The AASEREA, founded on September 15, 1892, was the forerunner of the Amalgamated Transit Union and described itself as "Embracing Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employees." The ATU name change occurred in 1962. RNC / Transit Humor page 18 Howard E. Carlson Edgar J. Van Gante Carl H. Anderson Conrad Erickson Leonard C. Moen George Schulze James Thombleson Arthur Anderson Henry W. Kriefall M.H. Schroeder The news and information publication of Financial Health page 12
On September 21, 1933, the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America granted a "certificate of affiliation" to "Twin Cities Local" Division No. 1005. The certifi- cate listed, as charter members: Howard E. Carlson Edgar J. Van Gante Carl H. Anderson Conrad Erickson Leonard C. Moen George Schulze James Thombleson Arthur Anderson Henry W. Kriefall M.H. Schroeder The AASEREA, founded on September 15, 1892, was the forerunner of the Amalgamated Transit Union and described itself as "Embracing Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employees." The ATU name change occurred in 1962. Let's celebrate the anniversary of the founding of our Local Union 1005. As one driver so aptly said, "It's good to know where we come from." Note: Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the famous 1934 Teamster strikes that "made Minneapolis a union town." A local commit- tee is already meeting to plan events for the commemoration of these his- toric strikes. If anyone is interested in helping out, please contact Melanie Benson, Driver 854 of Nicollet Garage. The 1005 Line The 1005 Line September / October 2008 The news and information publication of ATU Local 1005 Prepared and distributed by the Education Committee "In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, as 'right-to-work.' It provides no 'rights' and no 'works.' Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of col- lective bargaining... We demand this fraud be stopped." Martin Luther King, Jr. What’s Inside... Officer’s Corner page 2 Union Meeting Highlights page 3 Transit Safety & Security page 5 Retirement Parties pages 10, 17, 19 Financial Health page 12 RNC / Transit Humor page 18 Obituaries page 20 For The People Who Know Where They Are Going Local 1005’s 75th Anniversary
Transcript
On September 21,1933, the AmalgamatedAssociation of Streetand Electric RailwayEmployees of Americagranted a "certificate ofaffiliation" to "TwinCities Local" DivisionNo. 1005. The certifi-cate listed, as chartermembers:
Howard E. CarlsonEdgar J. Van GanteCarl H. AndersonConrad EricksonLeonard C. MoenGeorge SchulzeJames ThomblesonArthur AndersonHenry W. KriefallM.H. Schroeder
The AASEREA, founded on September 15, 1892, was the forerunnerof the Amalgamated Transit Union and described itself as "EmbracingStreet, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employees." The ATU namechange occurred in 1962.
Let's celebrate the anniversary of the founding of our Local Union1005. As one driver so aptly said, "It's good to know where we comefrom."
Note: Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the famous 1934Teamster strikes that "made Minneapolis a union town." A local commit-tee is already meeting to plan events for the commemoration of these his-toric strikes. If anyone is interested in helping out, please contactMelanie Benson, Driver 854 of Nicollet Garage.
The 1005 LineThe 1005 LineSeptember / October 2008
The news and information
publication of ATU Local 1005
Prepared and distributed by the Education
Committee
"In our glorious fight for civilrights, we must guard againstbeing fooled by false slogans,as 'right-to-work.' It providesno 'rights' and no 'works.' Itspurpose is to destroy laborunions and the freedom of col-lective bargaining... Wedemand this fraud bestopped."
Education Commit-tee Meetings - 2:30pmOctober 21st November 18th atthe Union Office
Executive Board& Union MeetingsOctober 28th - Mpls.November 25th - St. Paul 10:00 AM / 7:00 PM(New pm start time)
Union Office Phone612-379-2914email:[email protected]:www.atu1005.com
Scott TollinRecording
Secretary/Asst.Business Agent
Thank YouIt's been quite a ride for the past 35 + years. I had been involved in the
union since the day I started, although I took a break from my involve-ment after the ‘95 strike. In 2005 I saw a new culture and the next gener-ation of leadership and wanted to be a part of that. I have had the goodfortune to do just that and to have known so many co-workers who haveinvolved themselves in keeping our union strong.
I am used to looking ahead, and to take time to look back now is notas easy as I thought. I appreciate the voices of support that I havereceived over the past several years. As most of you know, I am not seek-ing re-election. If I had been elected to another term and then decided toretire, a special election to fill the vacancy would have been costly. I willbe returning to Light Rail and will then have the freedom to retire at anytime.
I know that there are plenty of dedicated members ready and willingto step up and involve themselves in union positions to continue our tra-dition of service to the membership. We need to continue to educate ourmembers and to encourage involvement in this great organization to keepus strong.
I would like to credit those who serve the members through their con-tinued involvement as members of the Executive Board. They are thefrontline defense and the ears for our members and they do an excellentjob. Credit goes to the members of the Education Committee who put ina lot of time and effort to produce an outstanding newsletter. There arethose members who participate in the Organizing Committee who alsoput in a lot of effort to assure continued success of our ideas. Creditshould also be given to those who help us on the Safety and SecurityCommittee, as well as our fellow workers who serve as peer advisors.Oh, one more: my colleagues in the union office. They give their fulleffort under enormous pressures from a variety of sources. If we didn'tget back to every phone call in a timely manner, I apologize. The work-load sometimes is overwhelming.
I will continue to attend union meetings to keep up with things and Iexpect I will continue to learn new ideas as I get older. Please say hello ifwe run into each other - and I wish all of you success and happiness.
In the minutes that Scott read, there was mention of the Step-UpProgram for high school students to learn about jobs. Jerry and I wit-nessed three students doing ATU work at Light Rail. They said there wasone but we were there and saw three with our own eyes. If they begin aprogram like this they need to consult with the ATU. If anyone sees themdoing ATU work, we need to know about it. It is interesting to note thatthey tried to get this by us by suggesting that we had been consultedwhen we really hadn't.
We have a new issue with something called DSL(District SupervisorLogs). These were started as a way of tracking supervisor accountability,but are another way to get the Operator. Sam does want to use these logs.If you leave a terminal late after using a restroom or whatever, it isimplied that it is no big deal; but after the third occurrence you are writ-ten up. You do have a right to grieve these entries without waiting for athird occurrence. All drivers ought to get a copy of their DSL file. Itwould be interesting to see 1,300 drivers grieving these issues.Progressive discipline...It doesn't seem to matter whether you are goingto the restroom three times, you will get a violation. Please check yourfile.
