"Whatever their faults, unions have been the only powerful and effective voice working people have ever had in the history of this country." - Bruce Springsteen On Sunday, July 13 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and Monday, July 14, 2008 at the union office, the union membership voted on what the company called its "Final Offer." The outcome was an over- whelming 95% rejection. Unionize First Student page 18 Financial Health page 20 The news and information publication of
The 1005 Line The 1005 Line July / August 2008 The news and information publication of ATU Local 1005 Prepared and distributed by the Education Committee "Whatever their faults, unions have been the only powerful and effective voice working people have ever had in the history of this country." - Bruce Springsteen What’s Inside... Officer’s Corner page 2 Union Meeting Highlights page 3 Retirement Parties pages 4, 17, 24 Transit Safety & Security page 10 June 1st Union Picnic Pictures pages 8,9 DSSC Minutes page 11 Retirements & Anniversaries page 14 Economy page 16 Unionize First Student page 18 Financial Health page 20 Obituaries pages 27,28 For The People Who Know Where They Are Going Continued on Page 7 Membership Rejects Company’s Offer Contract negotiations between ATU Local 1005 and Metro Transit have been going on since December of last year. On Sunday, July 13 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and Monday, July 14, 2008 at the union office, the union membership voted on what the company called its "Final Offer." The outcome was an over- whelming 95% rejection. At Sunday's meeting, both in her introduction and commentary, Local 1005 President Michelle Sommers explained that this vote is not a strike authorization at this time, but simply a yes/no vote on the offer. The union is required to present an offer to the membership when the compa- ny says it's their final offer. Recording Secretary Scott Tollin read the offer, emphasizing the sub- stantive changes versus the simple cleaning up of contract language. Local 1005's Executive Board recommended against accepting the offer 18 to 0. Janice Borchardt, ATU International Vice President, who has been involved with the negotiations from the beginning, likened the offer
Transcript
The 1005 LineThe 1005 LineJuly / August 2008
The news and information
publication of ATU Local 1005
Prepared and distributed by the Education
Committee
"Whatever their faults, unionshave been the only powerful andeffective voice working people haveever had in the history of thiscountry."
- Bruce Springsteen
What’s Inside...Officer’s Cornerpage 2
Union Meeting Highlights page 3
Retirement Parties pages 4, 17, 24
Transit Safety & Security page 10
June 1st Union Picnic Picturespages 8,9
DSSC Minutespage 11
Retirements & Anniversaries page 14
Economypage 16
Unionize First Studentpage 18
Financial Healthpage 20
Obituariespages 27,28
For The People Who Know Where They Are Going
Continued on Page 7
Membership Rejects Company’s Offer
Contract negotiations between ATU Local 1005 and Metro Transithave been going on since December of last year.
On Sunday, July 13 at the Minneapolis Convention Center andMonday, July 14, 2008 at the union office, the union membership votedon what the company called its "Final Offer." The outcome was an over-whelming 95% rejection.
At Sunday's meeting, both in her introduction and commentary, Local1005 President Michelle Sommers explained that this vote is not a strikeauthorization at this time, but simply a yes/no vote on the offer. Theunion is required to present an offer to the membership when the compa-ny says it's their final offer.
Recording Secretary Scott Tollin read the offer, emphasizing the sub-stantive changes versus the simple cleaning up of contract language.Local 1005's Executive Board recommended against accepting the offer18 to 0. Janice Borchardt, ATU International Vice President, who hasbeen involved with the negotiations from the beginning, likened the offer
Education Commit-tee Meetings 2:30 pmJuly 15th August 19th at theUnion Office
Executive Board& Union MeetingsJuly 22 - St. PaulAugust 26 - Mpls. 10:00 AM / 7:00 PM(New pm start time)
Union OfficePhone612-379-2914email:[email protected]:www.atu1005.com
Jerry EwaldVice-President
Thank You
This December 31st will mark my sixth year in the Union office as afull-time Union Officer. The first three years were as Financial Secretary-Treasurer and the last three as Vice President. I was the Sentinel forseven years before that. The time I spent in the Union office has gone byincredibly fast, I think because there is always something happening andgoing on. But after being in office for six years, I have an even greaterappreciation of what all those people who came before me have done forour Union. Their incredible dedication to you the members and our unionis astounding.
I started out going to Union meetings from the very beginning when Ihired on as a bus driver in 1976. I am really glad I did that because itkept me informed about what was not only happening at my Union, butwith the employer as well. I highly encourage all the members to attendUnion meetings, especially the younger members. The old saying goes:"The future belongs to those who prepare for it". The future of our Unionbelongs to each of us.
I am not going to run for re-election and will be going back to thejob of Dispatcher until such time as I retire. At this September's Unionmeetings there will be nominations taken for the four full-time Officerpositions as well as the entire Executive Board. I know whoever we electthis fall will work hard on our behalf.
This was my turn and probably my last to write a column in thenewsletter. So I wanted to take this time to thank each and every memberfor the opportunity you have given me to serve as one of your UnionOfficers. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with you. I wishyou all the very best!
Executive Board RecommendationThe Executive Board by consensus recommended that the letter of
agreement between ATU 1005 and Metro Transit pertaining to State Fairand RNC work be accepted.
There was a motion made and seconded to amend the letter of agreementand bring back to Metro Transit that 'bumping' be removed from theagreement. After discussion a standing vote was taken at the AM and PMmeetings with the outcome of the vote being that the amendment failed.By a standing vote at the AM and PM meeting, the letter of agreementwas accepted.
President's ReportOn the Payroll Issue: ATU prevailed in an arbitration decision back
in February 2008. Management had until May 22, 2008 to challenge thedecision. They have informed us that they intend to go to court in aneffort to overturn this decision. We have met a number of times withAFSCME in an effort to find an acceptable solution to this issue. Aftermeeting with them, we gave the Council a proposal and are now waitingfor their answer.
Regarding the Non-Operator Attendance Policy and the DisabilityManagement Policy, the ATU and Management have reached a settle-ment on both of these issues. Some of the improvements with theDisability Management Policy include being out ten days before requir-ing a 'Doctor's Note' and having the ability to extend 'Restricted Duty' anadditional six months. There will also be a committee making decisionsabout disqualifications instead of having one person decide. The Non-Operator Attendance Policy will be on a trial basis until December 2008and is retroactive from December 2007. If the policy is shown to beunworkable, then the option of going to arbitration remains.
The Governor had originally cut $30 million dollars from MetroTransit's budget, but final numbers show that Metro Transit will receiveonly $136,000 less than requested. The Motor Vehicle Excise Tax(MVET) that provides the agency with funding is expected to be $3.4million below projections. Now that the final numbers are in, the hiringfreeze that has been in place should be removed.
Contract negotiations continue. The ATU and Management have anumber of meetings planned. What it is down to at this point is wagesand health care. There is still confidence that we will have a packagetogether by the time the current contract expires on July 31, 2008.
Rochester City Lines has their first contract. Over 90% of the mem-bers voting voted to accept the contract.
President Sommers brought to the members' attention a couple ofreasons why Metro Transit will not be providing buses and drivers forthe Republican National Convention: 1)The RNC wants 'Coach' buses
Continued on Page 14
Page 4
CRYPTOEach letter stands for another. If you think X=O, for example, it would equal O throughout the puz-
zle. Clue: T = P (Answer on page 19 ) Submitted by “Qrypto Man” - Pat Kelehan
B X A C Z T P C T D P B A
F G Y P A T C J M, B C Z G Z K C
G J P J P G D N C Q N S
T C M G M C P R.
Doug Hall, Mechanic 5182Doug retired on May 16th with thirty years of
service. He started with the MTC on June 30,1978 as a cleaner at Ruter (MJR). After sixmonths, he transferred into the fueler position. Hewent to Nicollet Garage and remained there as amechanic until retirement. Doug is known for hismany years of donating his abilities and work tothe Minnesota Transportation Museum, as wit-nessed by the restoration of Bus 1399.
The following members’ dependents won the 2008 ATU 1005 scholarships:Tim Bell # 1153, Deb Ekstedt # 9365, Robert Graham # 5253, Tim Robinson # 1617
Congratulations to the winners!
