transit Union - Division 757
Representing working men and women in Oregon and Washington at:
TriMet • Lane Transit District • C-TRAN/C-VAN • Salem Area Transit • MV
• Rogue Valley Transportation District • Bend Area Transit • Canby Area
Transit • Tillamook County Transportation District • Valley Transit Association
• First Transit (TriMet Lift, Portland) • City of North Bonneville •
Portland Public Schools • First Student (Portland Public Schools, Corvallis
School District, Corvallis City Transit) • First Transit Region One •
Lamar Advertising Company • ATU Retired Member Chapter
What IS this
The four outside pages are news
from and about your Union. The
other pages are produced by the
Northwest Labor Press, and are
about the labor movement as a
whole.

ATU LOCAL 757
ATU Local 757 Officer Reports
Lane Transit District
As reported by
CARL FADDIS
March’s Executive Board officer report included
the following items:
Dispute with District over the meaning, language
and intent of the paragraph dealing with a
District paid officer in the bid room. Ongoing.
MJ says he’s never going to pay me or anyone
else to do union work, that he had a right to assign
me any duties there he wanted to, that if I
didn’t do that work I would be in violation of
the contract. I explained that the work I and all
my predecessors had done during the bids have
been in support of the union and the District,
that my duties were specific and did not involve
paper clips or Post-its, but monitoring seniority,
processing documents and working with Jill,
Sharon and Ralph to insure a fair bid for every
member. I said that had nothing to do with
where I was doing it, and that the work usually
amounted to 40 hours, whether I was in the bid
room or not. So MJ started a punch card approach,
and refuses to pay us the 40 hours for
the week.
Bruce and I had a meet with Kilcoyne about
the issue and Kilcoyne asked me to try and reconcile
it in a conversation with MJ, which I did.
He dug in, of course, and said a bunch, so now
it’s back to Kilcoyne and Bruce to settle. Stand
by, sports fans.
We had one termination of a member who
was first year, at will. Naturally we requested a
hearing, since a newbie at least gets their day in
court, right Not so fast. Now their contention is
that the “hearing” is all about whether the employee
was given due process and not about reversing
the decision to terminate. We have insisted
on clarification, since the contract says
nothing about the makeup of a hearing — who
will attend, who will chair, what the purpose is.
We have not received a response yet.
We have requested Step 1 in the grievance
process for a member who received a suspension.
Syd is doing the statistical analysis on the survey
you filled out at the time we got copies of
the contract to you, about which issues are most
important to you going into negotiations. He
has not yet completed the crunch, but as soon as
we get it, you will get it. Thank Syd when you
see him.
I attended a Safety Committee the other day,
and will attend the Health Management Team’s
all day in a few days. Going to Portland for a few
days and will meet with Bruce, Jon, Will (Milliman)
and Bill Bradley about where we’re at on
the work of the Pension Work Group so far. I’m
not willing to continue meeting with management
without the union leadership’s updates and
buy-in. Once we have some suggestions to look
at we’ll start to show our members here and start
discussions with all of you.
I attended a national forum on wellness programs
facilitated by what’s called the Integrated
Benefits Institute and the national arm of the
Oregon Coalition of Health Care Purchasers in
Dallas. This is a collection of private and public
employers who share what’s working for them as
far as wellness programs are concerned. Mary
Adams believed it to be a unique opportunity
for me to see what they are doing, and so made
it happen. So with my cohort Jill Freeman
(OCHCP), we spent three days listening to
CEOs, presidents, and vice presidents of some
of the largest business and government entities
in the country. United Airlines couldn’t wait to
eat my bag, so as it was trying to find me again,
the only carry-on item to wear the next day was
my black, Harley-lookin’, ATU Portland t-shirt
with a mural of Mt Hood on the back. Hardly
noticed the looks at first.
