The 1005 LineThe 1005 LineThe news and information

publication of

ATU Local 1005 Prepared and

distributed by the Education

Committee

For The People Who Know Where They Are Going

December 2010

Slip Slidin' Awayby Melanie Benson, Driver 854

The effects of the freezing rain and sleet that fell in south and central

Minnesota Saturday night, November 20 and Sunday morning, November

21, were well covered by the local papers. The St. Paul Pioneer Press

quoted a State Patrol officer saying, "It was one for the ages as far as

road conditions go." Both papers reported on the effects the storm had

on EMT's, the police, emergency room personnel, the trucks carrying ice-

melt and sand, traffic, motorists and pedestrians. Neither, however,

addressed how the sleet affected public transportation, specifically buses

and rail.

A Transit Control Center graph showing operator calls into TCC

shows the growing concern of drivers on the street Saturday night as road

conditions worsened: Calls spiked from seven at 9:00 p.m. to over 110

by 11:00 p.m. At 11:01, the TCC issued its first text reading, "If you are

unable to proceed, pull over and hold at a safe location." Similar mes-

sages were issued at 11:38 p.m. Saturday and again at 6:42 a.m. and 6:53

a.m. Sunday morning. Other calls directed drivers to get off the freeway,

to use snow emergency detours, to stop using the Uptown Transit Station,

to reroute when necessary, and a myriad of other messages for multiple

buses.

A Pullout Performance Report lists a total of nine late pullouts Sunday

morning ranging from 128 to 303 minutes late due to "no operator avail-

able." Two pullouts were lost altogether for the same reason.

A memo from Chad Loeffler of the TCC at 1:27 p.m. Sunday provides

more interesting statistics: From late Saturday night to 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, 87 buses were stuck. Four "notable" late pull-ins Sunday morn-

ing due to buses being stuck or unsafe to drive ranged from seven to ten

hours late. Around noon on Sunday, 155 buses were still on the street,

and about 22.3% were running late.

“If you want higher wages - join

a union. If you want to elimi-

nate poverty - join a union. If

you want safety standards - join

a union. If you want a pension

- join a union. If you want

healthcare - join a union. If

your boss wants to send you into

a dangerous situation and you

want to tell your boss to ‘kiss my

ass’ - join a union!"

Cecil Roberts, President of the

United Mine Workers

What’s Inside...

Officer’s Corner

page 2

Union Meeting Highlights

page 3

Warm Wishes - Heating Systems

page 6

How it Works When it Don’t

Work

page 7

Metro Transit Winter Driving

page 8

Transit Security Awareness and

Terrorism Recognition Class

pages 10

Transit Safety and Security

page 11

Editorials / Obituaries

page 14, 15

Continued on page 10

OFFICER’S

CORNER

Page 2

Michelle Sommers

President

LOCAL 1005

OFFICERS

President/Business

Agent

Michelle

Sommers

Vice-President

Dorothy Maki

Recording

Secretary/Ass’t.

Business Agent

Dan

Abramowicz

Financial

Secretary/Treasurer

Tommy

Bellfield

Union Office

312 Central Ave.

Suite 438

Mpls., MN 55414

612-379-2914

email:

office@atu1005.com

website:

www.atu1005.com

CalendarEducation

Committee Meeting-

11:30 a.m.

December 21st

January 18th

Membership

Meetings

December 28 - Mpls.

January 25 - St. Paul

10:00 a.m. - 7:00

p.m.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

Metro Transit

As 2010 comes to an end and the New Year begins, I know most of

you are wondering when the contract will be settled.

ATU and management have continued to meet with the state mediator

and we are trying to look at non-cost items as well as health care and

wages. I believe there will be another offer to vote on in January 2011.

This has not been an easy contract to negotiate: The state is in a deficit

and most public employees have been taking pay freezes. To go along

with the money issues, management has not been very open to the non-

cost items in our proposals that union members asked us to fight for.

We are now working on a day- to-day extension of the contract that

expired July 31st. Under that extension, the council continues to pay the

amount required by contract to your health care plan. Because we have

not agreed on a new amount, the old amount still applies - which means

the member pays the increases for the plan. This means that the members

are paying the full cost of the 14.5% health care cost increase until we

have a ratified contract. In the end, when the contract is settled and the

council picks up at least some of the increase, the members' cost will go

down for 2011.

Right now all of us, including retired members, will be paying more

for health care. Just remember, we are all in this together. None of us is

getting a free ride.

Rochester

Rochester negotiations have also begun. Dan Abramowicz, Dave

Gosha, Terry Sprung and Janis Borchardt are the team working with

Rochester City Lines management. They have only met a few times and

will update RCL members as things develop.

First Transit

John Zapata, Dave Walker, Jeromy Sater and I have been working on

the First Transit contract. Negotiations have been moving along even

though we are now working with the third different lead negotiator for

First Group. We have settled most non-cost items and are now ready to

get the financials done. We have contacted the Federal Bureau of

Meditation Services (FMCS) to work through the money issues with us.

In Closing

I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a happy New Year. Be

safe and have fun.

Page 3

Union Meeting Highlights

Continued on Page 4

October 2010

Retirees are being permitted to participate in Open Enrollment this

year because of the plan design change in Plan A.

Maintenance Executive Board members were invited to attend a

meeting to discuss the documents for the upcoming biennial

Maintenance pick.

Two E-Board members will attend the Twin City Area Labor

Management Council seminar "Federal Changes in Healthcare" on

Wednesday, November 10.