Customer Service - Channel 9 report. We expected a lot worse. AtFTH, they were trying a pilot program with one ATM dealing with allcomplaints. It has been altered to the point of hitting a threshold beforeyou are assigned to a specific ATM at any given location. 58% of cus-tomer complaints about on-time performance were found to be bogus,yet Sam still feels 90% of customer complaints in other areas are legit.Remember you can grieve logged complaints, not just filed complaints.
Negotiations - We appreciate the backing of a 95% vote turn down.The Company was shocked. We did go right back to the table. We expectanother offer quickly and hope there will be some improvement. Themediator appears to be on our side on some issues, but unfortunatelyAFSCME set a poor standard in their negotiations. Also involved areState Mediator Bob Weisenberger, a trainee named John , and IVP JanisBorchardt. The goal has been to get a contract by expiration. Rooms allover the city are booked after August 10th, so we need to get our votesin before that date. Keep your eyes open.
Payroll issue-The court date is August 13. We want to give it onemore shot to settle, and the Company may re-set the court date. If we donot settle, it is my opinion that this is an unfair labor practice. We havetried to settle and be nice in the process but it may not ...It is important
Continued on Page 7
Membership Accepts Company’s Second
OfferOn Sunday, August 3rd, it was back to the
Minneapolis Convention Center to hear and vote onthe company's "Best and Final Offer." This wasbrought to the members with Local 1005's ExecutiveBoard recommending the offer by a unanimous 18-0.
Recording Secretary Scott Tollin read the offer.Local 1005 President Michelle Sommers expressedher belief that this offer is a far better offer and was
very pleased with changes in the second offer. Janis Borchardt, ATU International Vice President, also stated hersatisfaction with the new contract offer and commended the negotiating team for working hard for the members.The balloting began after meeting ended and continued at the union office up until 5:00 pm Monday, August 4th.When all was said and done, the offer was accepted convincingly with 83% of the vote.
Highlights of the new contract are:
ARTICLE 20, SECTION 45: Effective January 1, 2009, bus operators will receive a shift differential of $0.50per hour for all time worked between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. President Michelle Sommers com-mented that this was something the union has been trying to get for a long time. IVP Janis Borchardt noted thatthis provision will set a good example for transit workers in other cities.
ARTICLE 23, SECTION 5: Effective January 1, 2009, there will be a new classification for mechanics. A"Mechanic Technician" will be in charge of an operating garage when a supervisor is not present and receive andadditional $0.60 per hour when performing in this capacity.
ARTICLE 29, SECTION 6: Effective August 1, 2008, vacation once granted cannot be revoked.
ARTICLE 32: Wage rates increase. Effective September 1, 2008, Wage Class 41 and below will increase2.25% and, effective September 1, 2009, it will increase an additional 2.00%.
Page 4
"We are family…" One of many family groups in Local 1005 issiblings, Laurie Novak, Heywood Maintenance 1209, John Novak,Nicollet Driver 7811 and Bernadette Martinez, Nicollet Driver 5989,who attended the contract meeting together. (NicolletTransportation.)wants to thank Bernadette for donating a roaster.oven)
Union sister Elaine Markula,Local 1005's Financial Secretary-Treasurer from 1981 until sheretired in March of 2002, willalways be part of our union family.
For complete details please seethe Safety and Security Boardlocated in every garage.
Page 5
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.
JulyOthers in Attendance
Mike Robeck, TCCScott Tollin, ATUChuck Wurzinger,MaintenanceJim Franklin, Metro TransitPoliceDavid Larabee, RiskManagement Emily Anleu, SecretaryBrenda Himirich, SafetyGeorgia Stinson, Operations
a guy vomited in the back of thebus. I asked the operator what hewas going to do and he said hewas going to meet a DistrictSupervisor at BCTC. We were at7th and Nicollet. I made him stopbecause we had a long way to go,but I'm just wondering if that iscommon or what is the procedure?
A supervisor is dispatched toassess the bus and clean it up ifthey can. In the meantime, opera-tors are asked to tape the area off(if tape is available) and warn cus-tomers. Copies of police reportwere provided.
LRT: No Report.
SAFETY REPORT: BrendaHimirich, Nothing to report. Stateof Minnesota is starting a drunkdriving campaign. We'll have lit-erature soon. Will distribute acci-dent graphs through email. Stillconcerned about scooter tip overs.Scooters need to be securedaccording to company policy.Policy and weight restrictionswere discussed at length.
If operators secure, a minimumthree point constraint, they are inline with policy. Operators arerequired to ask customer if theywould like to use the lap belt, cus-tomersd can refuse. Scooterinformation is on the website.Lift should be able to handle 600pounds.
RISK MANAGEMENT: DaveLarrabee, No Report.
TCC REPORT: Mike Robeck,Bus in a Box (BIB) will be com-ing to garages for demonstrationalpurpose.Sent a flyer to dispatchers to postproper procedure for calls. Bus
Wraps were reduced, advertisingrevenue increased by 20 percent.(Congrats Committee)!! If you callinto the TCC and we put you onhold, please wait. Don't call backfrom your cell phone.
STREET OPERATIONS: DaveHanson, RNC - More informationat the August meeting. If yourdetour doesn't make sense, ask yourcoordinator or ask a StreetSupervisor.
MAINTENANCE REPORT: ChuckWurzinger, Found a place for a big-ger cup holder. It's behind the opera-tor so Safety needs to weigh in.Retarder - Used to have throttle acti-vated now we have brake activated.Brake activated retarders: Retain theability to coast. Allow the operatorto control how the bus slows down.Makes for a smoother stop.
Email any questions to Chuck priorto the meeting so he can come pre-pared with answers. Still workingon cones for maintenance whenworking in garages. 2nd fan - Hardtime getting parts. Will start withnew 40 foot buses.
New buses have issues - Not alwaysperfect. We don't know about theseissues until we have a few in servicefor a while. Recent examples are:Artics - Transmission oil level sen-sors, 40 ft - Fuse attached toAlternator. Vibrations break thefuse. Gillig will move fuse location.Torque Rod Bolts: Bolts weren'ttight enough from the factory. We'llre-torque at 5000 miles.