In the Q&As following each session, I began
to ask about the realities and devastating effects
of chronic stress response in their organizations,
and whether they were taking it seriously. I
talked about our own sobering 35 percent statistic
here at LTD. Soon I was getting a lot of attention
from four, five, six people after each session,
eager to introduce themselves, their
business cards held out waiting in line to tell me
how glad they were I had asked this question or
made that comment. I figured it was just because
I was wonderful and a fun date until the
last day, when the director of the IBI found me
next to the bagels and asked how I had come to
attend the conference. I explained that where I
was we were working very hard, labor and management,
to collaborate in areas of mutual interest,
like health care and so on. She finally admitted
I was the only union member attending the
conference! She said they would love to get labor
to attend and join the national dialogue on wellness
and health. So at the end of the last session I
stole the microphone to say that it had not occurred
to me that I had been swimming with
sharks for the last three days! I thanked the body
for their welcome and kind treatment of me,
told them I believed in the important work they
were all doing to address wellness in the workplace
and that that work would never be complete
without labor’s perspective. I pledged to do
what I could, beginning with ATU’s leadership,
to begin that work. They were very excited that
day.
The next week I spoke to Bruce Hansen and
Mary Longoria, explained what had happened,
busted out the business cards I had collected and
showed them the list of attendees and the businesses
represented. I said that this opportunity
offered great potential and possibility and we
should see what develops by cultivating these relationships
along with the Unions who were
working for better wages, conditions and benefits
within those companies. They totally agreed
and gave me marching orders to begin the networking.
Stress, fatigue, sleep debt, depression and the
reasons why we’re dying too soon are in all my
conversations with managers, your director of
operations, road supervisors, department heads,
board members, city council members, county
commissioners, state legislators, and anyone else
who has any power to help us change the conditions,
policies, extra boards and schedules that
are creating the stress that is killing us slowly and
silently. No matter what the topic, I am weaving
the issue of stress and its effects on us who do
the hard labor, into everything I talk about. We
cannot rest until we get change, and I mean real
and lasting change. Together we can if we stick
together. So let’s do just that! Be safe but be
loud!
First Transit
Region Two
As reported by
JOY LAROCHELLE
We are in the final phases of finishing your
short term/long term disability coverage,
and the projection is to have it implemented by
May 1, 2013. The sign-up date is April 10. It is
important to note that we will need 25 percent
of the membership to sign up for STD and 25
percent for the LTD. If you elect to have both
coverages, you will be contributing to each of
the 25 percent totals. If we fail to get the required
25 percent in both of them, we will not
qualify for the guaranteed issue. It has been our
goal to offer coverage which does not require
you to have a medical examination to qualify for
the coverage, which the guaranteed issue would
provide. If this requirement is not met, there is a
chance the benefit will not be available.
By the time you receive this article, you will
have seen the flyer prepared by the insurance
broker giving you the final details, so look for
the posting on the union board. I will also be
putting one in each mailbox to insure everyone
is aware of the details and sign-up time.
As many of you know, I have been giving the
Lift a voice at the TriMet board meetings. Some
of the issues addressed have been in regards to
the inadequate time you have to take your 10
minute breaks and the continued cuts in your
routes. I urge you to keep me informed of the
concerns that you would like to see represented
by sending an email to
pjlarochelle@comcast.net. With those emails I
can submit them as validation of the issues we
have in the workplace.
We have had two retirements in the past couple
months: Bobby Daniels and Elise Leon. I
would like to extend heartfelt thanks for their
long service to ATU 757 and wish them the best
in the next chapters of their lives. We invite you
to keep in touch and keep your retirement status
with ATU 757 so we can get together at the annual
summer picnic or other events.
Recently a survey was distributed to access
the members’ views on converting to one seniority
list across the board. I received 27 responses
out of approximately 125 drivers. As you can
see, it appears that the majority is not concerned
about changing to the one list. Of those 27,
there were 15 members stating they did not
want any change and 12 said they would like to
see it changed. Therefore it is the consensus of
the members that we maintain the current status
of the two list. If anyone would like to see the
votes, let me know and I will meet with you for
a review.
Some questions have been brought to my attention
in regard to things outside of the contract.
I certainly do not mind answering questions
from a personal standpoint. However I
cannot offer union representation on non-contractual
issues. Please familiarize yourselves with
the contract so that you know your rights of
protection. I will continue to represent members
to be treated with respect and dignity, which
continues to plague us. I have had conversations
with management on these concerns and the
options we have for resolution. First we must
submit a complaint of harassment and/or hostility
to the attention of the HR department for
resolution. If there is none in a timely manner
we will have no other recourse but to file grievances
to get resolution. I receive reports at least
two to three times a month where drivers have
been dehumanized and humiliated by the behaviors
of management staff.