Page 5
Medical Waiver as an OptionNona Wood, Driver 6822, MJR
I am 54 years old, and up until eight months ago, had never been hospitalized for anything other than havingmy tonsils out at age six and giving birth to my two children.
Symptoms and DiagnosisLast December, I went into the hospital not feeling the best. I had difficulty breathing, pain in my chest, was
light-headed and just feeling lousy. Chest X-rays revealed swollen lymph nodes. My doctor advised me to takesome tests. I passed the stress test along with other tests. Two weeks later, a biopsy was done on the lungs and itfound that I had one cell showing Sarcoidosis (a viral infection). After the biopsy, I was told at a meeting with alung specialist that I would have to take a drug called Prednisone. The doctors gave me a prescription that, intheir opinion, could safely treat the small cell of Sarcoidosis. They told me the side effects were weight gain and"puffiness" (like Jerry Lewis).
Second OpinionMy second-opinion doctor confirmed the diagnosis of my first lung specialist. Because I still was not con-
vinced, they ordered more breathing tests. The new tests revealed my first inclination, that I could have bronchi-tis. My immediate thoughts were to take an inhaler, which I thought might solve the problem.
By February, I still had this dry cough (had it for about a year and thought it was from smoking). Then theitching started on my chest. Besides the horrible itching, I could only eat and drink small portions, unable tokeep anything down. Blood tests revealed that my liver may be giving me problems.
Additional Testing and Treatment During this time I saw two liver specialists. They recommended I have an MRI. The MRI revealed a liver
twice its normal size and lumpy rather than smooth. It was pushing my stomach up to the esophagus which,instead of being straight down, was in an "L" shape. One of the specialists ordered a biopsy of the liver, andthose results confirmed that I did indeed have Sarcoidosis (It moved from the lung to the liver, but no permanentliver damage).
The doctor put me on 60 mg's of Prednisone a day, to be reduced to 40 mg's within three weeks. At this timeI had three options: take the strong dosage of Prednisone and suffer the side effects; look at a liver transplant; orleave well enough alone and be laid to rest within a few months. Naturally, I chose the Prednisone!
Side Effects Cause Crisis The biopsy was done on a Monday and I was coming back to work that Wednesday. However, on my trip
into work, I noticed that I couldn't see twenty feet in front of me. Everything was blurry. When I put my glasseson I couldn't see two feet ahead of me. My union rep Dan (Dispatcher) advised me correctly, not to attempt driv-ing, given my blurred vision.
I called my doctor to make an appointment right away. By the time I made it to see him (9:00 a.m.), myblood glucose was over 650 and I was told to go into the hospital immediately. By the time I got there, my countwas over 750!! I found out through the internet (Mayo Clinic web site) that Prednisone can cause diabetes (ifyou have an underlying case). Had I known this earlier, I would have checked for another type of drug that didthe same thing as Prednisone but without the side effects. I now had to learn how to check my own blood glu-cose and give myself a "shot" of insulin. (I don't like needles and hate poking my finger to get blood. Heck, Idon't like taking drugs of any kind, whether they’re over-the-counter or prescribed.)
An opthamologist informed me that a high glucose level may cause damage to the retina. He found no dam-age. I will have to wear my glasses all the time now instead of just for reading.
Caution to OperatorsOperators need to know that if you are going to be taking insulin shots, management and the DOT need to
be advised immediately. The DOT laws (391.64 sections a-I thru b-3) provide for "grandfathering for certain
drivers participating in vision and diabetes waiver study programs.” Medical Waiver
Once I was able to pass my vision tests in accordance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, it wason to the process of obtaining a waiver from the DOT. As you might imagine, there is lots of paperwork: con-tacting doctors for their releases, gathering all of the necessary correspondence and delivering the required infor-mation to the DOT. Metro Transit also requires all the necessary paperwork to be completed.
Unfortunately, in exchange for my health and to be able to qualify to drive again, I exhausted most of my ofsick-leave hours. I may be a little "puffy" in the face- gained a little weight (which means I still look like a busdriver!) I'm just thankful to be back driving today (6-18-08).
Nona Wood
For those who need more specific information on the pertinent legislation:Appendix
§391.64 Grandfathering for certain drivers participating in vision and diabetes waiver study programs.(a) The provisions of §391.41(b)(3) do not apply to a driver who was a participant in good standing on March31, 1996, in a waiver study program concerning the operation of commercial motor vehicles by insulin-con-trolled diabetic drivers; provided:(a)(1) The driver is physically examined every year, including an examination by a board-certified/eligibleendocrinologist attesting to the fact that the driver is:(a)(1)(i) Otherwise qualified under §391.41;(a)(1)(ii) Free of insulin reactions (an individual is free of insulin reactions if that individual does not havesevere hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia unawareness, and has less than one documented, symptomatic hypo-glycemic reaction per month);(a)(1)(iii) Able to and has demonstrated willingness to properly monitor and manage his/her diabetes; and(a)(1)(iv) Not likely to suffer any diminution in driving ability due to his/her diabetic condition.(a)(2) The driver agrees to and complies with the following conditions:(a)(2)(i) A source of rapidly absorbable glucose shall be carried at all times while driving;(a)(2)(ii) Blood glucose levels shall be self-monitored one hour prior to driving and at least once every fourhours while driving or on duty prior to driving using a portable glucose monitoring device equipped with a com-puterized memory;(a)(2)(iii) Submit blood glucose logs to the endocrinologist or medical examiner at the annual examination orwhen otherwise directed by an authorized agent of the FMCSA;(a)(2)(iv) Provide a copy of the endocrinologist's report to the medical examiner at the time of the annual med-ical examination; and(a)(2)(v) Provide a copy of the annual medical certification to the employer for retention in the driver's qualifica-tion file and retain a copy of the certification on his/her person while driving for presentation to a duly author-ized Federal, State or local enforcement official.(b) The provisions of §391.41(b)(10) do not apply to a driver who was a participant in good standing on March31, 1996, in a waiver study program concerning the operation of commercial motor vehicles by drivers withvisual impairment in one eye; provided:(b)(1) The driver is physically examined every year, including an examination by an ophthalmologist oroptometrist attesting to the fact that the driver:(b)(1)(i) Is otherwise qualified under §391.41; and(b)(1)(ii) Continues to measure at least 20/40 (Snellen) in the better eye.(b)(2) The driver provides a copy of the ophthalmologist or optometrist report to the medical examiner at thetime of the annual medical examination.(b)(3) The driver provides a copy of the annual medical certification to the employer for retention in the driver'squalification file and retains a copy of the certification on his/her person while driving for presentation to a dulyauthorized federal, state or local enforcement official.[66 FR 49874, Oct. 1, 2001]
Page 6
The Third Annual ATU Picnic
The beautiful weather brought union families and friends out to BattleCreek Park on June 1st, where they were able to eat, enjoy the camaraderie,and be eligible to win one of the many prizes. The children especiallyenjoyed the “Moonwalk,” the pony rides and other games.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Dan Abramowicz appears in manyof the pictures. Why? Because he was involved in the prize drawing andpresented the prize to the winning member. There were a lot of prizes! Howmany do you count? Be sure to look in the background. The first person tocall the union office and tell Jerry Ewald wins an “Atta Boy.” This entitlesthe union member the right to sit in the front row at the next union meeting.
Although there was no dunk tank this year, rumor has it that organizers intend to bring back that highly-pop-ular entertainment next year. The pictures on the next pages tell the rest of the happy story.
Page 7to being at a dinner with the main course missing: "Economically, we cannot agree with it,"
The proposed contract would have covered the two- year period from July 31, 2008 until July 31, 2010. Itwould have provided wage increases of 1% in August 2008, 1% in August 2009 and 2% in February 2010, for atotal of 4%. It was noted that other Council members had received raises of up to 4.25% this year alone. (AFSCME members working for the Met Council received 2.4% per year.) The reason for the proposed two-year contract is that the HealthPartners contract is coming up for bid sometime in 2010 and the costs would beunknown. The union leadership did not want to agree to a contract with unknown costs.
Medical benefits for family coverage would have increasedover 7%, depending upon which health plan was chosen. (Thethird year was an estimate.) Single coverage would haveremained at no cost.
Besides the two present health plans, there would also havebeen the introduction of a third plan, "Distinction," in which doc-tors (even in the same clinic) are evaluated on a yearly basis andrated into groups. You could see the same doctor year to year butyour costs might fluctuate based on their rating change. If youwant further information, please consult your Board member.
