Excerpt from John Kerry’s Speech And that prayer is simple: God Bless America! Michelle Sommers Jerry Ewald Union Office Phone 612-379-2914 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.atu1005.com Kellie Miller ATU Local 1005 President–Business Agent Ron Lloyd Minneapolis President/Business Agent Financial Secretary Treasurer Vice-President Recording Secretary & Asst. Business Agent Page 2
Holiday 2004 Excerpt from John Kerry’s Speech .... In an American election, there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morn- ing we all wake up as Americans. That is the greatest privilege and the most remarkable good fortune that can come to us on Earth.... In the days ahead, we must find common cause. We must join in common effort, without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancor. America is in need of unity and longing for a larger measure of compassion. I hope President Bush will advance those values in the com- ing years. I pledge to do my part to try to bridge the partisan divide. I know this is a difficult time for my supporters, but I ask of them, all of you, to join in doing that. Now more than ever, with our soldiers in harm’s way, we must stand together and succeed in Iraq and win the war on terror. I will also do everything in my power to ensure that my party, a proud Democratic Party, stands true to our best hopes and ideals. I believe that what we started in this campaign will not end here. Our fight goes on to put America back to work and to make our economy a great engine of job growth. Our fight goes on for affordable healthcare, an accessible right for all Americans, not privilege. Our fight goes on to protect the environment, to achieve equality, to push the frontiers of science and discovery and to restore America’s reputation in the world. I believe that all this will happen, and sooner than we may think, because we’re America, and America always moves forward.... So with a grateful heart, I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I’ve come to know our vast country so much better thanks to all of you and what a privilege it has been to do so. And that prayer is simple: God Bless America!
Transcript
Hol
iday
200
4Excerpt from John Kerry’s
Speech.... In an American election, there are no losers, becausewhether or not our candidates are successful, the next morn-ing we all wake up as Americans.
That is the greatest privilege and the most remarkable goodfortune that can come to us on Earth.... In the days ahead, wemust find common cause. We must join in common effort,without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancor.America is in need of unity and longing for a larger measureof compassion.
I hope President Bush will advance those values in the com-ing years. I pledge to do my part to try to bridge the partisandivide.
I know this is a difficult time for my supporters, but I ask ofthem, all of you, to join in doing that. Now more than ever,with our soldiers in harm’s way, we must stand together andsucceed in Iraq and win the war on terror.
I will also do everything in my power to ensure that my party,a proud Democratic Party, stands true to our best hopes andideals.
I believe that what we started in this campaign will not endhere. Our fight goes on to put America back to work and tomake our economy a great engine of job growth. Our fightgoes on for affordable healthcare, an accessible right for allAmericans, not privilege.
Our fight goes on to protect the environment, to achieve equality, to push the frontiers of science and discovery and torestore America’s reputation in the world.
I believe that all this will happen, and sooner than we maythink, because we’re America, and America always movesforward.... So with a grateful heart, I leave this campaign witha prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I’vecome to know our vast country so much better thanks to all ofyou and what a privilege it has been to do so.
This month I'm presenting what we believe is a benefit to our members.
Metro Transit, in partnership with the U of M, applied for andreceived a National Institute of Health (NIH) federal research grant to helpidentify programs that will improve people's health. Lisa Mansavage,Coordinator, Metro Transit Wellness Program, and Simone French, PhD,Professor in Epidemiology and Community Health, U of M, are workingtogether to develop and evaluate programs to promote healthy food choicesand physical activity among bus operators at four garages during the nextthree years.
Bus operators face even greater challenges than typical adultsbecause of long hours and demanding work schedules, few chances for anyphysical activity and little access to healthful food choices during theworkday. High fat foods and fast food restaurants are the easy food choicesto make: they're cheap, convenient, and large portion sizes appear econom-ical.
East Metro will serve as a pilot garage until Sept. 2005.Beginning in Sept., the participating garages are South, Nicollet, Heywood,and M. J. Ruter. Two garages will be randomly assigned to an activechange program. Employees will be invited to take part in an advisorygroup that will help to create the new programs at their garage, meetingevery two weeks to plan and implement changes for food and activityoptions. The other two garages will be assigned to a control group for atwo-year period.
To determine if the programs are useful in changing food choices,physical activity or body weight, bus operators will be asked to participatein the research evaluation, taking part in a one-hour session at their garageat the beginning and again at the end of the study. Participation is volun-tary; operators will be paid $20 for their time to complete the measures. Measures will include information on body weight, height, foodchoices and physical activity.
All information collected is confidential and for research only. No person'sinformation will be shared with anyone outside the research staff.
Lisa and Simone will make a presentation at both AM and PM membershipmeetings on December 28th in Minneapolis.
National Institute of Health (NIH) FederalResearch Grant
EDITORIAL BOARDDELROY SCHAFERDAN ABRAMOWICZKEN DOLNEYSHEILA MILLER
Page 3
THE AMALGAMATEDTRANSIT UNIONOUR STORY…OUR HISTORY
By Scott Lindquist
The roots of our country's trade unions extend deep into the early historyof America. Several of the Pilgrims arriving at Plymouth Rock in 1620were working craftsmen. Captain John Smith, who led the ill-fated settle-ment in 1607 on Virginia's James River, pleaded with his sponsors inLondon to send him more craftsmen and working people.
Primitive unions, or guilds, of carpenters and cordwainers, cabinet mak-ers and cobblers made their appearance, often temporary, in various citiesalong the Atlantic seaboard of colonial America. Workers played a signif-icant role in the struggle for independence; carpenters disguised asMohawk Indians were the "host" group at the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
The Continental Congress met in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia, andthere the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. In "pursuit ofhappiness" through shorter hours and higher pay, printers were the first togo on strike, in New York in 1794; cabinet makers struck in 1796; car-penters in Philadelphia in 1797; cordwainers in 1799. In the early yearsof the 19th century, efforts by unions to improve the workers' conditions,through either negotiation or strike action, became more frequent.