In closing, I would urge you to do all that is
humanly possible to keep yourselves safe. We
have been doing pretty well for the most part.
First Student
Portland
As reported by
ANNA TOMPTE
First of all I would like to thank everyone who
helped with the Valentines’ potluck. It was a
lot of fun: Melissa, Laura, Jon, Cheryl, Kris, Joe,
Kathy, Bertha, and Charlotte. And I would like
to send out a special thanks to Wilhelmena, who
wanted to set up a drivers’ relief fund, and pulled
it off successfully. Thank you for putting it all together,
Wilhelmina.
Now, on to what is happing at the yard. The
mechanics’ contract has been signed finally, so I
will get them copied and handed out. A copy of
it is also accessible electronically on the contracts’
page of our website:
http://www.atu757.org
On the other hand, the drivers contract negotiations
are going very slow. We do have dates
scheduled for April, the 15th and 16th. Like I
said, very slow.
I hope everyone had a good spring break.
First Transit
Region 1
As reported by
KATHLEEN BROWN
Hello everyone. Spring has officially rolled in
along with the bicyclists, motorcyclists,
joggers, distracted drivers, skateboarders and
children playing in the streets. We need to really
look twice where we roll and be vigilant with
our safe practices. The Init system does not drive
the bus; we do. That is why no matter how late
you are, you need to remember that being on
time never can supersede safety. You are the captain
of your ship out there on the road.
Dispatch will still pack your schedule late to
try to fit in as many rides as their quotas require.
Just remember to send in your late messages as
soon as you are aware of the situation. Document
the occurrences on the form attached to
your manifest, including the trip number and
the time you sent in the late message. Keep a
copy for your records. If the customer is angered
or inconvenienced, ask Window Dispatch for a
timecard and write it up on an SIP form. Maintain
records with timestamps in the event the
customer calls in and complains about the late
trip. Sometimes they do not get back to us right
away about the SIP, so you can be prepared with
your documentation if they do. Usually if you
push late and you write it up in advance they do
not need to interview you. Every complaint requires
an answer in government -funded agen-
(Turn to Page 15)
PAGE 2 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS APRIL 5, 2013

ATU LOCAL 757
Officer Reports
(From Page 2)
cies.
It is that time again to receive our annual
contractual raises. I am quoting the contract, so
please read the following: Article 28, Wages: All
seniority and annual wage adjustments will become
effective on the first day of the pay period
on or after the date when the adjustment is due.
If anyone is missed on the wage increase, please
put it in writing with timestamps and give a
copy to Michael Bedlion, Michael Younger and
in my box 23. Also, report it to Delynn Dean in
payroll at 503-962-2043. Hopefully this transaction
goes through smoothly for everyone.
Everyone please take the time to read and understand
the contract. People all have their own
interpretations of what they may overhear. Not
everything you hear in the bullpen is as accurate
as the actual contract. Scuttlebutt or rumors, especially
when inaccurate, can cause confusion,
misunderstanding and disunity, and lead us
down an unproductive path. Much time is spent
on very specific language when a contract is put
together. This is to ensure everyone is on the
same page.
Stand united together! Until next time …
TriMet Salaried
Employees
As reported by
SHIRLEY BLOCK
The highest form of ignorance is when you
reject something you don’t know anything
about. TriMet management is known to do that.
We union employees did not cause the so-called
TriMet deficit. The insurance for the employees
didn’t cause this crisis either. The damned overpaid
upper management with their corporate
waste and greed did. How about paying management
according to their effectiveness and
evaluate them by their job creations and economic
growth of the company. Putting schedules
in place that work for employees and the
community.
Interesting in Neil’s notes dated March 4,
2013. The fourth bullet: Using new federal
funds for repair and rehab- we’ll up our program
for the older components of our rail system.