Arbitration Requests

A South driver requested arbitration after being discharged for violat-

ing Metro Transit's Operator Policy (4th responsible accident). This case

will go to arbitration.

South Mechanic Technician Tim Dixon, 5510, agreed to carry a

grievance concerning overtime assigned at South Garage in his name

throughout the grievance process. This case will go to arbitration.

An MJR drive requested arbitration after being discharged for violat-

ing Metro Transit's Non-Operator Attendance Program. This will go to

arbitration.

A Heywood driver requested arbitration for a filed customer service

complaint. This case will go to arbitration.

A Nicollet driver requested arbitration after being given a Class A

violation and a 20-day suspension for violating Metro Transit's Cell

Phone Policy. This case will go to arbitration.

The Reduced Service Day Agreement for 2011 was presented, dis-

cussed and voted on. This proposal passed.

A letter of agreement (LOA) was proposed to the Executive Board

concerning facilities maintenance and public facilities maintenance tech-

nicians. This proposal passed.

A proposal to allow four 10-hour shifts in the Maintenance

Department was presented to the Executive Board. This proposal passed.

A representative of Matt Bostrom spoke to the members.

The Union Obligation was taken by Matthew Longtin, 70213.

Financial Secretary/Treasurer's Report

Four members passed since the last meeting:

Kerry Schiro, 1071

Jason Dero, 64217

LeRoy Olson, retiree

Donald Hansen, retiree

Members stood for a moment of silence.

Education

Committee

Advisor

Dorothy Maki

Chair

Melanie Benson

South

Liz Goldberg

Vice Chair

Stacey Taylor

Heywood Office

Ilona LaDouceur

Rec. Secretary

Nicollet

Alec Johnson

Ryan Timlin

Twaya McIntosh

Debbi Sievers

Blayne Williams

Overhaul Base

Open

Ruter

Tim Robinson

Jackie Williams

East Metro

Philip Jarosz

Lisa Callahan

Heywood Garage

Faye Brown

Walter T. Curry, Jr.

LRT

Stephen Babcock

Layout

Carl Rice

725 Bldg.

Scott Lindquist

Editorial Board

Ken Dolney

Mark Lawson

Gary Bier

Page 4 Union Minutes Continued

President's Report

Cell phone cases and arbitration settlements were announced.

There was a contract negotiation update.

Arbitration assessments are temporarily ceased.

Sleep apnea was discussed. It's becoming a larger problem for mem-

bers trying to renew their DOT physical cards.

Trial Boards were discussed.

The Election Challenge is being appealed by the Department of Labor

Jacqueline Williams has been appointed to the Education Committee.

Newly- elected International Officers and the International

Convention were discussed.

Delegate Reports

Dan Abramowicz reported on 2010 ATU Latino Caucus, Russ Dixon

reported on 2010 ATU International Convention and Ken Dolney report-

ed on the 2010 Minnesota State AFL-CIO Convention.

New Business

Trial Boards were requested by members. After each case (2) was

briefly presented and discussed, a vote was taken. The requests passed.

Rochester Meeting. - Wednesday, Oct. 27

Contract negotiations were announced with more pending.

Proposals were exchanged with the company RCL.

Company contract proposals were read and discussed.

Overtime issues were discussed with a resolution reached between the

parties.

Deb Sievers gave a delegate report on the 2010 ATU International

Convention.

November 2010

The Executive Board discussed the 2011 budget.

Arbitrations

A TIC representative requested arbitration from the membership after

a final record of warning for absenteeism. The union feels that the disci-

pline is excessive and that the department is trying to add on require-

ments/features that were already eliminated by an arbitrator's decision in

a company-wide policy for non-operators. A secret ballot was cast, and

this will be going to arbitration.

A South operator is asked for arbitration after being discharged for

operator policy and overall record. He is asking to be reinstated as an

operator and made whole, or the opportunity to transfer into another

department within the company. The company had reviewed MnDot

Light Rail

Facility

Stephen Babcock #3128

Carl Rice #6223

We have four new students in

training for rail operators. Training

started Monday, November 8,

2010

6716 Lisa Callahan from EM.

9939 Robert Tapper from Nic.

66104 Stanley Jones from Hey.

67011 Mohamed Elmi from Nic.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!!

Be SAFE!

The campaigns (door wiring,

centertruck brake plumbing, speed

sensor and sanding system) are

completed. Our service calls

should improve. Now that these

campaigns are finished, we will be

starting our 13th train (out of 27)

for overhaul.

The new Maintenance of Way

(rail systems) building is under-

way on 24th and Hiawatha.

Preparations are underway for

expansion of stockroom, RCC, and

the truck shop. We have already

completed third floor modifica-

tions.

Congratulations to Jerome

Kaczmarek. He has acheived an

outstanding 38 years of safe bus

and train operations out of 38

years of employment. No one has

ever achieved this before.

East Metro

Philip Jarosz, Dr. #65015

Lisa Callahan, Dr. #6716

Some new changes are occurring

at East Metro:

The position of Garage

Coordinator is open again, as

Cheryl Kienietz-Hall #360 has

decided to return to the training

center.

For now, Timothy Bowan

#9025 is acting as Interim

Coordinator. George Hernandes

#1354 is working with Tim, and

the position will be posted again.

There will be testing and inter-

views in the process of filling this

position. This position is open to

all applicants, although senority

does play a role.