Anticipating the membership's rejection of this offer, the unionhas already set up six more days this month for negotiations.Let's hope the company can come to their senses and come backwith a fair contract proposal that is acceptable to the members.
A couple of "old timers" in the crowd discuss theoffer and advise each other on what steps to take.
Page 8
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For complete details please seethe Safety and Security Boardlocated in every garage.
Page 10
Transit Safety and Security CommitteeMembers:David Hanson, ManagementAdvisor, Street Supervisor David Rogers, Chair, Rail Op.Curt Botner, Nicollet Op.Michael Craven, MJR Op.Allen Juaire, East Metro Op.Jeffrey Thompson, Hey. Op.Mary Vasterling, South Op.Pamela Hamlow, MJR Op.
MAYOthers in Attendance
Mike Robeck - TCCSupervisor Sam L. Jacobs - Director, BusOperationsJane Whim - Street SupervisorGeorgia Stinson - AssistantDirector, Field OpsChuck Wurzinger -MaintenanceScott Tollin - ATU 1005Brenda Himirich - SafetyEmily Anleu - SecretaryDavid Larabee - RiskManagement
on a call with the TCC. Turningoff the bus can disrupt or evendisconnect the call. Stay on theline during an emergency. DON'THANG UP. Remain calm, speakslowly, and respond to questions.
SPIT SHIELD PRESENTATION:Emily Anleu in attendance: New YorkSpoke to Henry Sullivan, ChiefMaintenance Officer. They do nothave a shield, but they do have adoor that goes from seat level tofloor that operators must open toget in and out of the seat. Theyalso have a committee that meetswith the Union and safety officialsto decide on such things. Theyhave decided against a partitionbecause they don't want to alien-ate the operators from the public.They have made assaulting anoperator a criminal offense ratherthan a misdemeanor and havedecals on the bus stating such. SeattleNo partition or anything to protectthe operator. Looked into it, butdon't like the message it sends tothe public. "It's dangerous on thebus so we're going to protect thedriver by putting him in thisfortress, but you all have to fendfor yourselves."Washington D.C. According to a blog site calleddcist Washington D.C. is testingfull plastic shields on five of theirbuses. No results as of now. ChicagoSpoke to Tom Reynolds Mgr. BusEngineering/Tech. Services/QC.Chicago transit authority is getting300 New Flyers and they willhave a full safety shield. Theywant to retro fit 1200 buses byOctober of this year. The safety
shield swings open and closed.
MAINTENANCE REPORT:Chuck Wurzinger, Spit Shields,Spoke to a person that works forTom Reynolds. This person isconcerned that the operatorswould have a hard time getting inand out of the seats during anemergency situation. New Flyerhas shields that we can retrofit.Gillig only suggests using the full,swinging door shields.
Second defrost fan, Funds aregone, but we're going to proceedanyway. Should start seeing themin about a month. To save moneywe need to find a second fan with-out an auxiliary switch. Shouldstart seeing new buses with sec-ond fan next week.
STREET OPERATIONS: JanieWhim, Following up on the leftturn from University to Huron. Iwent to a question & answer ses-sion at the U of M and they areworking on the light cycle length,which should help the situation.
SAFETY REPORT: BrendaHimrich, Vehicle and Customerbus Accidents per 100,000 miles.All garages are now on one chart.All garages are under system goalyear to date. Will provide statsevery month - year to date.Scooters falling over. We arereleasing information regarding:How to prevent tipping. How toreduce cost of injuries. How toreduce injuries. We have notes onthe website. A note about wheel-chairs: By ADA* definition, awheelchair is a mobility aidbelonging to any class of three orfour-wheeled devices, usableindoors, designed for and used byindividuals with mobility limita-
TCC REPORT: Mike Robeck,Covert and Overt alarms -Misuse, Covert, Police will come withlights and sirens. This should beused in emergency situationsONLY. You won't be able to talkto the TCC and they won't callyou.
Overt, You can talk to the TCC.They will call you back. With thenew system you don't have to usethe covert then downgrade toOvert. Simply use the Overtalarm. Don't shut bus down while
tions, whether operated manuallyor powered.
According to the ADA, in order tobe carried in a public transit vehi-cle, such a device cannot exceed30 inches in width and 48 inchesin length when measured twoinches above the ground. TheADA also states that service willnot be provided if the combinedweight of the rider and the wheel-chair exceeds 600 pounds. Whenpossible, for the safety of theoccupant, occupants of scooter-type wheelchairs will be asked totransfer from the scooter to avehicle seat.
*Americans with Disabilities ActCalled wheelchair distributors andasked for a chair that could bestrapped down safely on a bus andthey said you can't ride wheel-chairs on the bus. For the safety of passengers, busoperators will be asked to ask theperson in the wheelchair to get offand sit in a seat.Straps will be tested at East Metroon routes that have a high numberof lift deployments. There will be a scooter at EastMetro to help train operators.
RISK MANAGEMENT: DavidLarabee, Nothing to reportLRT: No report. POLICE REPORT: No Report
OTHER: Fill out OCR's for situa-tions that impede your ability tostay on schedule. OCR is a toolto resolve an issue on the line.Lake Street is much better sinceOCR's.
Service Animals - Curt Botner:What classifies a service animal?Ask questions: Is this your serviceanimal? Are you disabled?Service animal must be undercontrol. Call the TCC if you'reunsure. They don't have to have
Page 11
JUNEOthers in Attendance
Mike Robeck - TCCSupervisor Frank Stumpf - GarageManager MJRChuck Wurzinger -Maintenance Donathan Brown - ATMNicolletMichael Guse - LRTEmily Anleu - SecretaryDavid Larabee - RiskManagement
any credentials. Service animalsaren't necessarily Seeing Eye dogsanymore.
Covert Alarm: Can we have flash-ing lights or something on the out-side of the bus letting peopleknow that there is an emergency?Not necessary with TransitMaster.The bus is being tracked at alltimes. Everyone who needs toknow about the emergency willknow with the use of the Covertalarm. Sticker on the bus thatshows how tall someone is.Similar to the ones at gas stations.Sticker that says "Don't cross infront of the bus". New artics havethem why not have it on allbuses? Chuck Wurzinger: Willlook into getting it on the nextorder of buses.
BCTC still not locked after 10pm. Police were out there andwere telling people they had toleave, but on next trip there werepeople in there again. Locksaren't working. Sam Jacobs willfollow up. MAD DADS are outthere. Police are making aneffort. Drivers are concerned theyaren't getting buses with new cam-era systems on late routes. Can we have a bay/row specifical-ly for those buses? Frank can fig-ure that out, if not call Sam andhe will figure that out. Front doorat East Metro if broken. It can'tbe locked. Email Fritz. Sam willfollow up. Bike racks and drink-ing fountains at LRT. Georgia islooking into other options.
Terminal Issues: Create a policythat provides safety and securityat layovers. We have had only 16complaints system wide regardingcustomers not being allowed toboard at a layover locations. -Sam Jacobs
Respectfully submitted,
Emily Anleu, Recording Secretary.
TCC: Mike Robeck; New MDT: Make sure operatorsknow where buttons are beforethey pull out. Make sure opera-tors know what bus they are in.Sometimes after a merge or a pickthe bus numbers don't match whatthey were assigned. TCC needscorrect information in order tosend help, mechanic, etc. Whenyou press the EMT button can theTCC hear us? No, only when youuse the covert button.
MAINTENANCE REPORT:Chuck Wurzinger: ServiceDevelopment will keep Artics offintercity routes. Approximately20 new 40 foots are in service atEast and new hybrid is in serviceat Nicollet.10 Issues regarding new GilligBRT buses from Allen Juaire.
Stop request volume - When thechime is pulled not only does thebell chime, but a loud voicespeaks over the P.A. saying"STOP REQUESTED". Volumehas been lowered. If it needs to beadjusted again please let us know.Is there a way for the operators to
Page 12 TSSC continued from page 711adjust the volume themselves?Not that I know of, but I'll lookinto it.
Steps in back seem high - at 9.25inches each. Nothing can be doneby the manufacturer. The stepshave to be a certain height toaccommodate the ramp, transmis-sion, and drive axle.