Now, don’t we all wish we had the option of
money miracles like that to just appear out of
the blue. Slick Willie has struck again. It’s like
not having any leadership around this place. The
assistant managers that have leadership skills are
being held back by mandated managers who
don’t have a clue that leadership is influence,
nothing more, nothing less. Commitment to
compromise is missing around this place now.
There was a time you could go in and work
things out and save both the company and the
union dollars. That’s gone with the people we
have in place now. That will be you three Neil,
Barry and Randy. SOP 700 is devastating for
working families and unsafe. It is at the arbitration
level. Shame on you Shelly and Hayden, to
let this go on so long. You both came up
through the ranks and know this is unsafe and
wrong to do to your employees. This is forced
overtime to some folks. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Why are the bullies in Field Operations tanking
our work group and causing so much pain
Simple: divide and conquer. That’s their plan.
There is a simple solution. We are stronger than
them. We need to stick together and be the
strong union that we are. Those of you know we
have seen managers flow through here like the
Willamette River when raw sewage leaks in. We
are at that state now.
Another good example is that damn Reed
Group. What a joke! Waste our time on the
phone. You are already facing illness; now you
have to deal with a damn machine over and
over, and it will still screw you over. I had a
friend tell me this group of so called leaders are
playing a new version of musical Chairs: “When
the music stops, they just add another chair. The
real version would be to remove one chair. Let’s
go, Neil. Time to go. We are in the market for a
good leader who plans a course of action, listens
to their employees, and counts the cost before
making commitments for themselves and others.
Do the balancing act of optimism and realism.
The leadership team we have in place now
does drama and lies.
Last but not least, if you think I have forgotten
Mr. Jackson, you are wrong. Where are our
coats It can be 90 degrees, and I will still hold
you to it. That’s just the way I roll. I know what
you are thinking: “What a real ________ I am.”
So be it. I just want to keep you street-legal.
TriMet Powell
Transportation
As reported by
DAN MARTIN
We have been very busy at Powell Garage
over the last month, with several new
grievances filed, from the restrooms to a termination.
Reed Group and TriMet are not playing
in the same sandbox it seems anymore these
days. If you’re using FLMA or OFLA and you’re
notifying Reed, keep track of exactly whom
you’re talking to and when. They develop selective
memory from time to time.
We lost two of our TriMet family with Kent
Kalwait and Virginia Putnam. They will be
missed. On a brighter note, Greg Palmblad just
retired! Best wishes to him.
The Joint Labor Management Committee
has been formed after several years on hiatus. We
have lots to work through and some of it will
not be easy, but your bus transportation officers
are working hard to protect the drivers’ rights
and working conditions as we navigate the
process.
Now with Spring Sign-up starting, we hope
to meet and start working on the next set of run
cuts. Lots of work there as well.
The HOS interim policy has started off on
the wrong foot. There has been so much confusion
with respect to its correct implementation. I
was told management sent out a clarification letter
to all station agents to resolve some of the issues.
If you’re having problems, contact your officer
so we can get things resolved.
C-TRAN
As reported by
SCOTT MILLER
Well, here it is April already. Nearly a quarter
of the year has gone by. How time
flies as you get older. Fixed Route run cut was
done at the end of March. General sign-up for
the service change will be in April, with the service
change taking effect in May.
We’re still hard at work on contract negotiations.
Hopefully by the time you read this the
supervisor/analyst contract will be approved by
the board.
Some upcoming dates to remember: June 2 is
the C-TRAN rodeo once again. ATU 757 will
be barbecuing hamburgers and hotdogs. Please
come out and support the rodeo. Drive, volunteer
to be a judge, or just come out to cheer on
the participants. It has been a while since we’ve
had this, and it will be a lot of fun. April 14 is
the C-TRAN union meeting. Also on that day
we have our quarterly trust meeting, which is
very important to attend, as the results of the actuary
are in and we will be going over them.
This is your chance to put your two cents in.
Look for times and postings on the Union
board.
TriMet Merlo
Maintenance
As reported by
SHAYNE JENKERSON
Spring Sign-ups are complete. Hopefully
everyone had the opportunity to sign something
that worked well for them and their families.