Reliability Goal - met 6 months is arow. Couldn't have met goal withoutthe help of the operators. Thank youwhen you give us help, such aswhen you drive a bus back to thegarage with minor issues.
POLICE REPORT: Jim Franklin,Nine Priority One calls in May.Average was five minutes.Answered all calls in 10 minutesor less. Fastest was one minuteand slowest was 10 minutes.
300 Priority two calls in May.Average was seven minutes.Formal request to have the policepresent raw call numbers. MikeRobeck will look into providing aCrystal Report recording actualnumbers
Jim Franklin: Is there a policy orprocedure for vomit on the bus? Iwas onboard a bus patrolling and
OTHER: In the future emailissues to correct department andcarbon copy Dave Hanson. MJRGarage Forum date changed. Willupdate.
Page 6
AUGUSTOthers in Attendance
Mike Robeck, TCC Scott Tollin, ATUChuck Ahlberg, MaintenanceArthur Hart, Metro TransitPoliceDavid Larabee, RiskManagement Sheri Gingerich, Deputy ChiefOperations Officer LRTBrian Motari, Safety Emily Anleu, Secretary
POLICEREPORT: Arthur Hart;Nothing to report. Any questions?What can you charge an assaulterwith? There are five degrees ofassault. 5th being the least harm-ful. A spitting assualt would be a5th. A punch would be a grossmisdemeanor. Criminal Statute609.855, Crimes Against Transit.There is a law in place that con-siders interfering with the opera-tion of the bus is the same as a2nd degree assault. City Attorneyhandles Misdemeanors and GrossMisdemeanors, County Attorneyhandles felonies. Any other ques-tions or concerns please directthem to Admin. Lieutenant JimFranklin.
LRT REPORT: Michael Guse andSheri Gingerich; Fencing at LRTStations: Hiawatha will be a threecar platform and platform will bemoved away from buses. 46thStreet Station barriers will helpget people away from intersectionand towards crosswalk. Fencingis rubber and flexible in casesomeone hits it. Won't damage avehicle. Government center willhave fencing in between trains.
Fences at 28th Ave station reallyhelps. Fencing will be permanentsoon. Bike rack at LRT is comingsoon.
SAFETY REPORT: Brain Motari,Q-Straint Test - Increase safety for3 wheel scooters, Strap is putaround steering column and usestwo hooks from each side. Askcustomers to get out of scooter -most don't want to. Ask them touse seatbelt. Need to reinforceasking to get out of scooter andusing seatbelt. There will be asticker on buses and a statementon website stating, "For your safe-ty, please do not sit on your scoot-er while this vehicle is moving.In conclusion we have found wecan use the current straps anddon't need to purchase these newstraps and that four securementsstabilize scooters better. Workingon changing the policy to requirefour securements.
Vehicle and Customer BusAccidents per 100,000 miles byGarage, January through June,2008-YTD. 2008 looks good sofar. Each garage is beating theirgoal. Operators deserve credit forbeating our goals. If there is anaccident we try to prevent it fromhappening again. Individualmeetings, safety keys, etc.
Roadeo; Practice is September 22;Competition is September 23, 24,and 25. Questions/Comments:Even if they get out of the scooterwe still need to secure scooter.Safety vests at the State Fair aremandatory and will be enforced.
RISK MANAGEMENT: DaveLarrabee, in attendance: Volumeof accidents is going down.
TCC REPORT: Mike Robeck,We've seen an increase of opera-tors identifying themselves when
they call in. Big help. We got aroutine call and the operator saidhe had been assaulted. Whenquestioned further he said he mayhave been assaulted, he wasn'tsure. He was 20 minutes latebecause he demanded police andwouldn't move his bus untilsquads arrived. After they ques-tioned him they released him anddetermined he had not beenassaulted. We just need you tothink out there. This operatorinconvenienced many people. Ifyou think something is starting onyour bus and that you might needto place a call, think of what kindof a call you want to place. Usegood judgment.
STREET OPERATIONS: JanieWhim, Nothing to report. Lots ofdetours for State Fair and RNC.Not sure about RNC detours yet.We can't even talk about the plans.Extras buses, more S-98's, Novacations. You will get moreinformation when we implement.September 8th Marquette and 2ndare closed. Chicago Ave. 2009Reconstruction
MAINTENANCE REPORT:Chuck Ahlberg, No report and nopending questions. Past issueswere revisited, Spit shield. DavidHanson will contact Sam regard-ing Chicago and their research.New Gillig brakes squeal and arebeing investigated
OTHER: Operator's names aredisplayed on MDT when they login. The concern is that customerswill be able to see that informa-tion. What is the policy? Dobadges need to be visible at alltimes? No September meeting dueto State Fair and RNC
Respectfully submitted,Emily Anleu, Recording Secretary(Additional Article on Page 11)
Page 7Union Meeting Notes Continued from page 3to note that we may need to take an action. It is not about just five jobs. They have threatened other positions. Itwas a great win in arbitration that we must protect. Either side can get out of the court delay with a seven- daynotice and take action.
Public hearings on fare increase - It probably will go into effect, which is unfortunate timing, but so farthe media has played into the higher fuel costs. It is surprising to me that the Council never thought about ourtimelines until WCCO reported them. Pay attention to postings.
Stephanie Brown has lost her arbitration.
Training for RCL Members-It was approved last month to send four people to the ATU InternationalTraining Conference in San Jose. There was a mixup with the invitations. Janis B. got involved and we ended upfighting to send three members from RCL. Then RCL said they can't let three go. They have changed theirminds and will now let members go. We are also looking at setting up some Saturday training sessions throughthe U of M LES for interested members.
August 2008 MeetingArbitration Request
Ass’t. B.A. Tollin presented the request for arbitration of an FTH Operator discharged for Gross Misconductand Overall Record. After an explanation and discussion during which the operator had an opportunity tospeak, a secret ballot was cast. This case will proceed to arbitration.
President's Report
First I would like to introduce our newest Board Member, Cliff Bolden. Cliff will be sworn in today to finishout the term vacated by Nicollet Operating Board Member Mike Rossini due to retirement.
The Met Council will be out explaining the new alternative health plan known as the Distinctions Plan. Weare recommending you stay away from this plan. We are concerned that the members do not fully understand theimplications of this plan. We will try to have Board Members at the sign-up locations to help answer questionsfrom our perspective. This is a dangerous plan. Your Doctor could be bounced from Level 1, 2 or 3. Do not buyinto the Company's plan. Talk to us first.