Wheel chair circulation: Someextra large wheelchairs and scoot-ers are having trouble gettingaround the front door area by thewheel wells. They use the rampthen have to make a turn/swing toget to the seat. There are no ADAor FTA requirements for themobility device circulation area,but not all chairs will be able tomake the swing. All our mobilitydevice ramps, wheelchairs, andsecurement systems meet theapplicable requirements.
Curbside wipers on opera win-dows on side of bus don't turn offwhen door opens. Wipers don'tkick water on to customers thatare waiting to board. Cup holdersize too small. This is the Gilligstandard size. There may not be asuitable place in the operator'sarea to install another one.
Mirrors: Questions about theplacement of street-side exteriormirror have been raised. The newplacement changes where youhave to look. You have to looktwice to see what you used to beable to see in one glance. Wecould change it. It would be cost-ly and we would need some time.The advantages of the upper loca-tion are, less road splash and moreimportantly, the elimination of theblind spot created by the larger,heated mirror assembly.
Makes buses wider. Be careful inbays so you don't hit the mirrors.Higher mirrors will be in line with
the trucksRight side mirror can't be movedto a different location, but opera-tors should be advised how toadjust mirrors. How wide are mirrors? The mir-rors make the buses at least 1 1/2to 2 inches wider. I don't have theexact figures with me now. Thenarrowest places in each garagewill provide this much spacebetween buses: Nicollet 10.67",MJR 9.67", FTH 8.8", South 9.4",East 18"
Interior mirror that lets you seeseat behind you. The group thatreviewed both pilot buses in lateApril decided against it. Thisgroup included Mike Conlon,Steve Mclaird, Tom Herbeck, JeffWostrel, Jon Uzpen, operatortrainers, and operators.
STREET OPERATIONS: DaveHanson; Lots of detours. If oper-ators have questions while on thestreet, ask us. We're there to help.We try to create the detour withthe least impact on our customers.Always be safe. Safety is #1.
Cell phone usage. Lots of cus-tomers are commenting/complain-ing. If you must use your cellpull over and stop. It's a badimage and it's not safe. What isthe (cell phone) policy at LRT?Only ok at layover. Never whilemoving. We have headsets so thatis the only electronic device youcan have in your ear while you'removing. Operators can't use anyelectronic devices while operatinga bus.
SAFETY REPORT: BrianMortari; Nothing to report.
RISK MANAGEMENT: DaveLarrabee: Risk and Safety areworking on the scooter project atEast Metro. Will test Q-straints tosee if we should use them. Will
run for a month and will gatherresults. Try to talk to operatorsafter accidents to get a better pic-ture of what happened. After thepick things got switched around.Operators that volunteered for theproject picked work that might notbe a route that services very manywheelchairs. Three wheel scootersare inherently unstable.Manufactures say don't transportin chair, but some won't get out ofthe chairs so we have to. Use fourstraps on scooters to make themmore secure. Is it true that wedon't have to load wheelchairs ifwe think the chair is unsafe? Callthe TCC and they will advise.
LRT REPORT: Michael Guse inattendance: 38th and 46th StreetStations, Operators need to becareful. Passengers are departingthe bus and running to catch atrain. Buses pull up too close andlet people off. We will put up apermanent fixture, but for nowthere are cones and tape.
46th Street crossing south of sta-tion, Extend the chain link fenceto prevent people from crossingthere. Don't board customershere. It is very dangerous.Operators have to stop at thecrossing. If you get a ticket fornot stopping at a railroad crossingyou could get your CDL licensesuspended and you could be ter-minated.
When will construction start forNorthstar and Central Corridor?Michael Guse: Late 2009 forNorthstar. For Central Corridor,we have more Metro Transit divi-sions involved. LRT is a lot moreinvolved. We're making progress.
POLICE REPORT: Jim Franklin:May numbers aren't in yet, but wemet all of our goals in April. Onthe police reports that come outare we going to be able to get a
For complete details please seethe Safety and Security Boardlocated in every garage.
Page 13short description of what occurredlike we did on the old reports? Asa result of the new RMS systemthe report will have date, location,and time. Does it have responsetimes? All other information canbe pulled up on SSR's by yourmanager.
OTHER: Can we broaden thescope of this meeting? We covera lot of issues that might not beconsidered just safety and securi-ty. I would not be in support
broadening the scope of this com-mittee nor would upper manage-ment. This committee was formedin an effort for operators and man-agement to work together toresolve issues that are directlyrelated to the safety and securityof operators and our customers. Itis important to note that all issuesare brought to the committee areheard, discussed and decided uponby the committee. There are limi-tations to what we as a committee
can do. Sometimes the answer isnot yes. Regardless if the answer,it is important that the resolutionis delivered back to the Ops.
Northwest Conference of the ATUCalgary, Alberta, Local 583
Friday May 20thPresident Isaac Tate of Local
758 in Tacoma, Washington start-ed the meeting. Then Fred Wong,Director of Calgary Transit, spokeabout safety and security on tran-sit, which means more camerasand police. In 2007, 90 millionpassengers rode on a fleet of 773regular buses plus rail. The sys-tem has 2,500 union employees.
The next speaker was GilMcGovern, President of theAlberta Federation of Labour. Hepointed out Canada doesn't haveGeorge Bush, that Canada has ahigher percentage of its laborforce in unions. He also talkedabout our Democratic candidatesdiscussing health care that alreadyexists in Canada.
Peggy Askien, President of theCalgary and District LabourCouncil, was the next speaker.Between 2004 and 2008,Calgary's population has grownby 8,500. Calgary has the mosthomeless, the highest rents andthe highest prices for homes($450,000) in Canada.
Robin West, Director of theCanadian Councils, spoke about
wanting commercial laws changedso that an assault on a transitworker would be the same as anassault on a police officer. 36 %of all transit workers are assaultedduring their driving career.
Drivers in Canada are juststarting to call bus stops whendriving. This will be done untilan annunciator system can beinstalled.
Canada does not have randomdrug testing policy for transit driv-ers.
Don Hanson, InternationalVice President, saw huge ridershipincreases, and if gas pricesincrease, so should transit.
The ATU International hasendorsed Barack Obama forPresident.
Bob Hykaway, InternationalVice President, representing themechanical end of the ATU, spokeon training issues for mechanics.
Ron Heintzman, InternationalVice President, talked about howmanagement has been trying todestroy 13C. We need A.P.T.A. tocommit. They will challenge13C.
A special presentation by
Chinook Plastics on assaultshields was presented by MichaelMeelse.
The afternoon session, givenby Robert Ingram, R.C.WTechnologies Ltd., was a trainingsession on excel worksheets.
Saturday May 21thThe reports of Locals were
moved to the last order of busi-ness, along with the bylawchanges. Bylaws were read andvoted on. I was put on theElection Committee and handledthe election of the FinancialSecretary / Treasurer. After theBylaws came the reports from thelocals.
In Canada there is a shortageof drivers and mechanics. Someproperties also have a shortage ofbuses and trains.
Canada's economy is goinggangbusters because of the priceof oil. They have sand fieldswhere they extract oil. When theprice of oil was low, it was toocostly. With the price of oil high,they are able to process this at aprofit. They have a billion gallonsin reserve.
The prices of average homesContinued on p. 17
Page 14 Union Meeting Notes Continued from page 3(we only have two), and 2) All buses used by the convention must be 'locked down' at the airport at the end ofeach day. Metro Transit does not have enough buses to provide service and have 'locked down' each day.
President Sommers attended the ATU Midwest Conference (where she was named President of theConference). The direction of the conference is changing to provide more education for the attendees.
New BusinessMetro Transit will be providing a bus to participate in this summer's 'Gay Pride' Parade. It was brought to
the floor by a member that if people are interested in being a part of this event, you will be more than welcome!
Unfinished BusinessAt the April union meeting, a motion was made and seconded for the ATU to support the proposed Labor
Day Anti-War Rally to coincide with the Republican National Convention on September 1, 2008. This motionwas tabled until the May union meeting. At the May meeting the question was brought to the floor and, after alengthy discussion, a standing vote was taken among the members in attendance. The motion failed by abouttwo-thirds.