By the 1820s, various unions involved in the effort to reduce the workingday from 12 to 10 hours began to show interest in the idea of federation-of joining together in pursuit of common objectives for working people. As ineffective as these first efforts to organize may have been, theyreflected the need of working people for economic and legal protectionfrom exploiting employers.
The invention of the steam engine and the growing use of water power tooperate machinery were developing a trend toward a factory system notmuch different from that in England which produced misery and slumsfor decades. Starting in the 1830s and accelerating rapidly during theCivil War, the factory system accounted for an ever-growing share ofAmerican production. It also produced great wealth for a few, and grind-ing poverty for many.
Continued on Page 4
How did the Labor Union movement in the US evolve? The fol-lowing is an exerpt from an article about the growth of AmericanUnion movement from even before 1776. More info is available onthe internet: www.socialstudies.com/eco_unionization.htm.
The Labor Union Movement in AmericaFrom 1620 to 1900
Page 4
AT THE GARAGEHeywood
Contact Cecile Cloutier
Jack Berner, #8927, was hon-ored with an Employee of theMonth award. He's won theRoadeo six times, and placed24th out of 79 contestants at theInternational Roadeo in Atlantathis past October.
The garage roof is done "for allintents and purposes" saysgarage manager Jeff Wostrel.
Senior Mechanic and ATU exec-utive board member Greg Hall ,#5481, was selected by ATU andMetro Transit to help developnew ASE North American test-ing standards for transitmechanics. Greg will work withrepresentatives from 25 othertransit properties on the stan-dards, which are expected todebut in 2006.
The Maintenance Dept. has anew hydraulic drive-on lift. The$100,000 lift is faster than theold one, stays clean longer andis lit from underneath. Whennot in use, it moves right intothe floor.
Dale Heidelberger was hired asCleaner I
Earnest Robinson was hired asSkilled Helper
Michael Erickson was hired asHelper I
Jory Ackerman, #6023, andRobert Ueeck, #6381, trans-ferred to Rail Operators
With workers recognizing thepower of their employers, thenumber of local union organiza-tions increased steadily during themid-19th century. In a number ofcities, unions in various tradesjoined together in citywide federa-tions.
The Nation Labor Union, (actual-ly a federation- an organization oflocal unions) formed in 1866. TheNLU eventually persuadedCongress to pass an eight hourday for Federal workers. Neververy strong, it was a casualty ofthe sweeping economic depressionof 1873.
Five years later, the Knights ofLabor captured the public imagi-nation. Formed in 1869 by UriahStephens and expanded rapidlyunder the leadership of TerrancePowdery, the Knights were an all-embracing organization commit-ted to a cooperative society.
Membership was open to allworkers, whether they be skilledor unskilled, black or white, maleor female. The Knights achieved amembership of nearly 750,000during the next few years, but theskilled and unskilled workers whohad joined the Knights in hope ofimprovement in their hours andwages found themselves frag-mented by the rift between skilledand unskilled workers.
Skilled workers tired of laboractivity of unskilled workers whowere easily replaced. The Knights,an effective labor force, declinedin membership after theHaymarket Square riots. Membersof the Knights of Labor whereaccused of throwing a bombwhich killed police officers duringthe riot. The Knights, alreadyfragmented, where faced with
The American Federation ofLabor was founded by SamuelGompers in 1886. Gompers, bornin 1850, came as a boy with hisparents to America from theJewish slums of London; heentered the cigar-making tradeand received much of his educa-tion as a "reader" (a worker whoread books, newspaper stories,poetry and magazine articles tofellow employees to help breakthe monotony of their work in theshop) and became a leader of hislocal union and of the nationalCigar Makers Union.
A statement by the founders of theAFL expressed their belief in theneed for more effective unionorganization. "The various tradeshave been affected by the intro-duction of machinery, the subdivi-sion of labor, the use of women'sand children's labor and the lackof an apprentice system, so thatthe skilled trades were rapidlysinking to the level of pauperlabor," the AFL declared.
"To protect the skilled labor ofAmerica from being reduced tobeggary and to sustain the stan-dard of American workmanshipand skill, the trades unions ofAmerica have been established."Thus the AFL was a federationthat organized only unions ofskilled workers.
The Pullman Strike in 1894, at thePullman plant near Chicago, theAmerican Railroad Union (notaffiliated with the AFL and led byEugene V. Debs, a leadingAmerican socialist) struck thecompany's manufacturing plantand called for a boycott of thehandling of Pullman's sleepingand parlor cars on the nation's
Continued on Page 14
Page 5
Transit Safety and Security CommitteeOct, 2004 Summary
Guests: TCC Supervisor, NealCamper; FTH ATMs: Brian Funk,Roger Borowicz; Asst. ManagerStreet Ops: Lee Bennett; DistrictSupervisor: Tom Gurrola; Rail &Bus Safety: Mike Conlon,Director & Brenda Himrich,Manager; Lt. Bob Elmers, TransitPolice; Instruction CenterManager, Larry Rolf; KellieMiller, ATU 1005 Business Agent
Continued on Page 15
Marshall Freeman was elected thenew TSSC chair.
Christine reported that the TCC iscurrently training new supervisorstaff: Neal Camper, former RailSupervisor, and Dick Schwartz,former transit police officer andthat over 20% of TCC staff aretrained in police dispatch.
Steve said that when he hasworked S-98s he has receiveddetour information; he suggeststhat TCC inform S-98 operators ofdetour routes when assigning fill-ins. Christine agreed this is agood suggestion and will speak toTCC staff regarding S-98s anddetours.
Lee Bennett reported on numerousStreet Operations developments.
District Supervisors have re-picked their shifts, due in part tothe promotion of Lisa Johnson toAssistant Manager for Region III,East Metro.The Central Avenue detour willcontinue into 2005.Bus stops on Lyndale Avenue N.between Broadway and 42ndAvenue may already fit the crite-ria of 8 stops per mile(north/south streets usually havelonger blocks), but this area willbe re-examined. (Three stops havebeen eliminated in each direction.)