The fifty-cent pay differential does not begin until January 1 for drivers, as do the mechanical wage classraises. The dispatchers' training pay begins August 1. We suggested that dispatchers ought to receive the trainingpremium every day for the time they take to train managers.
V.P. Ewald and the Mechanical Board Members met yesterday to deal with contract implementation andother issues and were able to resolve some differences.
We sent three members to training in San Jose, California and would like to set up more training sessions,particularly on Saturdays, through the U of M LES. This particularly helps some members in Rochester whowould like to form their own Local.
Customer service and pullout violations will be addressed Thursday in a meeting. It appears that EEO andADA complaints are automatically filed - and we also have issues with driver- requested tape pulls not beinghonored. TCC does not make that decision. We will be meeting on the use of tapes and cameras.
We will be meeting at 3:00 on Wednesday to deal with NeoGov issues. One of the issues is providingemployees with computer access at the worksite. They, so far, have not abided by an agreement. This resulted in
Page 8a problem at South shops where a job bid was not allowed due to the information not being available to all inter-ested parties and the job had to be re-posted after an individual had already been awarded the job.
On Payroll: The ATU and the Council mutually agreed to cancel an August 13 court date with a caveat that,with seven days' notice, either side could once again go to court. We have met several times in mediation in aneffort to resolve this matter with AFSCME. One week ago we notified the Council that we are exercising ouroption to resolve this in court.
Some good news: The Transportation Committee rejected all outside bids for the Northstar yard and vehiclemaintenance. This means we should get the work, with approximately 25 new jobs. The operation of the trainswill not be ATU.
One last thing: I want to thank the membership for allowing us to start early on negotiations. This has notbeen the best contract ever, but it is the closest we have ever come to finishing on time, and we could not havedone that without opening negotiations early. At least people did not have to go beyond the expiration wonderingand worrying.
In response to several questions: Document your requests for a tape pull. In response to the differencebetween "log" and "file" complaints: "Logged" cannot be used to issue discipline, but can be used to supportpoor overall record performance.
Delegate Reports Michelle Sommers and Scott Tollin reported on the Can-Am Conference held in Kelowna, B.C. In one exer-
cise, 48 delegates were split into three groups to independently work out an internal organizing campaign aroundany theme. For the first time in the instructor's experience, all three groups chose the same issue: employee secu-rity. If we can help it, we will not be flying Air Canada again due to some issues which created a real mess.
New Business:Cliff Bolden was sworn in as new Board Member from Nicollet Operating.
Union Meeting Highlights - Rochester City Lines
RCL MEMBERSHIP MEETING June 18, 2008
President Sommers reports:For now we will separate votes between Metro Transit and RCL issues. The International has approved this
unless there are any complaints from members.I am officially appointing Dave Gosha to join our Executive Board. Dave will attend the Executive Board
and a.m. membership meetings in the Twin Cities along with the p.m. membership meetings in Rochester.We have talked about your group spinning off into your own Local and since we want to see you succeed I
am going to recommend to the Board that Dave be sent with two other Board Members and me to an ATUInternational conference to be held in August in California. Scott and Jerry would normally go but since they areretiring it would make sense to send new people to get the education afforded at this conference. I am also talk-ing to the U of M LES about Saturday classes and invite any interested members here and our new BoardMembers to attend. You would have to vote to spin off into your own Local but may want to consider getting asmuch training as possible before doing so. We could also give you support with seed money.
President Sommers also gave a report on issues involving the Twin Cities members including: the payrolldispute; how the members make all the decisions; Metro Transit contract negotiations with the hang-up in healthinsurance; Obama supported by us; Tim Walz supported; a driver being spit on and fired; arbitration cases; andLES and what it is.
Dan reported on mandatory overtime as a request by management as it relates to part-time and full-time,
Union Meeting notes Continued from p. 7
Page 9vacation, disability, sick, contract language, rulebooks and a possible grievance.
Dan addressed the issue of a call driver being used for other duties. Dave reported that workers at First Student lost their bid to organize. RCL did not hire a couple of well-
known activists who were let go after that drive. Michelle reminded members that discrimination is difficult toprove.
Dan and Michelle discussed the interest expressed by bus washers in being members of the ATU. There willbe followthrough on this.
Sign- up cards are required by the International and Local. These allow us to enter you in as regular membersand collect dues.
Scott reminded members that there is interest in the Cities about what's happening in Rochester and asked forvolunteers to contribute to "The 1005 Line" newsletter.
RCL MEMBERSHIP MEETING July 7, 2008
President Sommers reported on the financial affairs of the Local. Dues will be $30.00 and deductions willbegin with the August payroll for the month of September.
Board Member or other Officer ReportPresident Sommers reported that three members from RCL will be attending an ATU International educa-
tional conference in San Jose, California in August. Those three are Dave Gosha, Terry Sprung, and PhilDanielson.
The President also talked about setting up U of M LES training for interested members and new BoardMembers along with some Wisconsin locals. Some of this would mean Saturday training.
The President also gave an update on the Minneapolis negotiations.
RCL MEMBERSHIP MEETING August 26, 2008
President Sommers reported on the financial affairs of the Local.
Obligations: Dean Zimmerman
Board Member or other Officer ReportPresident Sommers reported on:
Employer Free Choice Act asking members to sign cards for support in Congress. This levels the playingfield for unions.
A recap of Minneapolis issues: The contract is settled with less in raises than in Rochester, but we did get anight differential (as in Rochester) and we incorporated a form of mediation into the grievance process.
The Can-Am Conference was not without issues, in particular the delegates' travel arrangements on AirCanada.
We are going to court on our payroll dispute and we are dealing with some camera issues.It seems that many other locals are dealing with the same issues we are and you find that out when you attendconferences such as the Can-Am.
Delegate Reports Dave Gosha went to San Jose, California for a very interesting and very full ATU International conference
with full-day classes on fiduciary responsibility, grievance handling, the internet, communication, labor law,leadership and more.
We had to rate ourselves as leaders and we received tools to be able to fight arbitrations without an attorney.Management has the power to alter any situation, but we need to obtain all the facts to present our case.
The last day featured an arbitrator's view of how an effective membership meeting should be held.
Page 10
Jerry Ewald presents Don with a union jacket.