Lisa Callahan has made a move

to light rail. Lisa contributed as a

writer for this garage column. Best

wishes. There is an opening for

another ATU member to write arti-

cles in this column. Please see Ken

Dolney.

On a lighter side, East Metro

is getting all new exercise equip-

ment sometime around the first of

the year.

All New Year's resolutions may

apply for this opportunity, as size

matters, not senority. (Lol)

Page 5

video tapes after customer complaints. The operator was confused with

the lane changes on the newly-constructed Highway 62 and Freeway

35W. He was taped backing a bus on the wrong ramp. The operator was

under a Final Record of Warning for three previous responsible accidents.

A secret ballot was cast, and this will not be going to arbitration.

A Heywood operator asked for arbitration after being cited for a viola-

tion of the Cell Phone Policy, a 160 hours (twenty working day) suspen-

sion. For part-time employees this can mean more than five weeks with-

out income. The length of suspension is excessive. It was alleged that

management was informed of the cell phone usage by a third party.

Management downloaded the video which showed the operator violating

the policy. The member is asking to be made whole. The union's posi-

tion is that the grievant has a right to know who his accuser is. (See

Trial Board later on in the minutes for further information.) A secret bal-

lot was cast, and this will be going to arbitration.

President's Report

Cell Phone Policy We have a few decisions from arbitrations, won

two (aspects of one decision), lost one. It is obvious that the company

will not be allowed to have one cookie-cutter policy that fits all situa-

tions.

Contract Update Have met, gotten nowhere. We gave them no-cost

proposals (such as fix the maintenance seniority). Management would

not deal with them. We are waiting to see who wins the election and

who the new Met Council leader will be. It will be a big factor in our

negotiations.

Healthcare Everybody's rates are going up. Once the contract is set-

tled, there will be adjustments. Active people will have another open

enrollment, but there is no guarantee that there will be one for retirees.

North Star Maintenance will vote on 10-hour shifts. There was one

meeting for Bus Maintenance at the last meeting.

Snow The company has asked for waivers on the limits of part-time

drivers during snow emergencies. We have declined.

Boot Camp in Chicago Larry Hanley, our newly elected ATU

International President, has organized a meeting in Chicago with other

transit unions to figure out strategies on how to get operating income for

transit systems.

CDLs Sleep apnea, diabetes are all big issues when renewing your

license. Please make sure that you have documentation from your doctor

showing everything is under control when you go to renew your license.

Vice-President's Report

A big THANK YOU to the GOTV campaign volunteers! (Please

see Box on page 14 for further information.)

ATU Hardship Fund - Write in 'ATU Hardship Fund' on the designee

line on the Charitable Giving Campaign Fund 2010 form underneath the

Greater Twin Cities United Way line. You can contribute as little as one

dollar, more hopefully, to be taken out at paycheck time. What a wonder-

ful way to help our members when they are in need!

Union Minutes Continued

Continued on Page 13

Commuter Rail

Big Lake

We are proud to celebrate

Northstar Commuter Rail’s one

year anniversary. Northstar started

revenue service on November 16,

2009. To lead up to this milestone,

we were happy to boast our largest

ridership month to date – 81,186

riders for the month of September.

We also boast a 95.6 on-time per-

centage which says a lot about the

work that goes into maintaining

and delivering trains daily.

Route 887F

We are pleased to announce

that there is a new route added to

Metro Transit. This bus route

serves Friday Midday service

between St. Cloud and

Minneapolis. It stops at four of the

five Northstar Stations – Big Lake,

Elk River, Anoka and Coon

Rapids. It will help Met Council

evaluate ridership during off-peak

commuter times.

First Northstar Retiree

We’d like to congratulate Dave

Devine on his retirement and

thank him for his 34 years of serv-

ice with Metro Transit. Before

coming to the MTC in 1976, Dave

was a taxi driver, a bus driver, a

student, and a member of the

United States Navy.

Planning/Updates

On-Board Cameras –

Installation complete.

WiFi Installation for remote

download of camera data is slated

to begin in November.

AESS – Parts delivered.

Installation TBD.

Page 6

Warm Wishes for the Holidays and the New YearMelanie Benson, Driver 854, Nicollet Garage

The mission of workers in the public transit industry is to transport

our passengers safely, on time, and in comfort. In the winter months,

there are special challenges in each of these areas, and we meet them.

How the Heating System Works

The heating systems on the buses keep the drivers and the passengers

warm, yet many of us don't know how these systems operate. The basic

elements of the heating system are the heat generated by the engine, the

heated coolant circulating next to the engine through a heater core (like a

radiator) and a fan that blows the warm air into the engine compartment.

The air is blown through gunnels on either side of the passenger compart-

ment, where the vents deliver the warm air to the passengers and the

driver.

Heat controls located on the dash allow the driver to set the interior

temperature of the bus between 68 and 74 degrees. The thermostat,

located in the rear of the bus, measures the temperature of the passenger

compartment as a whole. The higher the temperature setting, the longer

the valves remain open that let the heat flow through. These are located

behind the vented panel in the rear of the bus.

After a bus is started at the beginning of a shift, it should take no

longer than twenty minutes for the bus to heat up.

Heat in the Front of the Bus

Coolant runs all the way to the front of a bus and goes through a

heater core behind the fare box. This is where the heat for the defrosters

comes from. The pull controls located on the dash are attached to cables

that open and close water valves for the temperature and the direction of

the air. This system is manual instead of electric, like the valves for the

rest of the heating system. Sometimes a cable may break or a valve may

get stuck, leading to problems with the defrosters.