Lee had explanations or solutionsto the following concerns:The Route 12 bus stop on WB Co.Rd. 3 nearside 5th Ave. is unsafe.Lee stated that there was signifi-cant pressure from customers tokeep the stop. Street Ops isunlikely to remove this stop. (Inresponse to earlier concerns, itwas relocated to the rear of theright-turn lane.)WB 4th ST contra-flow lane has ahuge dip; Lee will contact the cityto take care of this.The Uptown Station lane stripingcontinues to come up. Whenasked if the word 'bus' could bepainted in the striped lane, Leestated that the City will not dothis. Lee will contact the City tosee if it is possible for yellowinstead of white striping.Farmers Market trucks have beenunloading in the 7th St. bus stopfarside Nicollet between 930AM-1030AM. Lee will do OCRs toTransit Police. On Routes 18, 21 (and the 53,which has more frequency thanthe 191 it replaced), the bus stopon EB Lake nearside Nicollet hasproblems with adequate snow
removal every winter.
Lee also made note of a numberof concerns, if he could notrespond without further checking. EB 4th Street bus may sit thru 2-3traffic light cycles when makingpassenger stops.Grand Hotel valets and LifetimeFitness limos continue to blockthe bus stop on 7th St and 2ndAve.Legally parked cars on SB 21stAve. farside of Lake St. make it adifficult turn for Route 7 buses.On WB Minnetonka Blvd. theRoute 12 has difficulty mergingleft after the stop at Dean Pkwy.SB Route 27, consider a routechange to turn left on 22ndinstead of 21st Ave.
Tom Gurrola addressed the MOAissue raised at an earlier TSSCmeeting: some passengers runacross the 'MOA TemporaryTransit Center' lot to board at anon-bus stop. Tom Reminded usthat the customers have beeninconvenienced by construction atMOA and asks that operatorsextend courtesy to the few passen-gers at this location by pickingthem up when requested. A stopsign at this location requires oper-ators to make a full stop anyway.(The new MOA Transit Station re-opened in late November.)
Mike stated that yielding to busesis noted in the MN Driver'sManual. He'd also like to put anitem in TakeOut for customerswho also drive, regarding yieldingto buses. The yield signs will berandomly placed on unpaid spaceon buses. John said he could geta Public Service Announcementonto radio. Mike will get the PSAscript to John. The TSSC viewedthe new yield sign and was in
Page 6
A Day at Ground ZeroBy Raymond Vander Wyst
Downtown Manhattan, the World Trade Center Site, One World FinancialCenter in New York City was silent on Saturday, September 11th, 2004.I was there, paying my respects to all those lost on that horrible day in2001, three years ago.
No longer will the tall, beautiful buildings that represented Americanstrength and pride stand and cast shadows over the Island of Manhattan.
Hundreds of family members of those who were lost were invited to thesite, to read off the names of those who died. Thousands of police andfiremen, not only from New York but from places as close as New Jerseyand as far away as Italy were there. All of Engine Co. 10, the firehouseon site at the World Trade Center, was out in front of their house, in fulldress uniform, remembering the ones who never came back.
It was very somber, very quiet. It was as though all of New York Cityshut down for the three hours it took to read off the nearly 3000 names ofthose who perished.
As I walked through the crowds of people, most were crying, many hold-ing themselves up by the fence placed around the site, as though theirprayers and wishes could bring it all back and set things normal again.On the sidewalk near the fence sat four young women who lost theirboyfriends in the North Tower. They were holding each other and crying,placing roses in the fence.
Another women I saw was placing soil in a glass jar. Her husband hasbeen missing since the day of the attacks. He worked on the 78th floorof the South Tower. He had not been declared officially dead becausethey can find no remains. I overheard her saying that this (the soil) is allshe has left of him.
AT THE GARAGENicollet
Contact Theresa Collins #1378or Scott Stone #6852.
The garage sale was a huge suc-cess, we made $903.25. Thanksto everyone who donated itemsto sell and to all who volun-teered at the sale. We couldn'tdo it without everyone's partici-pation. Please keepin mind the sale is an annualevent held the 1st Sat. of Oct.
The Operator’s Holiday partywill be held on Wednesday Dec15th. There will be a raffle anda potluck dinner. Please bring adish to share.
Ed Morgan #445 received a 20Year safe driving award and aplaque for 20 years without aresponsible accident. Way to goEd.
Get your winter drivingbrochures from dispatch andpractice your safe driving.
Nic safety says " the root causeof 90% of accidents at Nicolletare due to not using mirrorsenough" Use your mirrors!
Pat Kelehan, lead HVAC Techand author of those witty cryptographs, qualified for theBoston Marathon at theMilwaukee Lakefront Marathonon Oct. 3rd. There was free beerat the finish!
Murray Olson, shop foremanhas been deployed on activeduty with the Air NationalGuard overseas. Please keephim and his family in yourthoughts and prayers.
Happy Holidays!
Page 7
AT THE GARAGEEast Metro
Contact Kim Rice #5975 orE-board reps Ken Dolney orGary Rosenberger.
Our own Smokey Joe, HowardOsterkamp, is recuperating athome from his heart operation.He seems to be doing well, so weexpect he'll be gracing us withhis pretty face soon.
Our thanks to everyone whohelped with the chili feed afterthe Safety and Security meetingon Wednesday, 11-10-04.
Our driver complement seemsto be growing. Early indicationsfor the Dec Pick show a lot ofmovement. The loss to gain ratiolooks like 3 or 4 to one in ourfavor. We'd like to welcome allreturning employees.
Look for the flyers; our annualChristmas / Pot Luck dinner isthe next East Metro event. Don'tmiss it!
Did you get a copy of SnowEmergency / Route information.See Dave Schwintek if you needa copy.
Our dot.com people will be ableto get copies of the MOA andMaplewood Mall staging areasonline.
Finally a small reminder fromDave, don't forget your keys, it'sa simple matter of safety andconvenience.