Don Suerth RetiresDriver 520 of Nicollet Garage, Don Suerth, retired
on Friday, September 5th after 28 years of service.He was joined at his retirement party by his son anddaughter-in-law, who are both police officers inBrooklyn Park. Don, who has been known to sere-nade at least one driver on her way out to the bays,was presented with one final customer complaint byATM John Cook, who promptly crumpled it up andthrew it away.
Unfinished Business Union dues in the amount of $30.00 will begin with the next check (Sept. 5) for the month of October. There was discussion on Article 14 interpretation concerning overtime and vacation.
The was also discussion on a member's grievance concerning an unpaid suspension to await the results of a drugtest after an accident.
New Business President Sommers administered the oath to Dave Gosha as the official Board member from RCL.
Page 11
Update on Accident Locations from TSSCSince we did not meet in September, I have attached a year-to-date accident report of the top ten locations.
Garages and ramps continue to be problematic. I noted that South Garage did not make the top-ten list. Theyhave been improving in this area.
Also, as of July, all garages are below their goals when you look at the year-to-date data.
The State Fair had 11 accidents associated with State Fair Service this year. I am waiting for a customercount and we can provide accidents per 100,000 customers and compare to past years.
Five of the 11 were falls while boarding or unloading. One of these involved two children that fell out of astroller as it was being carried off the bus. Though this is only one instance, it supports our policy of asking tofold strollers before boarding. The children were not secured inside the strollers.
Brenda HimrichManager of Bus Safety, x7700
Is this a Fair Tax Burden?Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new
report from Congress. The study released by the Government Accountability Office, Tuesday, August 12th,said about 68 percent of foreign companies doing business in the U.S., avoided corporate taxes over the sameperiod. These same companies reported trillions of dollars in sales.
The GAO study did not investigate why corporations weren't paying federal income taxes or corporate taxesand it did not identify any corporations by name. It said companies may escape paying such taxes due to operat-ing losses or because of tax credits.
The GAO said that more than 38,000 foreign corporations had no tax liability in 2005 and 1.2 million U.S.companies paid no income tax. These companies had $2.5 trillion in sales. About 25 percent of the U.S. corpo-rations were considered large corporations, meaning they had at least $250 million in assets or $50 million inreceipts.
The GAO said it analyzed data from the Internal Revenue Service, examining samples of corporate returnsfor the years 1998 through 2005, It showed corporations were able to avoid tax liability by shifting costs to sub-sideraries in different tax structures for credit. The GAO did not suggest which companies might be doing this.
The question we should be asking is: Are these tax cuts fair?
Page 12
CHECKINGDid I ever tell you that one of my least favorite chores is balancing my checkbook? Well it is! I would rather
clean my closets, bring out the garbage, scrub the toilet.......okay, you get the point. I went through several phases of balancing my checkbook. Let's go way back :
#1 Dorothy=Never had cash Dorothy. I wrote check after check after check for EVERYTHING! I kept myaccount balanced, but wrote many unnecessary checks.
#2 Dorothy=Instant cash (money tree) Dorothy. I knew where all the machines were. I bounced a 'veritablecornucopia' of checks during this phase, because I would lose track of my cash withdrawals. My bank LOVEDme.
#3 Dorothy=Budget cash Dorothy. This is where I get paid from work and I give myself a realistic budget ofcash that very same day, to get to the next pay period. Cash is for: eating out, chapstick, cute sandals on sale, allthose unnecessary expenditures throughout the 2 weeks. Once that cash is gone, it's gone until the next payday.Some weeks you get more play money than others.
#3 is the place to be! It helps you to say 'NO!' to things that you do not need or cannot afford.The main point is that you have a budget and therefore DO NOT hit the cash machine like it is a birdfeeder.....forget how to use one .
And of course, do your very best to keep the closet cleaned...... I mean the checkbook current. Smile.
CREDIT REPORTINGKathy Saima - Banker/Mortgage Broker for 20 years
Credit Reporting Bureaus: Creditors report payment history to three major credit bureaus on a monthlybasis. These bureaus are: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Three basic types of credit are tracked by thebureaus: (1) Mortgage loans: 1st and 2nd mortgage loans including mortgage "lines of credit." (2) InstallmentLoans: Loans where the monthly payment remains the same over the course of the loan. Common installmentloans are auto loans and student loans. (3) Revolving Credit: These are loans where the monthly paymentchanges depending upon the amount of credit line used by the borrower. The most common revolving loans arecredit cards and non-mortgage "lines of credit". (Note: At the end of this overview, contact information forthese three bureaus is listed).
Credit Reporting Scale: (Ranges from a high of 850 to a low of 350). The higher your credit score, the bet-ter/lower the interest rate that you will be offered on all credit. The lower your score, the higher the interest ratemade available to you. In general, credit scores under 500 cannot obtain credit.
750 to 850: Excellent 620 to 679: Fair720 to 749: Very Good 580 to 619: Poor680 to 719: Good Under 579: Very Poor
1. Establish credit if you don't already have a credit score. To obtain credit, you must be "in the system."Ideally, three (3) or four (4) trade lines are all you need to establish credit to obtain any type of loan, i.e. mort-gage, installment, revolving/credit card (assuming all other loan qualifiers such as income are met).
Ideally these credit lines (mortgage, installment loan or credit card/revolving) should be at least 12 monthsold to show the prospective creditor that you have demonstrated "ability to pay" over a period of time.
2. Make timely payments. Late payments result in a significant lowering of credit score. One late payment willbring down a credit score by an average of 70 points. While this 70 point decrease will improve from month tomonth (if timely payments are made thereafter) it will still take up to a year or more to bring the credit score upto the original level.* A late payment is defined as "a payment made more than 30 days late". (Your payment is not countedas late by the credit bureaus unless it is over 30 days late).* Credit Bureaus track late payments in the following increments: 30 days late, 60 days late, 90 days late,over 90 days late.* Every late payment brings down credit score and accumulative lates (ex. a 30 day late moving to a 60day late) further deteriorates credit score.* If a mortgage payment is made over 120 days late, it is viewed by mortgage lenders as a "foreclosure"even if the home never went into foreclosure.