The Infamous Webasto

Located on the driver's side of the bus, midway back, is the Webasto

heater. This unit is designed to further heat the coolant flowing through

the bus for auxiliary heat. It is a burner that burns raw diesel fuel, which

is emitted in a fine spray. The fuel is diesel because of its low com-

bustibility.

At the beginning of each season, the Webastos may smoke a bit ini-

tially. This is normal, as the fuel nozzles are cleaned off. If they smoke

excessively, and a driver sees a lot of smoke pouring out the left side of

the bus, there is a defect.

Often, there is a smell associated with the Webasto that can be con-

fused with the smell of an exhaust leak, because they're both diesel.

Generally, if fumes are noticed from the center of the bus forward, they're

Page 7

How it Works, When it Don't Work.Blayne Williams #77, Nicollet Garage

When an operator writes up a driver’s report, a few things happen:

- First, the bus is brought to the shop.

- The driver's report is brought to the office and a work order is generat-

ed on the computer. The "work order" gives a detailed history of the

maintenance and repairs made to the problem bus.

- The Tech can then see if this has been a repeat problem or a new issue.

- When the repairs are made, the Tech gives a written description on the

work order of what he or she found and fixed.

- The work order is brought to the office, the information is entered in

the computer, and an internal paper trail is established.

This is how it's supposed to work.

probably from the Webasto. If passengers sitting in the rear of the bus

smell fumes, especially when the bus is sitting still, there is probably an

exhaust leak from somewhere in or near the engine compartment.

Webasto heaters should never be turned on inside the garage, and

should always be turned off before pulling a bus into the garage.

Our Responsibilities

Defects in the heating system can only be corrected if they are identi-

fied by the driver with a defect slip. Maintenance personnel in the serv-

ice garages can correct problems with sticking valves, faulty pumps or

fuel nozzles, and other parts. Each shift in each service garage has a

mechanic who specializes in the HVAC system. Working together, we

can help make this a warm winter for our coworkers and our passengers.

Many thanks to Blayne Williams, Nicollet Garage mechanic and Stan

Green, East Metro mechanic and HVAC specialist, for their assistance

with this article.

Heywood

Ilona La Douceur #66048

Faye Brown # 6331

Walter T. Curry, Jr. #3815

Dispatch

The pick for dispatch begin-

ning November 29 will go into

effect December 11. Tommy will

go back to five days doing the

mark-up. Watch out (boom),

Tommy in the hold. We look for-

ward to it.

Safety

Weather has changed, so give

yourself time to react to condi-

tions. Bus floors will be slippery,

so watch out for passengers as

they walk on the bus.

There's a new sign on the pull-

out lane (NO PARKING) to pre-

vent accidents.

Training

The 35W and 46th Street

Station looks good, but we will not

be doing the routes there. Nicollet,

South and private contractors will

have it.

Transit Information

Congratulations to new TIC

Reps Brian Anderson, Michael

Holsten, Steven Meyer, Joanna

Rivera-Ocasio, Francene Skins-

Ross and Brianne Waterhouse,

who began October 18, 2010.

They have completed their

class training and are now in

coaching. As of December 3,

2010, Brian Anderson, Michael

Holsten and Brianne Waterhouse

have turned in.

CRYPTOEach letter stands for another. If you think A=F, for example, it would

equal O throughout the puzzle. Clue: B=E (Answer on page 9 )

Submitted by Pat Kelehan, Facilities Tech. #5470

A Z B Y B C X D A Y X D Z X F F V G B Y H J

Z V K D B D V L Z X M

A Z B O X A D Q X J B M.....D V L A C V K F M

D A V Q F L A A B Y L R S.

Nicollet

Melanie Benson #854

Twaya McIntosh #9002

Debbi Sievers #64222

Alec Johnson #66034

Ryan Timlin #66279

Blayne Williams #77

The effects of the icy condi-

tions of November 20/21 on

Nicollet Garage employees were

varied. Drivers, dispatchers and

mechanics showed courage and

common sense. Some of their sto-

ries are reflected here.

One driver recounted how he

was driving the 6-line up Xerxes

Avenue when he encountered a

bus stopped diagonally across the

intersection, blocking traffic.

Drivers had to negotiate unfamiliar

streets to detour, and his bus slid

straight through an intersection.

Another driver completed all

her trips on the 21-line, even

though this meant pulling in four

hours late. She had to improvise

her own detour to get up the hill

by the cathedral in St. Paul.

The two mechanics who spent

their whole shift out with the tow

truck were able to manually push a

bus off of a fire hydrant, it was

that slippery. (Buses weigh about

15 tons.)

A driver on the 23-line reported

driving 15 miles an hour on a

straight roadway and starting to

slide sideways. Knowing he

couldn't brake, he had to steer the

bus back on course.

Numerous drivers making slow

turns felt the rear ends of their

buses start to slide out of control.

Thanks to those who shared

their stories.

Everyone did a great job.

Page 8

Metro Transit Winter DrivingStacey Taylor, Driver 70055, South Garage

The roads can get hectic during the Minnesota winters and the pres-

sure is on us, as drivers, to get customers to their desired locations. As

much as we focus on on-time service, safety should be at the front of our

minds for both customers and ourselves. Now that we have had a signifi-

cant snowfall, both first-time Metro Transit bus drivers and those more

experienced have had our first taste of driving in snowy and icy condi-

tions. It seems the right time to go over and review important tips about

winter driving.