There were 10 new faces at Merlo for the
helper sign-up on Thursday the 14 and there
were 10 new faces at Powell as well. That means
that the apprenticeships just took new trainees
into their programs starting March 3. Congratulations
to those that chose to enter an apprenticeship,
good luck on your career choice.
Merlo will be getting the Init radio system installed
on their fleet starting February 22, 2013.
The contractor has a plan that involves completing
nine buses a day. We’ll see, however this
means everyone at Merlo will be joining the
ranks of Center St. and Powell garages in dealing
with the pros and cons of this new system.
The Reed Group is implementing their new
software allowing TriMet employees to keep
track of their FMLA/OFLA records online on
March 1st. If you find you need to use
FMLA/OFLA and you contact the Reed
Group, keep track of who you speak with. Write
down the date and time and a brief description
of the conversation. That way if there are any
disputes concerning timeliness issues with your
claim you will have enough information to find
any recorded conversations you have had with
them. These hours are protected, and it is very
important you keep good accurate records of
any and all FMLA time you use, plus the time
that you contact Reed Group to inform them of
an FMLA/OFLA absence.
TriMet Light Rail
Transportation
As reported by
TOM RUIZ
Welcome back my fellow rangers. This
month’s article was brought about because
I have noticed an unusual increase in operator
errors happening on the main line. I find
it very troublesome when I hear that an operator
has bypassed a platform, and other such incidents.
As your ATU Executive Board officer,
I am here and available to represent you when
these incidents occur. As I prepared for one
such meeting, I spoke with the involved operator
about the incident. During our conversation
I came to realize that through a series of
personal life events, fatigue may have been a
contributing factor.
There can be many contributing factors to
fatigue, not only from lack of sleep but also
from stress and emotions. The decisions we
make in our personal lives, our lifestyle, can affect
each one of us in so many different ways. I
would like to share with you an article that
hopefully you might be able to utilize. All of us
have choices to make every minute of every
day, and those choices are better served with
knowledge. So, at this time I would like to
share with you an article published by the
Transportation Research Board, National Research
Council, titled “Toolbox for Transit Operator
Fatigue” (Chapter 3, Understanding
Human Fatigue, Paragraph 1). Also, I know recently
or at least within the last month there
was an article published by The Oregonian that
addresses the fatigue factor, which I felt was
very biased. My main concern is right here at
light rail. As matter of fact, I got the book out
the TriMet Library.
“Fatigue is the body’s and mind’s response to
sleep loss, physical activity or mental activity.
People who are fatigued report feeling tired,
losing motivation and desiring rest. Fatigue is
usually accompanied by changes in behavior,
many of which degrade work performance.
Decreases in vigilance or attention, impaired
judgment and slow response times can all result
from fatigue. Fatigue and decreased alertness
have the potential to affect productivity, customer
relations and employee morale, safety
and general health.” —TCRP Report 81
I am giving you this information because of
the concerns I have with some distressing incidents
that have occurred on the main line. I
have also brought some of this information to
the attention of TriMet management. My goal is
to try and shed some light, not to punish the operator
or ask how these incidents happened, but
to find out what prior events lead up to operator
error. To me, a lot has to do with the possibility
of fatigue. We are in that cab eight to 10 hours a
day and we are expected to be at 100 percent as
per TriMet. Our job is so mental, and we have to
be at our peak level of concentration to be able
to make split second decisions. There are things
that happen on the main line that we do not
have any control over, as there are in our personal
lives. However, as a rail ranger, it is your
obligation to mentally and physically prepare
yourself to be the best you can be when you re-
(Turn to Page 16)
APRIL 5, 2013 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PAGE 15

ATU LOCAL 757
Officer Reports
(From Page 15)
port for work, not only for safety, but for yourself
and in the gratification of doing a great job.
My fellow trainer, Ron Callahan, once said
something like this: “One of the sad things
about our job is that we can make it look so
easy, but not until you actually get into that
seat do you really realize how difficult it can be,
but unfortunately that is not what people perceive.”
I think sometimes management and
definitely the public do not understand what
we see and do day in and day out. I hope you
can use the information I have shared with you
to your advantage to make you a better rail
ranger, not only for yourself but also your job
and your community.