3. Credit scores are not calculated based solely upon making timely payments. Many factors are considered.One of the major components of credit score calculation involves how much of your credit lines are you using.Credit lines are most common with credit cards and bank lines of credit. The more of your credit you use, themore impact it has on lowering your credit score. Based upon how much of your credit line(s) you are using,the credit bureaus will "hit" (lower a few points) your credit score. Here is how it works:
* Keep balance below 25% of credit line: No "hit" to credit score.* Use 26-49% of credit line: "Hit" to credit score.* Use 50-75% of credit line: Bigger "hit" to credit score.* Use 76-100% of credit line: Even bigger "hit" to credit score.* Exceed 100% of credit line: Largest "hit" due to Credit Bureaus perceived risk of default.
NOTE: Do NOT close out your credit cards, even if you plan to neveruse them. By doing so, you can actually lower your credit score. It is morebeneficial to your credit score to simply keep the cards open and store themin a safe place, i.e. safe deposit box. By doing so you gain two benefits:(1) The benefit of having unused credit which will favorably impact yourcredit score. (2) The benefit of demonstrating that you have had credit forextended periods of time. How long you have credit is another factortracked by the bureaus and the longer you have had it, the more favorablethe impact to your credit score.
4. Limit the number of credit inquiries. Each inquiry lowers your creditscore. Inquiries are made whenever you apply for credit, whether you arebuying a house, a car, or requesting a new credit card. They are based uponyou giving the creditor your Social Security number. Please note that notevery credit inquiry has the same impact on your credit score. For example,the credit bureaus treat mortgage inquiries very differently that they do
Page 14inquiries for a credit card. Risk is assessed differently. See below:
* Applying for a mortgage loan: The first inquiry will lower your credit score by approximately 3 pointsand every inquiry for the next 30 days will have no impact on your credit score.* Credit Card: Every request for a credit card will lower your credit score by between 7-15 points.* Auto loan: Falls in between mortgage and credit cards -not as much of an impact as credit cardinquiries but a bit more than a mortgage loan.* Suggestion: For example, ask questions when going out to the Internet to shop for car insurance. Askif the insurance company plans to pull your credit. If you have multiple companies pull your credit, your creditscore can be significantly degraded. If you know your credit score, you can give it to the company and ask themto estimate a premium based upon the score you give them. Once you have narrowed down the company youwant to use (or couple of possible companies), then give out your Social Security number.
How to "Clean up" Derogatory Credit Items: The "Fair Lending Act" protectsconsumers from errors on their credit reports and provides them with a process toremove derogatory credit data. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives the CreditBureaus 30 days from the time that they receive (in writing) your request for acredit transaction(s) to be either corrected and/or removed from your report. If theycannot verify the information as accurate, legally they are required to remove thetransaction from your report. When corresponding with the Credit Bureaus inregards to inaccurate information on your report, ensure the following: (1) Youmust write to each bureau separately. If all three bureaus are reporting the deroga-tory item, you must write to all three bureaus. If only two of the bureaus arereporting the derogatory item, you only need to write to those two bureaus.
Sometimes only one bureau is reporting the item. (2) Ensure that you send your letters to the bureaus using thePost Office's signed return verification postcard. This is your way of ensuring that the Credit Bureaus take only30 days to handle your request; otherwise, you may find them telling you that they didn't get your letter or thatthey received it at a later date. Remember, if they can't obtain verification from the creditor that the item is validand they have had your request for 30 days, they are legally required to remove it. You can demand that they doso. Therefore, if you have questionable items on your report, it may be beneficial for you to contest these. Allyou have to do is reference them in your letter and state that they are "invalid". If you have supporting docu-mentation, send this in as well.
1. Potential "Collection" Transactions: If a payment has not been made on an account for 90 days ormore, a creditor will often "write off" the debt (on their books) and sell the defaulted loan to a CollectionsAgency. Collection Agencies pay only pennies on the dollar for these transactions, knowing that many of them(if not most) will never be paid off. It is critical to your credit score, not to let a debt go into collection status.Unless the dollar amount is very large, you are better off paying the debt on time and contesting it later. Oneexample of how easy a small fee can ruin credit involves people who change cell phone providers frequently andthen not pay the early termination fee assessed by their existing provider. This fee, often $50.00 to $100.00 canruin credit for years.
2. What to Do If You Already Have Collection Items on Your Credit Report: The key is to look at how oldthese transactions are. If they are 3+ years old, it is often better to leave them alone (assuming that these itemsare no longer being reported/updated to the bureaus). The reason is because if and when you pay down aCollections Item, this will automatically activate a 90+ day late on your credit report(s) and bring your creditscore down. Here are suggested guidelines:
* RULE OF THUMB: Make plans to pay off all Collection Items that are being currently updated toyour credit report. This is because if these items are being reported each month (or sometimes quarterly by
Page 15creditors/collection agencies), the non-payment of these debts is factored into your current credit score. Creditscores can be kept low for years, even if other positive credit has been established, if collection items that reportregularly to your report(s) are not paid off. Your credit report tells you when a transaction was last updated. Ifthis date is a current date, it is important to pay off the collection item.* Create a Consolidation Approach to Paying off Collection Items: If you pay off all of your collectionitems at the same time, you'll only experience a one-time "hit" to your credit score and then your credit scorewill start to go up thereafter. If you pay down one collection item this month and one two months from now andso forth and so on, every time you pay off a collections item, your credit score will be adversely impacted.* Know that you can negotiate a pay-off fee with the Collections Agency: For example, if you owe$200.00 to Sprint, offer to pay $100.00 (or less) to pay the debt off "in full". IMPORTANT: If the CollectionAgency agrees, ensure that you get a letter from them stating that $100.00 will pay the debt off in full BEFOREYOU PAY THEM. KEEP THIS LETTER-ensure that it references the correct transaction and that it states thatpayment clears the debt "in full". A verbal agreement with a Collections Agent is akin to "no agreement" at all.Getting a letter from the agency ensures you that if they don't report the payoff correctly to the Credit Bureaus,you can follow up with the Credit Bureaus to show the debt as "paid in full" and to ensure that the CollectionAgency stops future reporting.