Most drivers have received the winter driving handout packets fur-

nished by the Metro Transit Safety Department entitled "2010 Snow

Reroute Packet" and the "Facing Winter Challenges Metro Transit 2010-

2011" via their garage mail. Everyone can learn and review from these

tips whether you drive a 40-footer or an Articulated Coach (artic).

The first page of the "Facing Winter Challenges" handout gives us essen-

tials to "Keeping Your Bus Under Control In Snow and Ice." An impor-

tant fact that sticks out is that "Ice at 32 degrees is twice as slippery as

ice at 0 degrees." It seems like starting or stopping causes the most con-

cern for drivers. Braking on black ice is also a major concern when the

weather gets more extreme. Black ice is created from vehicle exhaust and

can occur at intersections, cloverleaf highway entrances and off ramps.

We can use two of the five safety keys we see posted throughout the

garage. Safety Key #2 "Get the Big Picture" and key #4 "Leave Yourself

An Out" - reducing speed and increasing following distance so we leave

enough space to stop and avoid sudden braking. Also, whether driving a

40-foot bus or 60-foot artic, caution should be taken when accelerating.

Metro Transit Safety Specialist Mark Kitzerow at South Garage said

drivers, especially those in rear-wheel drive articulated buses, need to

take extra caution not to immediately accelerate when leaving snowy and

icy stops. "Gently release the brake pedal," Kitzerow explained. "Allow

the wheels to gain traction and then slowly move your foot to the acceler-

ator and gently accelerate." Kitzerow said this helps drivers avoid tire

spin and maintain control of the bus.

According to the Articulated Coach Operator Handouts, tire spin often

occurs because the damping system may over-react or under-react to the

sudden acceleration. Another tip Kitzerow added was to avoid pulling

too close to curbs with large amounts of snow and ice.

South Garage driver Richard Welton #65149 is in his sixth year with

Metro Transit and can remember his first winter driving in 2005. Welton

recalls that in 2005 a lot of artics were towed out of ditches and pulled

off the sidewalks because they had gotten stuck. Before coming to Metro

Transit, Welton said he had never driven anything larger than a pick-up

truck. He drove his first artic his first winter with Metro Transit. "It was

Page 9

somewhat intimidating because it ended up being one of the worse winters for artics," Welton said. Welton said

he never really had any problems with artics in the winter until last year when the back end of his artic started to

slide into another lane as he made a routine right-hand turn after crossing a bridge.

"Even though you are going slow with the front wheels, the back wheels will keep accelerating, especially

going back and forth from ice to concrete," Welton said. His bus eventually straightened out a few feet beyond

the bridge. Welton believes he is fortunate because he has had close calls in both 40- footers and artics but says

that until you get into certain conditions with a bus you are never really tested. "There is no simulation in class

for driving a bus in snow or ice whether 40-footer or artic," Welton added. "But artics are a different type of

driving altogether."

This year, 2010, will be Welton's first winter not having an articulated bus. "Take your time as much as pos-

sible," Welton said. "Even if you are late it makes more sense to be late than driving fast through ice and snow

with artics. They will get away from you. When they say drive according to conditions, drive according and

then some."

There are a lot of ways we drivers can take control to avoid trouble before we hit the road. We can do proper

pre-trips of adjusting mirrors, checking for snowbrushes, making sure signals, wipers, and defrost systems work.

While on the move, the "Facing Winter Challenges" handout also stresses Key #3 Keep Your Eyes Moving

by checking passengers in the mirror as well as keeping stairs and doorway area clear of snow and reminding

passengers to watch their steps and use handrails.

Remember, safety should be our main concern for both customers and us during these long drawn-out

(Minne-snowda) winter months.

Have you?Have you ever…

…stopped to pick up a fire hydrant, mailbox, bench or a tree?

…waited at a stop sign for it to change to green so you could go?

…stopped at a red light, checked for traffic in both directions, then proceeded on through before the light

changed to green?

…thought you heard the bell and stopped when no one rang? …or didn't hear it when they did?

…wondered where the hell you were?

…seen a light change in the distance and thought it was yours?

…turned the wrong way on a one-way street?

…taken your foot off the brake before you realized someone was getting their bicycle off the rack?

…read your paddle wrong and gone to the wrong terminal?

…forgotten to change your destination sign until you were almost at the end of your trip?

…forgotten to change your trip settings several trips in a row?

Thanks for reading, and feel free to send more to me,

Faye Brown, Driver # 6331, Heywood Garage

Answer

THERE WAS TRASH ALLOVER MYHOUSE SO I HAD THE CAT

SPAYED......SO ITWOULD STOPLITTERING.

Page 10

Transit Security Awareness and Terrorism Recognition ClassBy: Officer Geoffrey Wyatt, Metro Transit Police Department

The Transit Security Awareness and Terrorism Recognition Training (TSAT) program was developed by the

National Transit Institute (NTI) in cooperation with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to better educate

our front-line employees in the nation's transit systems on how to better recognize and respond to potential ter-

rorist actions. Not only that, but we provide very useful information which can be beneficial on a day-to-day

basis.

The program is put on locally by the Metro Transit Police Department, who fine-tuned this program to the

Minneapolis/St. Paul local area. Students are paid overtime for their attendance, and after about 16 classes so

far, we have received great feedback. Many students have come out of the course with a much better knowledge

base and most have stated that they really enjoyed the class. Several students have commented about how much

they learned and how much fun they had in the class.