Please, if there is anything that your ATU or
management can do to help you, I encourage
you to seek that help, so that way, any such unforeseen
events do not happen on the main
line. Let’s be more proactive, not reactive.
I hope you found this article helpful. If you
feel further research in this subject could possibly
help you, please e-mail me at
truizjr60@gmail.com. I would be more than
happy to share any information I have available
(books/websites/articles) and help guide or assist
you in any way I can.
Be safe. Be cautious.
Hansen
(From Page 1)
lic are safe.
At C-TRAN, operator negotiations are
under way. We are also working on negotiations
for North Bonneville, First Transit
Region 3, and COIT in Bend, Salem MV,
Salem Cherriots, and First Student in Portland.
I would like to encourage everyone to
fill out contract suggestion forms. Please
encourage your fellow employees to fill out
the contract suggestion forms as well, as it
is an important part of the contract negotiations
process. Remember that this is your
Hunt
(From Page 1)
TriMet Center
Maintenance
As reported by
KEVIN KINOSHITA
Welcome, maintenance new hires. We have
a bunch of new hires recently that are
working on getting their CDL license. There
were three new hire groups. One group was
working on getting their CDL and another
group was working in the yard. The third group
has their permit and is working in the shops on
temp jobs. The helper sign-up will go into effect
on April 28.
If you have changed your address, please call
the union office, 503-232-9144, and leave a
message on your new location of residence.
Center Street north shop has a new type of
nonskid on the shop floor, and thanks to facilities
maintenance for re-stripping the yellow
lines. The south shop will be getting it soon.
Hopefully this new type of nonskid will last.
Construction at Center is moving forward.
We have lost the majority of the old maintenance
parking lot, and so if you’re coming from
a different shop to Center for any reason, call the
shop and ask where is the best place to park. In
contract, so we need to hear what you
would like in it.
I would also like to encourage everyone
to attend union meetings, rallies, parades
and other events that support the union
movement. Our presence needs to be seen
and heard. Attacks against unions are nationwide.
We need to stand together and
fight as one. Harm to one is harm to all.
With spring here, parades and community
events are approaching. Watch the websites
for details – www.atu757.org, www.transitvoice.org,
and Transit Voice on Facebook.
First Student Corvallis: We have contract
negotiations starting April 22. Please
turn in any contract suggestion forms to
your property officer.
First Student Portland: The mechanics’
contract is signed and up on the website. We
are currently in negotiations for school bus
operators. Please see your property officer if
you have any questions.
C-TRAN: We are in various stages of
contract negotiations. The Supervisors/Analysts
contract has been ratified. The Clerical
contract is slated for arbitration. Negotiating
for the Operators contract is in full swing,
with most of the non-economic items completed.
Lane Transit District: Though the contract
has been ratified and signed, we are still
working through an issue surrounding having
a district-paid officer in the bid room.
First Transit Region One: We recently
settled several outstanding grievances. We’re
still working through some outstanding insurance
issues and will keep you updated on
progress.
First Transit Region Two: We recently
were able to get short-term and long-term
disability. Please see Joy LaRochelle, your liaison
officer, for more information.
First Transit Region Three: Negotiations
are in full swing, and I’m looking forward to
working with our member negotiating team.
RVTD: Sorry I missed the employee
recognition banquet. Several of our members
were recognized for achieving 10-year safe
driving awards. Great job.
order to park on tracks 1-8, you must have a
parking permit. These tracks are only open until
certain hours.
We are still waiting for Multnomah County
Circuit Court to make a decision on whether
the negotiations are open to the public or not.
Hopefully this decision will come in early April.
That is the reason we have not started negotiations.
What you hear on the news or in the
newspaper from TriMet suggesting the union is
not coming to the table is false. We are waiting
for the court decision.
April Meetings
Charter
Charter members meet 6:30 p.m. Monday,
April 8, at the AFL-CIO Building, 3645 SE
32nd Ave, Portland). The Charter day meeting
is 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 9th, at Schoppert
Hall, 1801 NE Couch, Portland.