June 2008 MeetingExecutive Board Recommendations
The Executive Board Recommended and the membership agreed on a number of items including toappoint Brian LaRoue to fill the position of Executive Board Member from the Overhaul Base for the remainderof the term and to donate $1000.00 per six months to the Greater Lake Country Food Bank. (This food bank was there for us when we were on strike!)
Arbitration Requests1. Fare Box Tech: Discharged for Violations regarding Ethics, Fraud and Fare Box PolicyThe member was discharged on May 8, 2008, for allegedly taking office supplies.
Management's Position-There was a video that showed the employee taking office supplies and putting them in the trunk of his
automobile. The video also showed shelter maintenance supplies being taken by the member. -The employee admitted to taking the supplies and also informed management that there were more times
when supplies were taken.- This is a position that requires a high level of trust since the employee works in an independent environment
and has keys to a number of revenue-collection devices. Because of the actions of the employee, that trust hasbeen severely breached.
Union's PositionArticle 5, Section 3 (Disciplinary action shall be grounds for grievance)-This is a 16- year employee with an overall good work record-Leniency should be shown given the fact that the member admitted his transgressions and took responsibili-
ty for his actions.Upon hearing the presentation, the member seeking arbitration spoke at both meetings. Questions were
asked from the floor and then a vote by ballot was taken. The result of the vote was this request will not go toarbitration. 2. East Metro Operator: Discharged for Gross Misconduct (Falsification of pre-employment physical)
The member filed a report of injury for her left hand and, upon investigation of the claim, management(allegedly) found evidence of a prior injury that was not reported on her pre-employment physical. The member was discharged on April 28, 2008.
Management's Position-She falsified her pre-employment physical. -She failed to divulge past history of injuries.-Past History. *The member signed a blanket waiver for management to examine her medical records
Union Position;Article 5, Section 1 - Discipline not just and merited-The member answered all questions to the best of her ability.-Why would she authorize management access to her medical records if she had something to hide? Upon hearing the presentation, the member seeking arbitration spoke at both meetings. Questions were
asked from the floor and then a vote by ballot was taken. The result of the vote was this request will not go toarbitration.
President's ReportPresident Sommers reminded everyone that, when giving management access to your medical records, you
should limit it only to information related to the injury. Don't give them blanket access to your records. When signing your work history, make sure you also put the date after your signature. This will help keep man-agement honest.
The Non-Operators Attendance Program is now in effect, on a trial basis until December of this year. If itdoes not work out we still have the right to take it to arbitration. It is being called a program rather than a policybecause to be a policy it has to be approved by the Met Council.
The situation with the payroll employees is still ongoing. Negotiations continue, with wages and health care the two sticking issues. There is a question as to the per-
ception that we (Metro Transit) have a higher rate of health care use than other units of the Council. There is aconcern that this is not true and, if so, then we have in effect been subsidizing others within the Council.
There is a contract offer and a vote will be held on July 13-14, 2008.Rochester City Lines members have expressed a desire to be a local separate from 1005. They will begin
training to ultimately achieve that.If you need the password to get into areas on the ATU International web page, contact the union office.
Vice President's ReportVice President Jerry Ewald thanked everyone who participated in the local picnic. It couldn't have been done
without all the help.
Assistant Business Agent's ReportAssistant Business Agent Scott Tollin reported that the Health Care Savings Plan deductions are beginning to
add up and suggested checking to see how your contributions are being invested.
Delegate ReportKen Dolney and Mark Lawson attended the ATU NW Conference held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They
thanked the members for sending them. Look for an in-depth report on the conference in the upcoming issue ofour newsletter.
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TIC AFFECTED BY HIRING FREEZEby Ilona LaDouceur
TIC has been affected by the hiring freeze that began in March 2008, just weeks before we were to have anew class of five start their training class. As of the end of June, we are down a total of eight people in ourdepartment; and, while the external hiring freeze has not been lifted, an internal job posting was up from June17-24. Depending on the response in numbers and capability, the supervisors will (hopefully) put together atraining class in the near future.
In order to help maintain the quality of our calls and accommodate the number of calls received, manage-ment decided to temporarily reduce the hours of operation. The hours were Monday - Friday 6:30 am to 9 pm,they are now 7 am to 7pm. Weekends and holidays the start time was 8:00 am, now it is 8:30 am and the timewe close remains 5 pm.
The area of concern for us is during the months of August and September with the Minnesota State Fair, theGOP Convention and the start of classes at the U of M and other schools.
Continued p. 17
The Economy in Recession:A Worker's Perspective
Alec Johnson
There's no more denying it. The US economy has entered into a period of recession that will likely be muchdeeper and longer than the other two recent downturns of 1990-91 and 2001. Now even the handful of skepticalpundits and optimistic economists, who had originally argued that the globalized world economy would cushionthe fall, admit that it's a bumpy road ahead.
The differences between this recession and the other two are numerous. The combination of the housing bust,the credit crunch, higher fuel and food costs and a rise in unemployment means there is no facet of the economyuntouched by this crisis, which means there is no sector to help make up for the others, as in 1991 and 2001.The deflating of the biggest asset bubble in history, a profitable speculation bonanza, has triggered the financialmarkets to suffer their worst shock since the crash of 1929.
In times such as these, workers will be told time and again that it's time we "tighten our belt buckles" andtake one for the team, that we can't be so greedy by asking for living wage jobs with decent benefits. The realityis that workers in this country have been taking cuts in real wages for the last three decades, while profitsincreased at record-setting levels. And now we're asked to bear the brunt of this crisis?
The typical CEO in this country now makes 370 times what the average worker makes, up from "only" 36times the average worker in 1976 and 131 times in 1993. After tax incomes for the richest 1% have increased by228% since 1979, while it was just 6% for the bottom 20% of American households. In the first quarter of 2008,when the recession was starting to take hold, Exxon-Mobil reported the second highest quarterly profits in all ofhistory; second only to their own record of $11.7 billion.
As food and fuel prices continue to skyrocket, workers are also being pinched by soaring healthcare costs.The average cost for family health insurance in the US has increased by 83% in just the last six years! And that'sfor those who can actually afford it, not even mentioning the over 45 million Americans who have no healthinsurance whatsoever.
While the government wastes no time in bailing out financial institutions and investment firms that go under,such as the recent government-orchestrated takeover of the major Wall Street investment bank Bear Stearns byJP Morgan Chase, families are being pushed out onto the streets when they can't keep up with their mortgagepayments, forcing millions to become dependent on food stamps and other social safety nets, that is, the few thatstill exist in this country.
It's time for the madness to end. Instead of living in fear and uncertainty, it's time the workers in this countrystood tall once more and said enough is enough. We still live in the richest country in the history of the world,and yet there's not enough money to provide decent jobs and healthcare for everyone? Who's doing the math onthat one?
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Page 17
Fred Foster #138 RetiresFred started as a bus driver on February 8, 1978 at Ruter
Garage. He transferred to Snelling Garage until September 16,1983. when he became a stockkeeper.
Fred spent most of his thirty and a half years in the StoresDepartment at OHB, occasionally bidding out to East Metro for ashort time.
His future plans involved being a grampa, a great fisherman,and to become more involved in his faith.
Above:Receiving a union jacket from ScottTollin.
Below: Congratulations from Supervisors ChrisHaefner and Mike Rood, with former boss WillieTaylor looking on.
are $450,000 in Calgary. Building in downtown is going on everywhere. Many of the U.S. retail companies areexpanding into Canada because of the booming economy.
I want to thank the membership for sending me to this conference. I think it was helpful.
Ken DolneyEast Metro Transportation Board Member
Northwest Conference continued from p.13
In the past, this has always been the busiest time of the year. Being short-staffed this year should make this anextremely challenging season. The challenge is attempting to balance the overtime opportunities without the jobburnout.
AddendumThe external hiring freeze was (thankfully) lifted about the first of July. Initially, we thought this meant we
could begin the hiring process from scratch. This typically means that, when all is said and done, we wouldprobably not have a TIC training class starting until the end of August at best. But we were in luck: Five candi-dates from the original class that was to begin and then was put on hold in March were still available!!! This,in my opinion, only reflects the tough job market. At any rate, it was to Metro Transit's advantage that theywere still available.
So, beginning July 21st, we will begin the TIC training class with a total of six trainees, five outside hiresand one internal (driver). We do anticipate it to be challenging in light of August/September being the busiestand most demanding months for TIC. This will be this writer's first time at "coaching" the trainees...basicallythe final step before going solo on the phones.