Within the last month, officers from the police department distributed flyers to all the garages with the dates,

times and locations for all upcoming training. With the holiday season approaching, the classes will begin to

slow down, however the grant money is available until early next summer so the classes will pick up again in

the spring. If you would like to attend one of the courses, please see your garage manager to get signed up or

contact Lt. Jim Franklin at the police department at 612-349-7200 for more information.

Driver 65015 has attended the class and is enlightened with a new awareness of the information. It safe-

guards our working environment when well- informed employees can provide added security to the community

and to our jobs. This program is priceless and well worth attending to protect our livelihoods. Did I mention

that added income is paid for attending this class?

The accident summary for Nicollet, Heywood and South reflected 30 accidents between 9:00 p.m. Saturday

and 10:00 a.m. Sunday. Most of these were bus/fixed object accidents, a few were buses hitting parked vehicles,

and in two cases the bus left the road. The "Non-Responsible Safety Conference" determined that sleet/ice relat-

ed accidents would not be charged against the drivers, and memos dated November 23 to this effect were distrib-

uted by the Safety Specialists, thanking drivers for their "determined efforts toward safe driving."

The most dramatic stories, of course, were in the streets, where drivers contended with buses sliding side-

ways even at slow speeds, getting stuck in intersections or on roads with or without passengers, not hearing from

or being able to contact the Control Center, and the often-terrifying feeling of impending loss of control.

Mechanics in service trucks, who spent their entire shifts assisting the drivers, could often only pull a bus away

from a fixed object, knowing there was no safe place to leave the bus. When the TCC sent out the text messages

that, if drivers felt the conditions were unsafe, they could pull over and sit, drivers had to balance this against

wanting to get their passengers home or to other destinations.

There is no way of adequately representing the accounts of drivers, mechanics,

TIC representatives, and other union members who risked their safety either to get

to work or to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities under extremely dan-

gerous conditions. They should all be commended and honored.

Thanks to those who provided the information for this article. Numerous calls

concerning this article to the offices of Steve McLaird, Assistant Director of

Transportation (who ordered that buses be pulled out Sunday morning), and

Christie Bailly, Director of Transportation, were not returned.

Slip Slidin' Away Continued from p.1

A tumbleweed blew into the LRT shop and caught the spirit of the season.

Are you having a garage party? Take pictures and send with captions to

your Education Committee member or Dorothy Maki at the union office.

Page 11

TRANSIT SAFETY/SECURITY COM-

MITTEE (TSSC)

MEETING MINUTES November 2010

Members of the Committee Present:

Christina House, Committee Chair

Danielle Julkowski, Management Advisor

Diane Rude, East

Brad Carlson, Nicollet

Dereje Tafesse, MJR

Leatha Falls, Heywood

Lisa Benson, South

Others in attendance:

Michael LaVine, Police

Jim Franklin, Police

Rosalind Salters, TCC

Roger Haas , Maintenance

Elizabeth Kelly, TCC

Christine Kuennen, TCC

Eric Isakson, TCC

Dorothy Maki, ATU

Emily Anleu, Acting Recording Secretary

CALL TO ORDER

Christina House called the meeting to order at 10:00

a.m. in Chambers.

REVIEW OF MINUTES

August minutes were approved.

POLICE REPORT

Mike LaVine in attendance: 15 operator assaults.

They have made arrests in 12 of the 15. There have

been two new ones that they are currently investigat-

ing. Covert Alarm Policy - they will respond to it, but

not with lights and sirens until TCC verifies that there

is an actual emergency on the bus. Jim Franklin -

Strategic goals, goal is to get uniforms police before

front line employees. They are having uniformed

police officers train front line employees in a course

called "Safety Awareness & Terrorism Recognition

Training". They have trained about 300 employees

since the class began. Please encourage operators to

attend.

TCC REPORT

Eric Isakson in attendance: TCC supervisor position

will be posted for only internal candidates. They were

in fall-back mode for longer than expected last

Saturday. It was to fix a feature with the Covert

Alarm. There was another one on Wednesday 11/3,

due to a power shortage. Call numbers for the month

of October - Routine: 10,749 Covert: 36

STREET OPERATIONS

Debra Downing in attendance: The fall-back didn't

work well for them. Monster Dash - Routes that were

affected 4, 6, 14, 22, 5, 17, and 35W was closed .

Most of the events are over for the year. Still a few

events, 35 W, DT St. Paul. Kim Stein started

Monday.

MAINTENANCE REPORT

Roger Haas in attendance: We use 700,000 gallons of

fuel a month or 8.2 million gallons a year. On 11/18

there will be a meeting with representatives from

Safety and Transportation to discuss ways to glean the

fuel use. Still working on keeping the windshield

clear for drivers. 1100 and 1200 buses have issues

with the steering column being raised and lowered.

GUESTS

Rosalind Salters and Elizabeth Kelly in attendance:

Annunciators , Rt 17 since February 2010. Rt 10 and

18 coming soon." They would like feedback on how

it's working. Beginning next year they will call a

meeting with the Committee and see about populating

other routes, for now they don't have the staff to

maintain it, but they are hoping to have it systemwide

sometime next year. If you have any problems or con-

cerns with it, please fill out a "Bad order radio" card,

so TCC can work on the problem. There will be a sur-

vey and updated instructions coming soon. If the

annunciator isn't working you need to call TCC.

OTHER

Next meeting is December 2

Respectfully submitted, Emily Anleu, Recording

Secretary

Disclaimer:

Due to format changes, these columns

are not exact replicas of TSSC minutes.