Happy Holidays
Hundreds of souls have yet to be identified; they rest at the New YorkCity Coroner's Office.
There were many, many other things: like some men standing at attentionholding the American flag through the entire ceremony; battle-hardenedMarines and Army soldiers, just home from Iraq and Afghanistan, tearedup with rage on their faces as they looked at the Memorial Wall; the U.S.Air Force flying over in Missing Man formation; and finally the children,with their surviving parent or guardian, placing flowers and pictures oftheir mommies or daddies, or in some cases both, on the fence.
I am glad I was there to experience the depth of sorrow that hangs like apall over lower Manhattan, to understand the anger most New Yorkersfeel about the day that changed their lives and their City.
In 2008 the Freedom Tower will open on the World Trade Center site as alasting memorial to the lost. But even the Freedom Tower cannot replacethe majesty and power the Twin Towers symbolized and projected to theworld. Nor will it bring back those who left us to rest in peace with God.May they forever be in our hearts.
Motor Carrier and Driver LawsFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The following is a change in the CDL requirements:A person is physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle ifthat person: Has no current clinical diagnosis of high blood pressure like-ly to interfere with the ability to operate a commercial motor vehiclesafely.
Stage 1 hypertension corresponds to a systolic BP of 140-159 mmHgand/or a diastolic BP of 90-99 mmHg. The driver with a BP in this rangeis at low risk for Hypertension-related acute incapacitation and may bemedically certified to drive for a one-year period. Certification examina-tions should be done annually thereafter and should be less than 149/90.If less than 160/100, certification may be extended one time for threemonths.
A blood pressure of 160-179 systolic and/or 100-109 diastolic is consid-ered Stage 2 hypertension, and the driver is not necessarily unqualifiedduring evaluation and institution of treatment. The driver is given a onetime certification of three months to reduce his or her blood pressure toless than 140/90. A blood pressure in this range is an absolute indicationfor antihypertensive drug therapy. Provided treatment is well toleratedand the driver demonstrates a BP value of less than 140/90, he or shemay be certified for one year from the date of the initial exam. The driveris certified annually thereafter.
A blood pressure at or greater than 180 (systolic) and 110 (diastolic) isconsidered Stage 3, high risk for an acute BP-related event. The drivermay not be qualified, even temporarily, until reduced to less than 140/90and treatment is well tolerated. The driver may be certified for 6 monthsand biannually (every 6 months) thereafter if at recheck BP is less than
Continued on Page 18
AT THE GARAGERuter
Contact Scott Lindquist
New MachinesWe finally have a new coffeemachine and other vendingmachines after a long time ofcomplaints and lost money.
Also the vending company actu-ally came and polled drivers onwhat food items they would liketo have in the machines. Now ifthey would just lower the priceswe would really be happy.
Tallest Building What is the tallest building inMinneapolis? Wrong!
According to a skyscraper web-site-www.skyscraperpage.com -the tallest building is 225 S. 6thSt., the building with the halostructure on top.
It is 236.5 Meters tall and theIDS Tower is 236.2 meters tall.225 S. 6th St. is .3 meters tallerthan the IDS. What about theantennas on top of the IDS?
They are not part of the struc-tural height of the building andso technically they are not con-sidered part of the "building".The halo on the 225 S. 6th St.building is considered part ofthe structure.
Delegate Report - ATU Convention - Las VegasBob Schaller
The fifty-fourth A.T.U. convention was held in Las Vegas, September 13-17 at Bally's. The speakers included Oscar Goodman, mayor of LasVegas, Walt Elliot, President of the Nevada AFL-CIO TransportationTrades Dept., Bill Millar, President of the American PublicTransportation Association, Ken Georgetti, President Canadian LabourCongress, Norman Hill, President A Phillip Randolf Institute, John J.Sweeney, President of AFL-CIO, Ion Radoi, President of BucharestMetro Workers Federation.
The message from all the speakers was the same. If workerswant the labor movement to keep moving forward in this country, weneed to elect people who share the same goals as we do. Rememberthere were speakers from Romania & Canada telling us this also. Thereis one last thing I would like to share with you, I am not a gambler so Ican't brag about coming home from Vegas with a lot of money. But I feelthat I was a winner because I saw Elvis twice.
Page 8
WHAT'S AN OCR?And why are they important?
By Theresa Collins
Being a bus driver is a very stressful job. As we do our daily work we notice a light taking too long, bus stopstoo close together, heavy passenger loads, running time too difficult to make.
There are steps we can take to help improve each of these situations and our working environment. It is impor-tant for all of us to fill out an Operating Condition Report (OCR). When we fill out an OCR we're telling thecompany there is a problem. With the operators' help in identifying problem areas, the process is started in orderfor them to fix the problem. This will help improve the quality of service for our customers and make our jobsmore tolerable and hopefully less stressful.
It's easy to come into the driver's room and complain about our day. This of course is good for us to do, so wecan get our frustration out before we go home and kick the dog. But afterwards we need to fill out an OCR. TheOCR is the primary company tool to pinpoint problem areas on Metro Transit routes. The completed OCR isdirected to the appropriate department(s) to investigate what needs to be done to address the problem and find asolution.
The OCR program is an important way to let the agency know of any issues you may become aware of in thecourse of work, whether they are regarding safety, scheduling or operating issues, shelter and/or bus stop con-cerns, etc.Operators complete a paper form detailing a problem, a suggestion or a comment and give it to their garagecoordinator, who will enter it into the OCR program on the computer.A paper 'receipt' of the OCR is automatically printed, with a control number assigned to it. Any time you want tocheck on the status of your OCR, you can present the control number to your garage coordinator for assistanceto view the resolution screen. You'll see what progress has been made on your OCR and which department hasbeen assigned to address your concern.The agency goal is to respond to your OCR within 14 days of submission. Actual response times vary due to thecomplexity of an issue, whether special circumstances increase agency workflow (i.e. State Fair, Twins playoffs,etc.), etc.Since the beginning of the electronic OCR program in January 2003, nearly 1,100 OCRs have been submitted;some have resulted in nearly immediate service changes. In most cases, less urgent concerns are noted andincluded the next time a particular route undergoes a service change.