3. Other types of Derogatory Credit Transactions: * Bankruptcy: Although bankruptcies stay on a credit report for 10 years, the impact can be largely over-come. Recommendations:* Ensure that you check your credit report about two (2) months after your discharge date. Ensure that allitems included in your bankruptcy are no longer reporting to the Credit Bureaus as "active" accounts.Remember, data from all active accounts is factored into your credit score. If you see that this is happening fol-low up with the Credit Bureau(s) by sending them a copy of your discharge papers and paperwork listing allcreditors. Also contact the creditor and request that they stop reporting to the bureaus. Legally, when you FILEfor bankruptcy, the creditors are required to STOP reporting to the Credit Bureaus. Many times they continue toreport and will report even after the bankruptcy has been discharged. * Rebuild your credit by obtaining 2-3 credit cards or other types of credit. Often the first creditors tomake an offer to people who have filed bankruptcy are credit card companies with very high interest rates.Remember to obtain credit when you need it, you need to "be in the system." If you don't re-establish credit,you won't be able to get it later when you need it. These cards can be helpful. Their initial offers usuallyinvolve a credit line of between $300.00-$500.00, which is increased over time if the account is managed prop-erly. Even if you simply make a small purchase or two each month and pay down leaving a $5.00 balance atmonth end, you will begin establishing credit very quickly. It is suggested that you leave a small balance toensure that the account be updated to the Credit Bureaus. If you pay in full each month, there may be no updateand you may not establish credit quickly. Know that once you have re-established your credit you will receivemuch better offers.* Be careful not to incur any lates (30+ days) after a bankruptcy. Creditors view this fairly harshly, espe-cially mortgage lenders. On the other hand, if you show timely payment after a bankruptcy, most mortgagelenders will make loans available as soon as two (2) years following the bankruptcy. (Three years is the generalrule regarding foreclosures).
Obtaining a Copy of Your Credit Report: You have a right to receive a free copy of your credit report onceper year from each of the credit bureaus. The following is contact information for these bureaus to obtain yourfree report and/or to obtain information on contesting incorrect and/or derogatory information on your report(s):
For futher information please contact Dorothy Maki.
RetirementsCongratulations to June Retirees
06/03/08 James DeBill, Bus Op. FT., MJR 18106/01/08 Phillip Simonson, Bus Op. FT., FTH 114406/17/08 Dennis Ripley, Sr. Mechanic, South 146606/02/08 Phillip Walker, Bus Op. FT, Nicollet 205606/26/08 Dennis Dugan, Sr. Mechanic, South 551706/28/08 David Larson, Bus Op. FT, FTH 9074
Congratulations to July Retirees7/1/08 Donald Drahota, Helper III, FTH 53827/3/08 Frederick Foster, Stockkeeper, Stores 1387/5/08 Lawrence Sohr, General Dispatcher, MJR 7047/5/08 Charles Jirasek, Bus Op. FT, EM 26547/7/08 Jay Kerkvliet, Bus Op. FT, EM 26367/19/08 Raymond Stock, Sr. Mechanic, OHB 53408/2/08 Rafael Rosario, Bus Op. FT, EM 511
Congratulations to employees celebratingAnniversaries
October 20085 YEARS 10/04/03 Francene Akins-Ross, Money Counter, FTH386410/11/03 Deborah Rogers, Lead Stockkeeper, FTH 386510/18/03 Keith Gordon, Bus Op. FT, FTH 792010/18/03 Steven Venne, Bus Op. PT, EM 6306710/18/03 Thomas Swanson, Bus Op. FT, EM 6306910/18/03 Margaret Johnson, Bus Op. FT, NIC 6307110/18/03 Andre Williams, Bus Op. FT, NIC 6307210/20/03 Kao Lee, Bus Op. FT, E.M. Gar. 741110/21/03 Tomas Hudson, Bus Op. PT Day, FTH 0386710/29/03 Catherine Katocs, Transit Information Rep,Hey. Office 63075
10 YEARS 10/03/98 Leland Jacobs, Bus Op. FT, EM 780410/03/98 Charles Kelly, Bus Op. FT, EM 780610/03/98 John Novak, Bus Op. FT, NIC 781110/12/98 Richard Coleman, Bus Op. FT, NIC 781510/17/98 Daniel Jerzak, Bus Op. PT Day, NIC 93910/17/98 Jeffrey Johnson, Bus Op. PT Day, NIC 782210/17/98 Micheal Officer, Bus Op. FT, NIC 782310/17/98 Edward Selinske, Bus Op. FT, EM 782710/26/98 Leann Broten, Helper III, MJR 7830
15 YEARS10/11/93 Brendan Weiss, Bus Op. FT, Hey. Gar. 631210/11/93 Russell Bridger, Bus Op. PT Day, MJR 631710/16/93 Christopher Sager, Bus Op. FT, EM 631910/16/93 Marshall Freeman, Bus Op. FT, EM 632010/16/93 Thomas Jellings, Rev. Equip Tech 6321
10/16/93 Wendell Montgomery, Bus Op. FT, EM 632210/18/93 Randall Hilden, Bus Op. FT, SO 632410/18/93 Gary Andreen, Vault Puller, SO 632710/25/93 Angela Brown, Bus Op. FT, Hey. Gar. 633110/25/93 Howard Stewart, Bus Op. PT, MJR. 633310/25/93 Ronald Flesner, Bus Op. FT, MJR 6334
20 YEARS10/31/88 Jeffery Brekkestran, Bus Op. FT, FTH 8884
30 YEARS10/04/78 Thomas Muckala, Mech. BuildingMaintenance, SO529210/30/78 Joyce Murschel, Bus Op. FT, Hey. Gar. 81410/30/78 Thomas Sabourin, Mark-Up Disp., FTH 825
35 YEARS 10/24/73 Robert Rubbelke, Mech., OHB 1568
November 20085 YEARS11/03/03 Carole Landis, Rail Operations Clerk, RailMaint. 6307611/03/03 Herb Searles, Bus Op. FT, EM 6307711/03/03 Marla Nordlum, Bus Op. FT, MJR 6308111/15/03 Allen Juaire, Bus Op. FT, EM 6308511/15/03 Darrell Latta, Bus Op. FT, NIC 6308711/15/03 Scott Keller, Bus Op. FT, EM 6309011/17/03 Peter Lockhart, Bus Op. FT, NIC 6308911/17/03 Blia Yang, Bus Op. FT, EM 6309211/17/03 Curry Boyd, Bus Op. FT, FTH 63094
10 YEARS11/02/98 Thomas Varien, Bus Op. PT Day, FTH 783211/02/98 Myron Bas, Bus Op. FT, NIC 783311/14/98 Angela Koen, Bus Op. FT, SO 783411/14/98 Richard Bodsberg, Bus Op. FT, EM 784011/14/98 Jacqueline Davis, Bus Op. FT, EM 784411/14/98 Houa Yang, Bus Op. FT, EM 784511/16/98 Artis Brown, Bus Op. FT, NIC 785111/30/98 Justin Vierling, Bus Op. PT Day, EM 7857