The exact minutes are posted after each

meeting at the operating garages.

Page 12

RetirementsCongratulations to October Retirees

10/01/10 Kathleen Palmquist, Ruter Bus Op. 2342

10/01/10 Dennis Rose, So. Bus Op. 549

10/01/10 Donald Sathre, Hey. Bus Op. 1476

10/02/10 Kevin Peek, Ruter Bus Op. 6201

10/02/10 Carl Olding, OHB Maint. Motor Builder

5390

10/02/10 Charles Chase, Ruter Bus Op. 9169

10/07/10 Edward Severson, Transit Store Cashier

Mpls 2658

10/09/10 William Andre, Transit Infor. Rep 3656

10/09/10 Richard Walker, So. Bus Op. 257

10/18/10 Ambe Funwi, Hey. Mech. Technician

9909

10/30/10 Donald Wintheiser, EM Bus Op. 9

The last edition had an error concerning Kellie

Miller’s years of service. We're very sorry about

the oversight. Kellie’s hire date was May 31,

1978.

She more than earned each one of her years and

deserves to be recognized for that.

We will stop printing the anniversaries com-

pletely until we can be assured that the TIS docu-

ment that the information is taken from is accurate.

The group of Instructors who made it to his retirement were:

Left to right: Denny Johnson, Scott Lindquist, Tim Smith, Ted Stephney, Gil Nevils, Dorothy Maki, Gloria

Hunt, Keith Dilling, Steve Nichols, John Marroquin, Larry Roering, Tom Newkirk, Cheryl Kienietz-Hall

Keith Dillings Retired on July 1st

Keith was hired October 19, 1981 and retired July 1, 2010. He spent most of his driving career at Heywood

Garage until he became a full-time instructor. Keith’s first and last students came to see him retire too. He is

going to enjoy his cabin and boat up north and do some traveling to California where his son lives.

Page 13

The Education Committee wishes “Happy Holidays”

to you and your families

Left to right, first row: Tim Robinson, Faye Brown, Melanie Benson, Ilona LaDouceur and Dorothy Maki

Second row: Philip Jarosz, Walter T. Curry, Jr., Stacey Taylor, Twaya McIntosh, Carl Rice, Jackie Williams,

Blayne Williams and Stephen Babcock

Not Shown: Alec Johnson, Ryan Timlin, Liz Goldberg and Lisa Callahan

Financial Secretary's Report

Members stood for a moment of silence for the following members that have passed away since our last

meeting:

Garnet Allen - 50-year retiree

Michael Craven - Heywood Operator

Unfinished Business

Trial Board charges involving the Cell Phone Policy In the first case, Ken Dolney, Chuck Feucht, and Mark

Lawson reported back that there was insufficient evidence and recommended that charges be dropped. The

membership voted and the recommendation passed. It should be pointed that out that charges can be brought up

again if there is sufficient evidence in the future.

In case Two, the member admitted to the charges. The Trial Board found that the member is truly repentant.

They recommended a fine of $100 and a written apology to the offended member and to the membership. The

membership voted and the recommendation passed.

New Business

A motion was made and passed to move the March 2011 membership meeting to Minneapolis because of a

conflict with a Wild hockey game.

A motion was made and passed that the union officers would look into buying or leasing a centrally-located

property for union membership meetings. A report will be made to the membership at the February meeting.

Union Minutes Continued from p5

In the early 1980's there was a day with icy streets in the metro area like those of a couple of weeks ago. I

pulled out of the garage in the morning, and almost immediately slid into a snowbank. Bus service was sus-

pended that day until about 10:30 a.m., when the trucks had been able to distribute the salt and sand, and it was

safe to drive.

The same thing should have happened this time. The media could have been contacted so the public would

know. There was no need for these dangerous driving conditions to have caused this much anxiety. Numerous

people in the union ranks and even safety and management folks agree.

It makes one wonder if there are guidelines to address such situations, or whether management just tries to

handle each situation as it comes along.

Melanie Benson, Driver 854, Nicollet Garage

Submissions for Letters to the Editor are subject to approval of the

Editorial Board and space considerations. Letters to the Editor are

solely the opinion of the author and do not represent endorsement

by ATU Local 1005 or the Education Committee. If you have an

editorial to submit, please contact a committee member or our advi-

sor Dorothy Maki at: dorothy@atu1005.com.

Letters

To The

Editor

Page 14

On September 24, 2010, several homes in Minnesota and Illinois were raided by the F.B.I. This was part of

an investigation of what the law enforcement agency said was related to "the material support of terrorism."

I do not know nor have I ever met any of these 14 people implicated in this investigation. However, in my

research of this action I have found out that these people are not terrorists. They are Americans. Some are

union members and well-known activists. Their "crime" is being anti-war activists. This is of great concern to

me as a Union activist and a political activist.

In my view, what happened to these people is a crime. Their homes were violated and possessions confiscat-

ed, although every American has the constitutional right to advocate and organize for change in the foreign poli-

cy of the United States of America.