Salem Transit/MV
Salem members meet 7:30 p.m. Tuesday,
April 9th, at the Salem Senior Center 50+,
2615 Portland Road NE, Salem.
Lane Transit
Eugene day members meet 10 a.m. and 7
p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at the Woodworkers
Local Lodge, 1124 South A St.,
Springfield.
PPS/First Student Portland
PPS/First Student members meet 6 pm,
Thursday, April 11, Faubion School, 3039 NE
Rosa Parks Way, Portland, OR 97211.
First Student Corvallis
First Student members meet 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 11 at Zimbrick Mem. Fire
Station #5, 4950 NW Fair Oaks Drive, Corvallis.
Retirees’ Corner
We just won another decision on the ULP
for the medical insurance. In the latest decision,
the Employment Relations Board (ERB) ruled
against TriMet, saying it was retaliation against
the union for what TriMet did. When will we
see our reimbursement I do not know, because
TriMet ends up appealing the ERB decisions.
We are working on the facilities maintenance
seniority issue. So far I have met with the parties
involved and have talked to the union officers. I
will be getting back to them, and we can get this
concern resolved.
Bend Area Transit
Bend Area Transit members meet 7 p.m.
Friday, April 12 at Jake’s Diner, 2210 NE Hwy
20, Bend.
Valley Transit
Valley Transit members meet 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 13 at WSDOT Maintenance
Building, 1210 G Street, Walla Walla.
Rogue Valley Transportation
Rogue Valley members meet 7:30 p.m. Saturday,
April 13 at Baci’s, 2105 Roberts Road,
Medford.
Tillamook/TCTD
Tillamook members meet 1 p.m., Sunday,
April 14 at Fern Restaurant & Lounge, 1000
Main Ave North, #2, Tillamook, OR 97141.
C-TRAN/C-VAN
Vancouver members meet 6 p.m. Sunday,
April 14 at 2121 NE Andresen, Vancouver,
WA.
PLEASE NOTE: All ATU members are invited
to attend any of the above-listed
meetings.
The following retirees will celebrate birthdays in April: Masood Abdul; Wanda
Adrian; Jeanette Allen; Leslie Allen; Gale Anderson; Heidi Anderson; Joseph
Bachmeier; Katherine Baugh; Charles Beaver; Gregory Bollinger; Gary Broock;
Harold Bussineau; Patricia Butler; Claude Carlson; Robert Cummings; Stephen
Dille; M Lewis Dittmore; David Evans; James Finster; Ernestine Fuller; George
Gardner; Michael Gillespie; Gladys Givens; John Green; Richard Gross; Jose
Guerra Jr.; Dorothy Guymon; Mildred Haffey; Lawrence Harmon; Mark Hill;
Floyd Hodel; Emery Hofmann; William Holm; Henry Hooper; Monica Johnson;
Paul Johnson; Michael Jones; Andy Kehrli; Teri King; Carl Klingner; John
Kuehn; Michael Lathim; Martha Lawrence; Armand Lemieux; John Leslie;
Roger Lihs Sr.; Floyd Linn Jr.; Andrew Lukcik Jr.; Carl Marino; Patrick Matheny;
Gregory McGrew; John Miller; Samuel Miller; R. Millner Jr.; Alvin Mills III;
Kerry Montgomery; Sam Piro; Vicki Pollock; Siosius Poulivaati; Maryann Pratt;
Mark Probst; Virginia Putnam; Martha Rex-Gunnell; James Roberts; Kevin Rotter;
David Rowe; Richard Schopmann; Julius Schulz; Sharon Schwarz; Joseph
Senn; Ava Singleton; Sandra Snyder; Terry Spencer; Herman Stewart; Michael
Stockwell; Thomas Sweeney; Loren Tate; Jerry Thatcher; Felton Thompson;
Ruth Townsend; Clinton Townsend III; Emily Trudell; Michael Vernon; Jan
Wheeler; Stephen White; Theodore Whitney; and Clarence Williams.
The names of the 50-year members are in bold type.
The ATU 757 Retired Member Chapter’s next meeting will be Wednesday, May
1 at 9:30 a.m. at the Westmoreland’s Union Manor, 6404 SE 23rd Ave. Coffee
and doughnuts will be served at 9 a.m.
PAGE 16 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS APRIL 5, 2013