TIC Hiring Freeze continued from p.15
Workers fight to unionize First StudentReport from the front-lines of our
Chicago organizing driveBy Ryan Timlin
At the beginning of April, Rick Steffels (East Metro) and I spent a few weeks in thewestern Chicago suburbs to help ATU Local 1733 organize First Student school bus drivers.We spent most of our days knocking on the doors of First Student workers, listening to theirstories, and talking with them about the benefits of unionization.
While First Student isn't hurting for money, their workers are. Starting pay at most ter-minals is $12 an hour, and the cost of living in Chicago's western suburbs is very high. Evenworse, starting pay constantly changes! We found out that some workers who were hired eightmonths ago are making less than workers who were just hired three months ago.
Meanwhile, First Student's parent company, the UK-based First Group, made $180 million in profits lastyear. Flush with cash, they recently bought out Laidlaw, another transit company.
First Student is also making workers pay for the rising cost of health care, so the few employees who dobuy into the insurance plan get nearly half their monthly pay taken out.
When it came to picking work, there was no seniority at most terminals (what we would call a garage).It was purely based on favoritism. And if you got a violation, there was no progressive discipline policy! If themanager liked you, well, you may or may not get suspended. But if the manager didn't like you, it was up to himto decide how long he thought was a suitable punishment. Or you just got fired.
There was no security or respect. At one terminal, if a manager thought you did something wrong, hewould put a rubber duck on your dash and make you drive around like that. At this same terminal, workers toldus the manager would just change policy whenever he felt like it!
This lack of respect for workers leads to high turnover and inconsistency on the job. You can't expect tohave quality work when you're constantly training in new workers. So they are constantly hiring. To fill in forthe lack of workers, they would call up other First Student terminals that were union shops. Of course theseworkers were guaranteed union wages and were paid for the long commute times, plus mileage, to fill the work.
The money that was spent on fill-in union workers should have been shared out to provide better payand benefits for the regular workforce. But the more First Student keeps workers' pay down, the more goes intotheir CEO's pockets.
First Group internationally says they are neutral in the union campaign. They are staying so neutral thatthey allow management at the terminals to do the dirty work. Workers were told that First Student would losecontracts with a union pay raise. They were told that soaring gas prices meant they couldn't pay the workers anymore money.
In reality, First Student is the only school bus company in the area big enough to fill the needs of theschool districts, and they're not going to lose the contracts. The other reality is that First Student doesn't evenpay for the gas! The schools cover all fuel costs, and it is subsidized by the government. So that means evenmore money in First Student's pockets, leaving the workers with the same old lousy pay and benefits.
These lies show the deceit and depths that companies will go to keep money in their own pockets while
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Page 19leaving workers out in the cold. When you're in a union you can collectively fight and collectively agree on acontract that includes good pay, benefits, safety, and security on the job. Unions cut down on managementfavoritism. If the company hands you a piece of garbage for a contract you all as union members have a rightsay NO! I learned a long time ago working for Wal-Mart that unless you have your rights in writing, and unlessyou have the power of a union to back you up, they can do almost anything they want to.
The campaign is still ongoing at all the First Student properties we visited. Hopefully by next fall all ofthe workers will be ATU members.
OrganizingRick Steffels, East Metro Driver 5985
When Michelle asked if I would like to go to Chicago to help on an organizing campaign , I jumped at it. Isaw the opportunity to contribute, learn and bring something back to share.
Learning from the very experienced international organizers was a truly great opportunity. I learned that inorder to have a successful campaign there must be the presence of three strong parts: First are the issues withinthe company that the workers see as necessary to change. The issues must be strong ,common and present over along term. Second is an organizing committee of the workers that is diverse in all work areas, equaling not lessthan fifteen percent of the workforce. The committee is made up of strong leaders that are willing to stand up tothe boss at the workplace. The third part of a successful campaign is strategy. This is preplanned, with goals ondates for numbers , training , assignments for the committee, and counteractions for the anti-union activity thatwill come.
While in Chicago, I was put to work acquiring the seniority list, researching addresses, and of course doinga lot of door-knocking. The workdays became long and usually went right though the weekends. My co-organiz-ers were very good at taking time to hone our skills and build our confidence in using them.
I brought home a much clearer picture of the large amount of planning, research and footwork it takes toorganize a successful campaign. Thank you, Michelle!
Lost and Found Legend
"Buckethead" was the nickname given to a Nicollet driver, ClaytonEndres, Driver 801/997, who was hired in 1942 and retired in 1981.
He became quite a legend, but the story of how he got his nickname isin dispute and will have to be reported another time. This story has to dowith a lost article returned to the driver after no one claimed it.
Before he made relief on the line one day, Buckethead recovered anitem from Lost and Found, a red-tipped white cane. He unfolded it onhis way down the sidewalk, tapping his way to the bus and up the steps.He felt around for the driver's seat, sat down, then turned slightly to ask,"Will somebody tell me when the light turns green?"
Apparently, someone on the bus didn't have a sense of humor andcalled in a complaint.
(I'll bet the rest of the passengers were laughing. People have beenlaughing about this ever since.)
I am sitting here drinking my coffee with a big dollop of molasses in it (20% of my iron for the day...thoughtI'd work in a little holistic health...ahem, back to the article at hand): HCSP's, which have been in effect since2004. This is the money that will help pay our health-care bills when we retire, so we should all pay attention.
The employees closest to retirement (20 + years) are paying $.25 an hour into this fund.Middle guys and gals (10-20 yrs) are paying $.20 an hour into this fund.Newest to the company (less thab 10 yrs) are paying $.10 an hour into this fund.
Upon retirement, if you were:Hired prior to April 17, 2004, 45% of your unused sick leave goes to HCSP.Hired after April 17, 2004, 60% of your unused sick leave goes to HCSP.
Okay, enough of the boring stuff about how they get our money.Let's talk about what we can do with that money.
We have seven funds to choose from (see graph A). Yes, we get tochoose where that money goes to work for us.
Do you remember how we talked about the 'pieces of pie' withDeferred Compensation? How you want to have many of them? Thatsame theory applies here. I chose three ‘pies’ in 2004 when they sent usour packets: One in Money Market (low risk, low return), one inIncome Share (middle risk, higher returns), and one in International(high risk, high returns).
If you did not send your paperwork back in, they chose for you andput all your retirement eggs in one basket - Money Market, the safest,but lowest return, generally speaking (see graph B). Just take a quickpeak at the Investment Performance sheet (see graph C) once a year andadjust your money. Don't worry, all you do is contact them and you canmake changes.
When you retire and have health care costs, you use this money! There is a nice little brochure that lists allthings covered/not covered alphabetically.
Cool things about this account:
Financial Health
Pension - MSRS
Flex-Spending
Health Care SavingsPlan
SavingsChecking Loans
DeferredCompensation
Graph A
- It is a tax-exempt benefit.(MN 200l chapter 352.98)
- It is truly a savings account,building interest daily. It is nowpart of your assets and you willneed to add this to any and alllegal paperwork, such as a will.
- All monies unused can bepassed down to our heirs. Verycool!
The Health Care Savings Planis an incentive to stay healthy,and a blessing for those of us whoare not good savers. This willhelp us pay for our needs whenwe are oldie moldy! (Smile.)
You may go online=www.msrs.state.mn.us" to getmore information or print outforms. The website is easy toread and get around on. The lefttab has Health Care (HCSP), andagain on the left tab is'Investment Options'. The phonenumber for the MSRS is 651-296-2761 or toll-free 800-657-5757.
When you retire and find yourself in need of reimbursement, simply go to the website and click 'OnlineForms' andscroll downto 'HCSP'.Print a form,fill it out andsend it inalong withyour receiptsthat total$75.00 ormore.They’ll sendyou a checkalong withanother formfor the nexttime you needone. Nice!......Next issue: Your Credit Rating
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Graph B
Graph C
Page 22
RetirementsCongratulations to April Retirees
04/04/08 Bennie Randle, EM, Bus Op. 9004/02/08 Donna Tuveson, EM Bus Op. 49104/05/08 Dan Loftus, MJR Instr. 810 04/05/08 Mary Keil, Instruction Center, Instr. 913 04/12/08 Patrick Meyer, OHB Skilled Helper 514804/03/08 Thomas Martin, OHB Mechanic 5406, Non-Rev/Warr-Bus Mtnc.