So please start filling out those OCR's because it will help all of us in the long run.
Page 9
By-Laws
The By-law Committee will meet on February 11, 2005 at the Union office - 312 Central Ave Mpls., Mn.
Members wishing to appear before the committee regarding any By-law submitted may do so between the hoursof 1:30 and 3:00 P.M. All requests for By-law changes must be submitted to the union office by 3:00 P.M.,January 12, 2005. All By-Laws changes must be signed.
By-law changes submitted will be read at the January 25, 2005 meeting for publicity, referred to the By-lawcommittee for consideration and read and acted on at the regular meeting on February 22, 2005.
Page 10Part One: We the people.
Liz Goldberg
A record 119.8 million Americans voted this past election- up to59.9% of eligible voters- the highest percentage in 36 years. Withthe upcoming elections, the national political mood escalated fromsleepy indifference to a passionately political tug of war, and, wasvisible everywhere you went, in the neighborhoods, the workplaceand certainly the media.
The 2004 presidential election may have split the nation in two, but out of the ashes, it resulted in an enthusiasticallyrenewed interest of the political system.
Politics. It's controversial, intriguing, complex, exciting, and exasperating but inter-woven through and around ourlives as Americans and is inescapable. It's connected to every facet of our existence in life. With an understanding ofit, we understand ourselves, and our relationship in the world.
For some of us, political awakening also brought about the stark realization that our knowledge of government, itsstructure, its principles and how it works was to some degree limited, speaking for myself, grossly limited.We could all agree then, that education must begin somewhere and most practically, at the basic level. In a subject asextensive and complex as government, understanding the foundation of government is as necessary as establishing asolid foundation in an architectural structure.
Our series begins with the basic structure of government. Lets begin with this question. What is the most importantdocument in the political history in the world?
The structure of U.S. Government is defined by- The United States Constitution.It is the oldest written frame of government used by every major country, and nearly all constitutions adopted since1789 by countries all over the globe have been more or less influenced by it.
The United States Constitution was created by the founding fathers to provide self-government, where everyone has avoice in national, state and local government. It provides a basis for government structure and responsibilities. TheConstitution defines three main principles:
Inherent rights of anyone living in the United States Government by the people Separation of powers between branches of the government including Executive, Legislative and Judicial
Originally written in 1787, the Constitution has had many changes over the last 200 years. It consists of three parts: the Preamble, the Articles and the Amendments.
The Preamble defines the philosophy on which the government is based. The Articles define the government duties and responsibilities. The Amendments, or Bill or Rights, defines individual rights and also fixes problems that have come about since thedocument was written.
The Constitution guarantees the United States people their freedom and rights such as: Freedom of religion, Freedomof speech, Right to bear arms, Right to a trial when accused of a crime, and to know what crime one is accused, Rightto own property and to expect the government to help protect private property
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domesticTranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to our-selves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.
The great English statesman William Gladstone once called the Constitution of the United States "the most wonderfulwork ever struck off at one time by the brain and purpose of man". It is an exciting, amazing and absolutely enlight-ening document to read in its entirety, and I encourage you to find a textbook or online copy and read it for yourself.
Page 11
AT THE GARAGEOHB
Contact Tom Campbell
Mechanic’s pick takes effect onJan 8th, 2005.
The Store Dept. just had a pickin early November. Your newstockkeeper should be onboard,if changed. Stores has complet-ed most of their annual invento-ry evaluation. The servicegarages are complete.
New Certification Process for Mechanics
A new article in the bus maintenance section of the contract created fourareas of certification for mechanics. These areas are; HVAC, Electrical /Computer, Power Train and Pneumatic / Suspension systems. EachCertification earned will increase that mechanics pay fifteen cents perhour. The certification process will not change the contract in regards toseniority, bidding and picking of jobs. Information obtained or discov-ered in the certification process is intended for development of busmechanics and is not intended for discipline.
A work group comprised of mechanics and maintenance supervi-sors is currently developing questions for the four areas of certification.Their job is to develop questions that are multiple choice in nature, withonly one correct answer and clearly related to that certification area.
Training and study material will be made available to thosemechanics wishing to participate in the certification testing. ATU andMetro Transit employees are also participating in the development of anational program for transit bus mechanics certification with the NationalInstitute for Automotive Service Excellence.
CRYPTOS by PAT KELEHANEach letter stands for another. If you think X=O, for example, it wouldequal O throughout the puzzle.Clue: X=T
B H D L Z X U Z X J M D B H X B X J H A Z,
H M F L Z J X M H D X U M X X U Z
Y D O P X J E Z Y S P F Y J Y D H B
X U Z X Z J F "L U J H B X H M D
L Y D B Z J K M X H K Z". D Y R C O Z M B Z
C M B B X U Z T E F Q Y B U J H F C.
X=T (Answer on page 19)
AT THE GARAGELRT
E- board reps Bob Boyleor Mark Ammend
We are very busy trying to getthe last two unaccepted carsready for the opening of thefinal phase on Saturday the 4thof December. If we can geteverything done it will give us21 vehicles.
The LRV 122 is expected toarrive next week. There havebeen troubles with the line downsouth and they are beingaddressed also. We are still con-fident that we will provide agreat service.