15 YEARS11/08/93 Todd Bennett, Train Op., Rail Op 634111/08/93 Charles Hall, Bus Op. FT, NIC 634411/15/93 Leroy Carter, Bus Op. FT, EM 349311/24/93 David Rogne, Bus Op. FT, FTH 635511/24/93 Glenda Quashie, General Disp., FTH 635611/24/93 Larry Clark, Bus Op. FT, EM 635711/24/93 Maria Rios, Bus Op. FT, EM Gar. 6358
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20 YEARS11/03/88 Christopher Anderson, Fore. Elec-Mech, RailMaint. 0337711/07/88 Paul Osborne, Bus Op. FT, FTH 889111/07/88 Kenneth Dolney, Bus Op. FT, FTH 889311/12/88 Brian Orr, Instructor, FTH 889811/14/88 Frank Goldstrand, Bus Op. FT, NIC 116511/19/88 Theresa Collins, Bus Op. FT, NIC 137811/19/88 Marlin Jensen, Bus Op. FT, FTH 138111/19/88 Rodger Smith, Bus Op. FT, SO 1390
25 YEARS11/16/83 Lawrence Nezworski, Bus Op. FT, MJR 676
35 YEARS11/12/73 Leonard Cline, Mech., OHB 3072
CRYPTOEach letter stands for another. If you think X=O, for example, it would equal O throughout the puz-
zle. Clue: B=E (Answer on page 19 ) Submitted by “Qrypto Man” - Pat Kelehan
A Z B X Y Y W C D S F R Z B M C G R F Y F X O
A W W P Z B L Q F W S F O X O M E W T
W O R A X U B, D S X H B M T B S S, X O M
A W W P X T B S S-M B R B L Q B M E W T..........
W O R A X U B.
Richard Stephens RetiresRichard Stephens, Driver 502 of Nicollet Garage, retired on
September 1st after almost 34 years of service. His plans forretirement include pursuing his long-time artistic career in let-terpress, relief and linoleum-block printing and the printing ofartist books. He already has two of his own: Layovers andBehind the Wheel. Richard will also be arranging the series ofdaily drawings he did at his 18 Downtown layover at Hennepinand Washington. Local 1005 ABA Scott Tollin presentedRichard with a union jacket, and the plaque was presented byATM John Cook. Richard can be reached at: [email protected]
Page 18
Mirror MysteryA person doing bay service for afternoon pullouts remembers a day when an agitated driver approached him,
asking that the bus ahead of his be moved so that he could pull out. After the first bus had been moved, thedriver showed the bay service person that the right side mirror on his hybrid bus was missing. That is, not onlywas the mirror missing, but so was the entire mirror arm. Despite having to be assigned another bus, the driverleft the garage only two minutes late!
Now who would park a bus in the bay for afternoon pullouts that had no mirror at all? Wouldn't someonenotice that? We'll never have the answer in The Mystery of the Missing Mirror.
The 1005 Line is always looking for tasteful, true, humorous stories about things that happen on the job.We'd like to have stories from every department. If you have something you'd like to submit, please send itthrough interoffice mail to Melanie Benson, Driver 854 of Nicollet Garage. If you prefer to use a computer,the e-mail address is [email protected] Thank you.
Republican
National
Convention
Education Committee member, Dorothy Maki,with a friend, Lori Monteith, shows some attitude at the festivities on Tuesday afternoon,September 3rd, at the RNC.
Security and cameramenwere everywhere. Every typeof officer was there, fromSecret Service to traffic cop.And, of course, there werethe protesters.
The MSNBC Stage is picturedto the right, featuring ChrisMathews, Scott Gregory, PatBuchanan, etc.
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] No letters at this time.
LettersTo TheEditor
Answer To CRYPTO:
THE ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIAN TOOK HER VIOLINAND BOW ON STAGE, PLAYED WELL, AND TOOK A WELL-DESERVEDBOW.......ON STAGE.
Page 19
Roadeo
Please congratulate Darrell Hanson #9289 on winning second place in the large-bus category at the StateRoadeo competition in Bemidji this weekend.
This Roadeo was the largest bus roadeo event this state has ever conducted, with 61 contestants from allover Minnesota.
Metro Transit was well represented with the excellent efforts of both Darrell Hanson #9289 and Idar Bilij#2316.
Mike Rossini, recently-retired dispatcher at Nicollet Garageand former union Board Member, shows off a bus in Italy.Mike moved to Italy after his retirement, where his wife hasa one-year contract to teach English.
My bite isworse that yourbark.
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.
Lawrence Hass, former Metro Transit employee, from St. Paul, age 49, passed away suddenly on August 7,2008. Preceded in death by brother Richard. Survived by children Michael and Angelina; parents, Roger B. andDoris C.; siblings, Roger (Karen), Tom (Nancy), Paul (Claudia), Rita (Tom) Glynn, Margaret (Steve) Towle,John (Liza), and Mary (Bill) Leinberger; also nieces, nephews, many other relatives and friends.
Ron Dean, #1422, was hired by the MTC in June 1972 and retired in June 2006.Ron died in an auto accident in which he lost control of his vehicle, a commercialtruck, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Stanley Sticha, age 99, of St. Paul, passed away July 30, 2008. Stanley was a retired employee of Twin CityLines. Interment Resurrection Cemetery.
Timothy Johnson, age 55, of Cedar. Born Aug. 22, 1952 and passed away Aug. 17, 2008. Tim "Moose" Johnsonwas hired at Metro Transit on August 1976. Survived by loving wife, Michelle; children, Shannon Anderson,Chad, Brian and Joe Johnson; grandchildren, Shelby, Andy and Skylar; brother, Terry (Debbie); sisters, Sheila(John) Buster and Mary Norris; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Abbreviations used in NewsletterABA Assistant Business AgentATM Assistant Transportation ManagerDSL District Supervisor LogsIVP International Vice PresidentLES Labor Education ServiceRCL Rochester City LinesRNC Republican National Convention