Congratulations to May Retirees05/03/08 Steven Osman, FTH Bus Op. 39205/03/08 John Gruidl, SO Bus Op. 66405/03/08 Peggy Schnack, EM Bus Op.78805/03/08 Dennis Blake, MJR Bus Op. 9196.05/06/08 Mark Thielen, OHB Brake Shop Mech. 5456.05/06/08 Daniel Rasmussen, EM Bus Bus Op. 26605/16/08 Aurbia Lee Johnson, MJR Bus Op. 222205/17/08 Douglas Hall, NIC, Sr. Mech. 518205/19/08 Donald Nelson, FTH. Sr. Mech. 527705/23/08 Thomas Campbell, OHB Trans. Spec,1438.05/31/08 Arthur Kost, EM Oper Instr 09299
Congratulations to employees celebratingAnniversariesAugust 2008
5 YEARS 08/04/03 Joshua Lee, FTH Off. TIC Rep 6303308/04/03 Meredith Tvrdik,, FTH Off., TIC Rep 6303408/09/03 Gregory Maranda, EM, Cleaner III 6303108/11/03 Charles Ruud, LRT, Foreperson, SCADASig/Comm 6304408/11/03 Vladimir Banchik, LRT, SCADA Sig/CommElec. Tech 6304512/02/02 Aaron Prahl, SO, Mech. 386012/02/02 Douglas Anderson, EM, Bus Op. FT 3861
10 YEARS 08/15/98 Dewayne Martin, SO, Bus Op. FT 681308/15/98 Abdulkadir Isse, FTH, Bus Op. FT 681608/15/98 Roberto Pena, EM Bus Op. FT 681708/17/98 Todd Thompson, NIC, Mech. 556508/17/98 Nona Wood, MJR, Bus Op. PT Day 682208/17/98 Jim Harshe, NIC, Bus Op. FT 682508/17/98 Charles Karver, MJR, Bus Op. PT Day 682608/17/98 Lamont Harris, EM, Bus Op. FT 682708/17/98 Lillie Loving, MJR, Bus Op. FT 682808/17/98 Gail Fulson, FTH, Bus Op. FT 682908/24/98 Ronald Blackshire, NIC, Bus Op. PT Wkend.683508/29/98 Rodney Jergenson, MJR, Bus Op. FT 6844
15 YEARS08/09/93 Randy Robinson, FTH, Bus Op. FT 936408/09/93 Deborah Ekstedt, MJR, Bus Op. PT Day936508/09/93 Thomas Keller, FTH, Bus Op. FT 936608/09/93 William Bedard, FTH, Bus Op. FT 936808/09/93 John Decarlo, SO Bus Op. FT 937108/21/93 James Maroney, SO, Bus Op. FT 937308/21/93 Jerry Pratt, FTH, Bus Op. FT 937608/30/93 Wendy Gilbert, EM, Bus Op. FT 938008/30/93 Donald Westring, Instr. Cnt., Ld. Sr Elec RevEquip Tech 938108/30/93 Richard Henke, EM, Bus Op. FT 9382
20 YEARS08/22/88 Lynn Weinkauf, FTH, Bus Op. FT 8863
30 YEARS08/14/78 Mary Dolney, FTH Off., Acct. Clerk 306508/30/78 Steven Wortman, FTH, Bus Op. FT 584
35 YEARS 08/06/73 Thomas Kotila, LRT, Train Op. 263208/06/73 Robert Lorentz, OHB, Sr. Mech. 512408/20/73 Linda Seidl, St. Paul Transit Store, Cash.3107
September 20085 YEARS09/06/03 Mitchell White, OHB, Mech. 6305309/15/03 Michael Maanum, Rail Trac. Power Maint.63058
10 YEARS09/12/98 Caroline Boekhoff, NIC, Bus Op. FT 685109/12/98 John Suttles, FTH, Bus Op. FT 685209/12/98 Said Farah, FTH, Bus Op. FT 685409/12/98 Roger Martinez, NIC, Bus Op. PT Wkend.685509/14/98 Lashone Hodges, Mpls.Transit Store, Cash.685609/14/98 Antonio Taylor, NIC, Bus Op. FT 686409/21/98 Temitope Agboola, NIC Bus Op. FT 687209/21/98 Darlene Hopkins, EM, Bus Op. PT Day 687509/28/98 William Negroni Cintron, EM, Bus Op. FT688109/28/98 Sheila Mulloy, NIC Bus Op. FT 6889
15 YEARS09/07/93 Kent Knutson, SO, Bus Op. FT 938709/07/93 Jeffrey Lubbers, EM, Bus Op. PT Day 938809/11/93 Allan Caspers, NIC, Mech. 939309/11/93 Peter Malcolm, NIC, Bus Op. FT 939509/11/93 Gregory Scott, FTH, Bus Op. FT 939609/13/93 Michael Bishop, SO, Bus Op. FT 630009/27/93 Jon Hartle, SO, Bus Op. FT 6306
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09/27/93 Gilbert Nevils, NIC Inst. 6307
20 YEARS10/31/88 Jeffery Brekkestran, FTH, Bus Op. FT 8884
25 YEARS09/07/83 Michael Leitch, SO, Helper III, 11109/07/83 Signe Martell, NIC, Bus Op. PT Day 150
30 YEARS09/11/78 Marcus Thomas, EM, Bus Op. FT 62109/11/78 Perry Stepka, SO, Bus Op. FT 64609/13/78 Michael Sabaka, OHB, Sr. Mech. 528709/25/78 James Hanson, LRT, Train Op.696
Answer To CRYPTO:
I KNOW PEOPLE IN DAV-ENPORT, IOWA WHOARE REAL COUCHPOTATOES.
Jim DeBill RetiresRuter Operator 181, Jim DeBill, retired on June 11thafter 33 years of service. Jim was known for his colorfulantics. One winter, when a city truck parked in the busstop and the workers showed no intention of moving it,Jim removed the keys from the truck and threw them in asnowbank. He was fired for this, but apparently got hisjob back. At the retirement party, he was presented witha set of plastic keys. Good Luck, Jim !
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Shortly after I started working for Metro Transit one of my former coworkers told me that we work for theunion and not the company. I didn't agree with him at the time, but I never forgot what he said and over time Icame to agree with him. He said the reason why we haven't been getting good contracts is because 70 percent ofall ATU employees are company employees; meaning, they could care less about the union and they'll do every-thing they can to please management and stab their fellow ATU brothers and sisters in the back. Four yearslater, I've come to realize what he meant. We can turn each other in, talk behind each others' backs, grow suspi-cious of one another, etc., but one thing that we'll never be able to do is to be management's equals (at least intheir eyes, anyway).
I'm proud to come to work and serve the public because I'm a proud ATU 1005 Union member. I'm notproud about being a Metro Transit employee. But I am proud to be among just 12 percent of Americans luckyenough to still be in a union that fights for our welfare every single day. Metro Transit doesn't care about us.Management doesn't care about us. But we have to care about each other if we want to not only to survive butto thrive and prosper in the days, weeks, and years ahead. So next time somebody asks you who you work forlook 'em in the eye with a wide open smile and proudly tell them that you work for the ATU. Remember, MetroTransit, indeed the entire Metropolitan Council, would be nothing without us and the honest labor we providefor them.
Jeff Couillard, 64056, Track Maintainer Trainee
Submissions for Letters to the Editor are subject to approval of theEditorial Board and space considerations. Letters to the Editor aresolely the opinion of the author and do not represent endorsement byATU Local 1005 or the Education Committee. If you have an editori-al to submit, please contact a committee member or our advisor Scott Tollin at: [email protected]
LettersTo TheEditor
Should Unions Oppose An Unjust War?
At the May ATU Local 1005 Union membership meeting in St. Paul, members voted on a motion to endorsean anti-war rally that will take place during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul on September 1.The motion generated considerable discussion, particularly at the morning meeting, and the motion failed byabout a 2/3 vote. Some who voted against the motion expressed a concern that other members might be offend-ed if the local took a position against the war and carried the union banner to the rally. They were afraid thattaking a position like this might be divisive.