The St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, to which I am a delegate, goes on record as "expressing its grave

concern that the recent FBI raids are reminiscent of the Palmer Raids of the 1920's, the McCarthy Hearings of

the 1950's, and the FBI's harassment of the civil rights movement, and our grave concern that these raids be the

beginning of the new and dangerous assault on the First Amendment rights of every union fighter, international

Democratic GOTV (Get Out the Vote) Campaign

East Metro

Joel Bisch #9960

Ken Dolney #2641

Bonnie Green #644

Chuck Gudknecht #3809

Rick Steffels #5985

Jim Wolf #68232

EM- Stan Green

South

Todd Eddy #64421

Mark Lawson #6986

Nic

Kathy Jones

Gwendolyn Lee,

FTH

Marlin Jensen #1381

TIC

Ilona LaDouceur #66048

Union Officer

Dorothy Maki #9082

Dan Abramowicz

Tommy Bellfield

Michelle Sommers

Election Judges

Washington County-Terry and

Mike Qualy

Anoka County-Dorothy Maki

THANK YOU

We see time and again, it is that little extra effort that makes all the difference. We helped deliver 24% of the

St. Paul vote and only 14% of Minneapolis…….see any correlation?

Michael Wayne Craven, Sr., age 67, of Monticello (formerly of

Superior, Wisconsin) died Tuesday, November 9, 2010 following a

brave battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Kelly (Olson)

Craven; children Michael Craven, Jr., Jackie Craven- Busch, Amanda

Craven (Nate Ostrom), and Amber Barker (Jathan); eight grandchil-

dren; siblings Laura Anderson (Larry), Sue Korhonen (Doug), Randy

Craven, Robert Craven, Sr., and Sharie Craven; stepchildren Dustin, Devin and

Brianne Waterhouse; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his

parents Clinton and Linda; brother Richard; wife and mother of his four children

Beverly Shaul Craven; and son-in-law Joe Busch. Interment at Greenwood Cemetery

of Superior, WI.

Mike was a retired bus driver, hired February 11, 2002 and retired November 1, 2010. Mike's wife Kelly

Craven was a bus operator, TIC Rep and now works at Northstar in maintenance. Stepchildren Brianne

Waterhouse works in TIC and Dustin Waterhouse is a Part time driver out of Heywood Garage.

Garnett Lavo Allen, age 76, of Minneapolis, passed away October 23, 2010. She was preceded in death by her

parents, Charles and Iva Allen. Her brothers are Donald, Wayne, Skip and Arden.

Garnett was a 50-year retiree, Employee 3159. She was hired in December of 1953 and retired in November

of 1995 and worked in the finance department as an Accounts Payable Cost Clerk.

Page 15

In Memoriam

Okay, the bad girl is back I don't know if the Metro Transit Police know it or not, but they are here to serve and protect. It has come

to my attention that the job they are supposed to be doing isn't getting done quite right.

Some officers get on the bus and do nothing but ride in the area where it's not that bad, then get off before

the problem areas come. They ask for a transfer to show they were there, but maybe they need to get one when

they get off to show how what a short time they stayed.

Sometimes the passengers who would cause a problem know how long it takes the police to come when

called, so the problem passengers will jump off. No one really cares when you say you are going to call the

police.

Some of the police do other things that are considered not right, like stopping their personal vehicle in a bus

stop. In one case, even though the bus drivers were blowing their horns, the driver wouldn't move while the

other one jumped out to get some hot dogs at 7th and Nicollet. Wow, what happened to donuts and coffee?

PROTECT the glaze and SERVE the java. (I made a funny, everybody laugh.) I know I used a lot of "they" and

"them" to protect the innocent. But we know who THEY are. Don't put your foot in the shoe if it's not yours.

Some of them do a good job and are there to help. They get the bad guys sometimes, so all is not bad. Cheers to

the good!

Please feel free to submit more to Faye Brown at Heywood Garage.

solidarity activist or anti-war campaigner."

Furthermore, there is a recent report from the Department of Justice Inspector General wherein he soundly

criticized the FBI for improperly targeting domestic peace and anti-war groups for investigation.

In light of this, I have written letters to President Obama and to Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken

requesting that this matter be investigated. It is my hope that others consider doing the same. As an American,

a Union member and a person, I am appalled and seriously concerned that these or other improper and unjusti-

fied actions can be done to myself or to you.

Sincerely, Ilona LaDouceur, TIC Emp. #66048

DRUG TESTING RIGHTS

If 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 test

turned 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, including

union officers. Professional interpetation is available at member’s expense, starting at about $50 minimum.

WEINGARTEN RIGHTS STATEMENT

If disciplinary action is suspected, read this statement to your foreman: I request to have a union representative present on my behalf

during this meeting because I believe it may lead to disciplinary action taken against me. If I am denied my right to have a union

representative present, I will refuse to answer accusational questions and any I believe may lead to discipline.

Left to right, front row: Greg Stowe (Heywood Maintenance), Russ Dixon (Heywood Operators), Chuck

Feucht (East Metro Maintenance), Dan Abramowicz (Recording Secretary / Asst. Bus. Agent), Michelle

Sommers (President / Business Agent), Dorothy Maki (Vice-President), Tommy Bellfield (Financial

Secretary / Treasurer), Gary Bier (Office / Clerical), Clifton Bolden (Nicollet Operators), Curt Anderson

(Union Sentinel)

Left to right, back row: Dave Gosha (Rochester City Lines), Tim Dixon (South Maintenance), Mark

Lawson (South Operators), Dave Hopwood (MJR Maintenance), Brian LaRoue (Overhaul Base), John

Zapata (Nicollet Maintenance), Dave Rogers (LRT Operators), Ken Dolney (East Metro Operators),

Clarence Maloney (LRT Maintenance), Tom Mevissen (Northstar Commuter), Maria Hennes-Staples

(MJR Operators)

Best Wishes for the Holidays

from the ATU Local 1005 Executive Board