First Installment of Labor Review archive,1907-1946, now Online
Forty-five labor and community volunteers spent five weeks bring-ing back issues online. Visitors can search by an individual’s name,a topic, or a date. For nearly 100 years, the Minneapolis LaborReview has chronicled the history of the labor movement in theTwin Cities. www.minneapolisunions.org
A Thank You We LikeTo Hear
Driver 3811 paid a compliment tothe Maintenance personnel atNicollet. On her driver's report12-03-04 she wrote " To all shoppersonnel: Thanks for taking careof all my B.O. bus tickets. In thepast two years, I never drove abus that hadn't been fixed if I hadwritten it up previously. (Wellonce maybe when I didn't write aclear ticket) I'm outta here, byebye for now, 3811”
Page 12
AT THE GARAGESOUTH
Contact Liz Goldberg
Angela Koen Dr. #7834 TakesFirst Place at the AnnualSouthSiders Chili CookOff
A chili lovers dream came trueNovember 11th at the"SouthSiders Annual Cook offand Bake Sale" with elevenentries vying for the top threetastiest choices.Nancy Katzner Dr. #2278 placedsecond, and Barb Keenan ATMas third favorite. Proceeds fromthe chili and baked good con-tributed by South memberswent into the "SouthSidersFund" which is used to sponsorvarious garage events, retire-ment cards and gifts and chari-table giving.
Our appreciation and heartfeldThanks to;Mary Vasterling, Dr#7662SouthSider Chairperson; forher time, energy and commit-ment to South Garage.As Chairperson, Mary is largelyresponsible for the conception,organization and execution forthe majority of events at South.Mary also serves as "Fit for LifeCoordinator," "Safety andSecurity Rep" and "PeerSupport."
South Annual ChristmasHoliday PotLuckGet ready with your favoriteholiday recipe this Decemberfor this popular event at South.Celebrate winter, bring a dish toshare and enjoy some well wornbus stories with your coworkerswhile you wait to jump startyour frozen vehicle in the park-ing lot!
Have a joyous holiday andhappy new year.
Air America now at 950 AM
If you've had trouble finding "The Al Franken Show" for the past coupleof weeks, you need to adjust your AM radio. The labor talk radio showand other Air America programming that had been at 740 and 1530 AMmoved to 950 AM on Oct. 1. JR Broadcasting, known as "Straight TalkRadio," purchased KSNB 950 last summer. Consolidating at 950 meansa stronger signal in the metro area, says Janet Robert, president of JRBroadcasting. "The only place that it's weaker is in eastern WashingtonCounty," Robert says.
In addition to Franken, K950 carries talk radio personality Ed Schultz's"Straight Talk From the Heartland" during the afternoons. Schultz isbased in Fargo, N.D., and refers to himself as "a gun-toting, meat-eatingliberal," according to Robert. The station still needs final approval for thedeal from the Federal Communications Commission, which is expectedany day, Robert says. It is operating under an arrangement with 950's pre-vious owner.
K950 is running the Ruth Koscielak show from 1 to 4 p.m. but will dropthe program after FCC approval, Robert says. Local programming onK950 includes "The Wendy Wilde Show," which focuses on Minnesotaissues, from 9 to 11 p.m. Local news and sports programs are planned,Robert says. More information on programming will be available soon atwww.StraightTalkRadio.com.
Winner Of the Southsider’s Chilli Contest, Angela Koen, Dr. #7834 holding thetrophy, presented by Mary Vasterlilng Dr. #7662 Chairperson for SouthSiders.
Page 13
US House of Representatives:
Betty McCollum - MN District 4Office: 202-225-6631 Fax: 202-225-19681029 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515No e-mail
Martin Olav Sabo - MN District 52336 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515202-225-4755 202-225-4886http://www.house.gov/formsabo/outside_mail_ok.htm
Collin Peterson - MN District 7202-225-2165 202-225-1593Fax: 202-225-1593 http://collinpeterson.house.gov/email.html
Jim Oberstar - MN District 8202-225-6211 202-225-06992365 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington, DC 20515 http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm
Write to StateRepresentatives at:
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther KingJr. Blvd. Saint Paul Minnesota55155. Office numbers may befound at ttp://www.leg.state.mn.us/or by calling 651/296-2146
47A Denise Dittrich (DFL)651/297-9001 (valid until 1/6/04)
47B Melissa Hortman (DFL)651/297-9001 (valid until 1/6/04)
50A Barb Goodwin (DFL)
VOTE YOUR JOB: Contact Information for Union Endorsed Candidates 2004: Now's the time to re-acquaint yourself with the incumbents, and introduce yourself to the freshmen before they get hung up in legislative session. "Hot button" legislation for Minnesota can be found athttp://www.leg.state.mn.us/
Within a week, 125,000 railroadworkers were engaged in a sym-pathy protest strike. The govern-ment swore in 3,400 specialdeputies; later, at the request ofthe railroad association, PresidentCleveland moved in federal troopsto break the strike-despite a pleaby Gov. Aitgeld of Illinois thattheir presence was unnecessary.
Finally a sweeping federal courtinjunction forced an end to thesympathy strike, and many rail-road workers were blacklisted.
The Pullman strikers were essen-tially starved into submissivedefeat.
The strike illustrated the increas-ing tendency of the government tooffer moral support and militaryforce to break strikes. The injunc-tion, issued usually and almostautomatically by compliant judgeson the request of government offi-cials or corporations, became a
prime legal weapon against unionorganizing and action.
A better method of federal inter-vention occurred during a 1902strike of anthracite coal miners,under the banner of the UnitedMine Workers.
More than 100,000 miners innortheastern Pennsylvania called astrike on May 12, and kept themines closed all that summer.
When the mine owners refused aUMW proposal for arbitration,President Theodore Rooseveltintervened on Oct. 3, and on Oct.16 appointed a commission ofmediation and arbitration.
Five days later the minersreturned to their jobs, and fivemonths later the PresidentialCommission awarded them a 10percent wage increase and shorterwork days-but not the formalunion recognition they hadsought.
History Continued
AT THE OFFICEHeywood
Contact Cecile Cloutier
Brian Lamb has been makinghis presence known sincereturning to Metro in his newposition as General Manager.He's visiting the facilities, writ-ing a regular column forInsights, and reinstituting theEmployee of the Month pro-gram. Here's hoping thatCouncil management will givehim the freedom to help raiseemployee morale in ways thatare more than cosmetic.
Bobby Andress, ScheduleDisplay Coordinator, was pro-moted to District Supervisor.