There are many economic and political issues that touch people's hearts deeply; among them: unemploy-ment, poverty, hunger, health crises, reproductive rights, civil rights, the economy, standard of living - and war.What kinds of issues should unions take a position on? What are unions established for? Many people think thatunions exist solely for the purpose of fighting for the rights of people who work for a living, to demand fairwages, decent working conditions and affordable health care, to better the lives of workers and their families.But they’re capable of fighting for much more.
In many countries, unions also join together in Labor Parties to fight for workers' rights in the political arena,where they take positions on every political issue imaginable. They can do this because they don't share a politi-cal party with their employers, who often have different interests.
In the case of the war on Iraq: What makes this a union issue? Quite simply, unions must defend the rightsand interests of all workers, whether or not they're currently members of bargaining units. Workers and theirsons and daughters are being forced to kill and are dying in Iraq in massive numbers, devastating families here.
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Over 4,000 American troops have been killed in Iraq, and an estimated 600,000 Iraqi civilians have lost theirlives since 2003, devastating families there. Injured soldiers flood the hospitals, and U.S. Iraq War veterans arecommitting suicide at a rate of 18 per day. Costs of the War in Iraq already total over $1 trillion, while pro-grams that could better the lives of all of us are underfunded or cut completely. Our tax dollars are fundingdestruction instead of a constructive social agenda.
An excellent, award-winning documentary detailing the appalling misinformation that led to the war in Iraqis "No End in Sight" available in video stores. I highly recommend it.
Reliable polls show that a good 70% of the American public opposes the war in Iraq. I have no doubt that asimilar percentage of Local 1005 members feel the same way.
PridePride this year was a great success. We handed out some candy and blinkers for the bus riders, so when we
are driving in the dark we can see them. We had the commuter challenge bus this year, to remind people toride the bus to save gas and money for parking. We did not have a booth at the park this year because ofstaffing. Hopefully next year there will be enough staff from TIC to help out.
So I want to say thanks to all that walked in the Pride Parade this year, and I hope that we can get morepeople next year. Also to our wonderful driver, Michael, 9696, a big thank you.Debbi Sievers-64222
Thank YouI'm glad to see that our union membership had the common sense not to "Unionize" the anti-war rally at the
last meeting. While I am personally against the war, whenever you bring in enormous issues, not directly relatedto the workplace, you risk membership division. The union should focus on the affairs of the workplace, ie.contract negotiations, work rules.
When I heard the vote was even going to take place, I felt like when my church tried to tell me which way tovote in an election a few years back. I cannot tolerate being dictated to in my beliefs. I stopped going to thatchurch. That is the same alienating feeling members get when the union does not stick to labor issues. It is hardenough for us to agree on labor issues, why would we want to tackle decisive issues that we cannot resolve? Itis like going to a party and talking politics or religion. People's opinions are not changed, they are just tickedoff. (We all have had those discussions.)
We need to find common ground on workplace issues, build consensus. Union means unity. Others and Ihave plenty of avenues to voice our displeasure about the war, and other political, religious issues elsewhere. Ican write my representatives (I have sent e-mails), you could attend the rally, join an anti-war group (or a count-er group), or you could take the time to vote in the upcoming election.
I did not want to see my union banner marching down the street in an anti- war rally, I do not want it goingdown the street at a pro-war rally. That action would have driven members who have different views to being(the very least) inactive members within our union. I want to see our union focus on getting a "just" contract.
In Solidarity, Stephen Babcock,
Clay Townsend Townsend, Clay, age 60, passed away June 19, 2008. He was Mechanic #5313 whoretired out of Heywood in November of 2007. Prior to Metro Transit, he was self-employed. He started as a cleaner and eventually worked himself up to lift mechanic.Most of his time was spent at Ruter Garage with short periods at other garages. He hadover 27 years with Metro Transit.
Mike RiceRice, Michael Joseph born 12/28/1948 Crews 7 & 10 VP, USN 1976-70. Lost his battle with ALS on June 2,2008. Owner of Inver Grove Auto with his brother Steve. Preceded in death by father Richard. Survived by hiswonderful mother Lorraine; loving wife Diane; four great kids, Nicole, Meaghan, Michael and Zachary; onegranddaughter, Isabel; four brothers, Steve, Bill, Joe, and James; also sister Judith.
Patrick KlineKline, Patrick M. Loved by many 1942 - 2008. No further information available.
David PalmerPalmer, David E., age 86, of Mathomedi, passed away May 4, 2008. He was a WWII veteran. David retiredfrom the MTC after 29 years. He was preceded in death by parents, Anna B. and Carl D. Palmer and is survivedby his loving wife of 66 years, Josephine; children, David (Nancy), Brian (Barb), Craig (Kathy) and Jan (Jim)Redpath; 11 grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; and sister Audrey Flaherty.
In MemoriamPage 27
Leonard ByerlyByerly, Leonard W., age 84, of St. Paul passed away on June 20, 2008. He was preceeded in death by wife,Majorie and sister, Irene. He is survived by children, Christine (Ron Chapman), Keith Kim), Bob (Kathy),James (Karen), David (Lisa), John (Lorena), other relatives and good friends.
Beryl F. GabbertGabbert, Beryl F. "Pinky" - "Gabby" Retired MTC Bus Driver, WWII US Navy Vet, age 85, from West St. Paul.Preceded in death by his wife, Wilma. Survived by his wife, Terry; sons and daughters, Gerry (Bob) Nelsen,Ron, Richard (Patty), Dean (Carleen) and Julie (Doug) Rolfs; extended family, 36 grandchildren; 41 great grand-children; sister, Inez Fedorowski; many other relatives and friends.
Ron WindingstadRonald Windingstad, former driver #2690, hired 8/74 retired 2/04, beloved husband,Dad and Grampa “Gone Fishing”, age 65, passed on July 5, 2008. Preceded in death byparents Larry and Lucille, son-in-law Scott and best friend Roger Akinson. Survived byloving wife of 44 years Linda; children Dorrie Vanderhoff (Tom), Ron II (Dawn), Todd(Kim) and Trina Friedman; grandchildren Brittney, Brandon, Courtney, Tyler, Morgan,Jessica, Nikki, and Lindsay; brothers Larry, Jerry, Jim and Darrell; in-laws Lorna Waldand Larry Benson and their families; godchildren Brian, Jeanne, Debbie and Shelly, plusmany other family and friends.
Keith Baily #1646Keith was born on May 10th, 1960 in St. Paul Minnesota. He worked at the HeywoodGarage as a bus operator for 18 years and left there about four years ago to start his owncleaning company. Keith lost his long battle with leukemia on June 24th, 2008. He waslaid to rest at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on July 1st, 2008.
Others who have passed away for whom there is no further information:Dewayne G. Moreault, Lloyd Jorgensen
In Memoriam
DRUG TESTING RIGHTSIf you do not use the specific wording when you request results from a positive drug test, the agency has no obligation to comply.All they are required to do is give you a paper stating the results are positive. Every employee has the legal right to request, in writ-ing to the Medical Review Officiers (MRO), copies of: the Litigation Package* of the initial test. (this will tell you how your testturned up positive); the Confirmation (breaks results down into specific levels); the Threshold levels (baseline of all tests)
The Litigation Package can be nearly 100 pages of technical data, which cannot be analzed or understood by a layperson, includingunion officers. Professional interpetation is available at member’s expense, starting at about $50 minimum.
WEINGARTEN RIGHTS STATEMENTIf disciplinary action is suspected, read this statement to your foreman: I request to have a union representative present on my behalfduring this meeting because I believe it may lead to disciplinary action taken against me. If I am denied my right to have a unionrepresentative present, I will refuse to answer accusational questions and any I believe may lead to discipline.
Richard WreathWreath, Richard, age 68, of Minneapolis, died on May 11, 2008. He retired from MetroTransit and is survived by wife, Connie; sons, Richard, Ronald and John; daughters,Traci and Teri; nine grandchildren; sisters, Gerrie, Karen, Helen, Marge, Jean, and Amy;also survived by many nieces, nephews, other family and friends.
Mike Schiminsky #8853Mike passed away suddenly on Saturday June 7. He was hired part-time in July 1988,went full-time in January of 1990. Mike then started Rail with the third group to LRT inabout August 2004.