Tonia McRaven was hired as aTIC Representative
Tina Hacker, #2482, movedfrom Mpls Transit Store Cashierto Convenvince FaresRepresentative.
Donna Berrier, #2219, movedfrom FT Operator-Ruter toTransit Store Cashier Floater.
Michael Jefferson and AllanCox were hired as CustomerService Representatives.
Metro Transit raised $3,200from its Charitable Givingfundraising events. The air-brushed jackets featured inSeptember's 1005 Line werewon by Lillie Loving, #6828,Operator-Ruter (wolf), andConnie Hill, #428, PayrollClerk-Heywood (eagle).
Thank You The Education Committee wishes you and your family the very best for thisHoliday Season. We are thankful for your past support. We would like to extend aninvitation to join our diverse group. We value all member’s input. You do not haveto be a writer, just someone to help on ideas. Do you want to give back to the unionmembership? Do you feel you have a unique viewpoint. Contact a committee orBoard member to join. (Members paid two hours per meeting) Top Row: LizGoldberg, Tom Campbell, John Suttles, Frank Collins, Scott Stone. Middle Row:Kim Rice, Theresa Collins, Scott Lunquist, Cecile Cloutier, Linda Kaup.
Bottom Row: Stephen Babcock. And a special “Thank You” to Editorial Board members Sheila Miller andDelroy Schafer for all the help they provide.
agreement to move forward withthis project.
Brenda is working on creating avideo regarding proper stopping atRR crossings. This video will beavailable in the operators' breakroom at all garages.
Lt. Elmers distributed the Mpls/St.Paul stats for transit incidents.Transit Police will have a substa-tion at the new MOA TransitStation open 7 days a week. Suspect photos are sent to TSSC
members for posting at thegarages. A member requests thatthere also be a description of theassailant included if possible, asit's not always obvious who theassailant is in the photos.
Larry Rolf announced that aerosoltraining would be made availableat the next part-to-fulltime class toall who are interested. Christinehas forwarded the 'Head-to-Toe,We Must Know' cards to Larry.(These cards provide an inventoryof features helpful to police in
identifying suspects.)
There was discussion regardingdamage to bike racks; the status ofthe bike rack mirror test will bechecked. As mentioned in a pre-vious meeting, TSSC would liketo see an item in Takeout regard-ing safety in using the bike rackfor customers.
The TSSC monthly meeting isusually held the first Thursday ofeach month from 10 AM to noonin the FTH Chambers.
DSSC Continued from Page 5
Shopping
You're just not the type to give a holiday gift that was made in a sweatshop.Shop with your conscience at The Union Shop Online-the AFL-CIO's retail storefeaturing top-quality, union-made-in-the-USA clothing and gifts. Click here tobrowse The Union Shop Online:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=38
With a hassle-free stop at The Union Shop Online, you'll find dozens of giftsthat carry your values of social and economic justice-made by workers withunion contracts that protect their wages, benefits and working conditions. Check
out the cozy hooded jackets, matching sweatpants, baseball jackets and knit watch caps proudly made by UNITEHERE members:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=40
Send your holiday greetings with justice-inspired, union-printed Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and holidaycards that show you care:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=39
How about a union-made game of Scrabble? An "International Babyhood of Snugglers" bib? Check out thegames and kids' stuff at:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=42
Stuff some stockings with our "Got a Boss? Get a Union" and "Make Your Voice Heard" mugs, or golf balls,first aid kits and "Sound Off for Justice" whistles at:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=41
For the extra-special someone on your holiday list, here's an extra-special gift: the 12-piece "Lunchtime on Topof a Skyscraper" sculpture by Sergio Furnari, featuring ironworkers on a beam in the air:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/product1.cfm?SID=1&Product_ID=428
Deck the halls with a union-made, antiqued bronze-tone star, dangling from a red ribbon and wrapped in a plushvelveteen black bag:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=39
Then kick back and listen to some music-maybe "The Essential Bruce Springsteen"-or watch a movie with apowerful message:http://unionshop.aflcio.org/shop/category.cfm?SID=1&Category_ID=8
At The Union Shop Online, you'll find something for everyone on your holiday gift-giving list. And you'll knowyour gifts come from and support workers who have the benefit of a union voice on the job.
Enjoy your holiday shopping! - Working Families e-Activist Network
P.S. Lots of people you know also want to shop sweat-free this holiday season. Please forward this informationto your friends, family and co-workers.
Need more worker-friendly gift ideas? Visit www.unionplus.org/gifts and www.ShopUnionMade.org
Page 16
411 Main Will Host Blood Drive 12/29The annual holiday blood drive at the St. Paul Labor Centre will take place December 29 from 2-7 PM at 411Main St. To schedule a donation time, call Carol Sandberg at 651-222-3787 ext. 18.
This drive is sponsored by the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly and its Community Services Committee,Greater Twin Cities United Way, and American Red Cross North Central Blood Services.
Page 17Support America's Service Men and
Women
Let our men and women in America's armed services know they havenot been forgotten while they are deployed for the war in Iraq. Send anE-mail Message.
The U.S. Department of Defense no longer allows packages to be sent to"Any Service Member"-but e-mail is welcome. Send messages of sup-port from:
Operation Dear Abby (http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/MessageSend.html) and Defense Department's thank-you notes. (http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html)
Make a Donation The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and recreation services for uniformed
military personnel. You can donate online, (http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_18_23.cfm) by phone any time and anyday by calling 800-876-7469 toll-free or by mailing a tax-deductible donation to: USO World Headquarters,Department WS, P.O. Box 96860, Washington, D.C. 20090-6860. If your employer has a gift-matching program,you can double the value of your contribution.
The American Red Cross assists deployed service members as well as their family members here athome. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement also delivers humanitarian aid to citizens suf-fering from war's effects. Contribute online (http://www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html); by phone toll-free at800-435-7669 (English), 800-257-7575 (Spanish) or 800-220-4095 (TDD); or mail a check to the American RedCross AFES-Iraq Response, P.O. Box 91820, Washington, D.C. 20090. Lend a Hand.
You do not have to look far to find a family whose father, mother, son or daughter is serving in the warin Iraq. Deployment of a family member is extremely difficult-emotionally and financially-for those left here athome. Reach out to help.
Check in regularly with local family members of service men and women. Offer to baby-sit, bring ameal, help with transportation or otherwise help fill the shoes of the absent service member.
With your congregation, local union or community group, "adopt" service members' families and helpmake sure their needs are being met.
Provide information about caring resources-the local Red Cross chapter, local AFL-CIO CommunityServices Network representative, community mental health contacts, congregation resources, etc. (http://www.aflcio.org/communitypartners/peoplehelp/)
More Find out about the rights of active duty reservists and National Guard members when they return to work. (http://www.aflcio.org/yourjobeconomy/rights/rightsatwork/reservists.cfm)Support the troops and show how much you care with "Gifts from the Homefront." (http://www.aafes.com/docs/homefront.htm)Send a care package to a service member with a personal message. (http://www.usocares.org/)Find out more ways to support the troops and their families through MarineMoms. (http://www.marinemoms.org/usmc/)Help military families in your community. (http://www.familyfirst.net/famlife/military.asp)Provide onsite lodging for families of service members being treated at military hospitals. (http://www.fisherhouse.org/)
Whether you are for the war or not, our servicemen and their families need your support.
Page 18
Contract ProposalsThe present agreement relating to wages, hours and working conditions between Metro Transit and theAmalgamated Transit Union, Local 1005 expires on July 31, 2005.
Any member wishing to submit amendments, revisions or changes to the present agreement may do so by sub-mitting proposals to the Union office.
Each proposal submitted must be legible, on a seperate sheet of paper and signed, so your committee can groupproposals by category.
140/90.
Annual recertification is recommended if the medical examiner does not know the severity of hypertension priorto treatment. An elevated blood pressure finding should be confirmed by at least two subsequent measurementson different days.
Treatment includes non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic modalities as well as counseling to reduce other riskfactors. Most antihypertensive medications also have side effects, the importance of which must be judged on anindividual basis. Individuals must be alerted to the hazards of these medications while driving. Side effects ofsomnolence or syncope are particularly undesirable in commercial drivers.
Secondary hypertension is based on the above stages.
Evaluation is warranted if patient is persistently hypertensive on maximal or near-maximal doses of 2-3 pharma-cologic agents. Some causes of secondary hypertension may be amenable to surgical intervention or specificpharmacologic therapy.
Continued From Page 7 - Motor Carrier and Driver Laws
Fatigue Rule Notice
Article 20, section 23 of the LaborAgreement states:
"Effective with the March 2001pick, operators shall not exceedsixteen (16) hours of scheduleddriving time, including regularand overtime hours, within atwenty-four (24) hour period, mid-night to midnight. Metro Transitmay reduce the sixteen (16) hoursto no less than fourteen and one-half (14-1/2) hours with two (2)months notice."
In a letter dated November 10,2004, Metro Transit notified theATU of their intent to exercise thecontract provision allowing themto decrease the allowable sched-uled driving time to 14 ½ hours,effective January 10, 2005. MetroTransit feels this step will enhancesafety in the system.
Page19
Submissions for Letters to the Editor are subject to approval of the EditorialBoard and space considerations. Letters to the Editor are solely the opinionof the author and do not represent endorsement by ATU Local 1005 or theEducation Committee. If you have an editorial to submit, please contact acommittee member or our advisor Michelle Sommers at: [email protected]
Accessibility is a rightnot an inconvenience
I am writing this letter as a busrider who has a temporary disabil-ity, a broken ankle, and also as aunion sister.
The quality of service Ihave encountered, during myrecovery, has been mixed.
Many bus operators have beenpleasant and helpful but therehave also been many bus opera-tors who have not.
What I found, when I was able toride the bus again, was not verypleasant. I started out with awalking cast and a walker so Ineeded the lift to get on the bus.
Many of the bus operators wouldroll their eyes and sigh at myrequest to have the lift out. (Whatwas that all about?)
However, once I was on the busand the operator saw my companyID their whole attitude changed.
I still see this type of bodylanguage from operators towardscustomers who use walkers,crutches or even canes.
The other problem I encounteredare bus operators who do not getclose to the curb. It is verypainful to make a long step up offthe curb or vice versa.
It is also scary to have to step offthe bus onto the street because thecurb is too far away. This impacts
the elderly and height challenged.
So next time you encounter a per-son with a special need or a walk-er or crutches smile and try toremember it may be a temporaryinconvenince for you but it makesa difference in the lives of peoplewho have a disability.
Nancy Mastenbrook
Answer To Quipto:
SINCE THE TRANSIT STRIKE,
I AM CERTAIN THAT THE
ONLY TRUE OXYMORON IS
THE TERM "CHRISTIAN
CONSERVATIVE". NOW
PLEASE PASS THE JUMBO
SHRIMP.
Holiday WishesIf the response to the question about holiday wishes at East Metro is anyindication of how we’re feeling about ourselves and our jobs, then wefind ourselves in serious and desperate state of mind. All we want forChristmas is;1. A raise.2. Early retirement.3. A new life.4. A union that stands up for its’ members.5. The chance to say Merry Christmas without some lawyer shrillinginsisting that I’m oppressing somebody.
These messages are a clear indication of a general concern about the divi-sive nature of our political and economic climate. We have serious,realis-tic and reasonable concerns about our futures. Anyone who attempts todismiss them as excessive, while they play the political games, is doing adisservice to our efforts. Metro Transit’s service to our community andthe Union’s service to this cause, should not be short changed. We are nota part of anything negative. The greater metro area benefits, as do allMinnesotans from our service.
K.H. Rice, ATU Local 1005 - Education Committee, Driver # 05975-East Metro
LettersTo TheEditor
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! MAY YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES ENJOY THE SEASON IN HEALTH
