Article 8 / Article 10 ATU Local 1005 page 19 Editorials / Obits pages 26 - 27 Picnic Info page 27 The news and information publication of This cartoon was created by Juan Parker many years ago to symbolize the com- pany’s control by rules. Things have only gotten worse! Motorcycle Charity Run For The People Who Know Where They Are Going Continued on Page 20
Article 8 / Article 10 Articles 8 and 10 are two of the 43 Articles making up the labor agreement (contract) between Metro Transit and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005. The current contract expires on July 31, 2010. ARTICLE 8 NO STRIKE OR LOCKOUT The ATU will not sanction or authorize any strike or work stoppage or slow downs during the period of this Agreement or of any continuation or renewal thereof, unless Metro Transit has committed a breach of this Agreement and refuses promptly to submit the matter to the Board of Arbitration in accordance with Article 13 hereof, if the matter is not settled by agree- ment, or Metro Transit refuses promptly to comply with a decision of the Board of Arbitration. A strike or work stoppage or slowdowns by any employees or members of the ATU which has not been authorized, sanctioned, instigated or ratified by the ATU shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement, and shall impose no liability upon the ATU, provided that the ATU, shall and hereby agrees promptly to exert every effort to bring about an immediate termination of such unauthorized activity, including notification to the employees or members to desist from such activity, and provided further that operating in accor- dance with Metro Transit rules shall not be considered a slow down. Metro Transit, for its part, shall not authorize, sanction, or engage in the lockout of employees covered by this agreement. ARTICLE 10 MUTUAL COOPERATION Section 1. The ATU agrees that each of the employees now or hereafter represented by it shall render faithful service in their positions and shall to the best of their ability, observe the operating rules of Metro Transit and cooperate with the management in the efficient operation of the sys- tem and in fostering cordial relations between Metro Transit and the pub- lic. Section 2. The ATU agrees to require all of its members to comply with the provisions of this Agreement, and Metro Transit agrees to cooperate This cartoon was created by Juan Parker many years ago to symbolize the com- pany’s control by rules. Things have only gotten worse! The 1005 Line The 1005 Line June / July 2010 The news and information publication of ATU Local 1005 Prepared and distributed by the Education Committee For The People Who Know Where They Are Going What’s Inside... Officer’s Corner page 2 Union Meeting Highlights page 3 Ron Heintzman appointed International President page 6 Transit Safety & Security page 7 Headphones on the Bus page 12 Videos on the Bus page 13 Retirements / Anniversaries pages 16, 17, 18, 22 Motorcycle Charity Run page 19 Editorials / Obits pages 26 - 27 Picnic Info page 27 "I am personally convinced that one person can be a change catalyst, a "transformer" in any situation, any organization. Such an individual is yeast that can leaven an entire loaf. It requires vision, initiative, patience, respect, persistence, courage, and faith to be a transforming leader." -Stephen R. Covey (b. 1932) Continued on Page 20
Transcript
Article 8 / Article 10
Articles 8 and 10 are two of the 43 Articles making up the labor
agreement (contract) between Metro Transit and the Amalgamated Transit
Union Local 1005. The current contract expires on July 31, 2010.
ARTICLE 8
NO STRIKE OR LOCKOUT
The ATU will not sanction or authorize any
strike or work stoppage or slow downs
during the period of this Agreement or of
any continuation or renewal thereof, unless
Metro Transit has committed a breach of
this Agreement and refuses promptly to
submit the matter to the Board of
Arbitration in accordance with Article 13
hereof, if the matter is not settled by agree-
ment, or Metro Transit refuses promptly to
comply with a decision of the Board of
Arbitration. A strike or work stoppage or
slowdowns by any employees or members
of the ATU which has not been authorized,
sanctioned, instigated or ratified by the
ATU shall not be deemed a breach of this
Agreement, and shall impose no liability
upon the ATU, provided that the ATU, shall and hereby agrees promptly
to exert every effort to bring about an immediate termination of such
unauthorized activity, including notification to the employees or members
to desist from such activity, and provided further that operating in accor-
dance with Metro Transit rules shall not be considered a slow down.
Metro Transit, for its part, shall not authorize, sanction, or engage in the
lockout of employees covered by this agreement.
ARTICLE 10
MUTUAL COOPERATION
Section 1. The ATU agrees that each of the employees now or hereafter
represented by it shall render faithful service in their positions and shall
to the best of their ability, observe the operating rules of Metro Transit
and cooperate with the management in the efficient operation of the sys-
tem and in fostering cordial relations between Metro Transit and the pub-
lic.
Section 2. The ATU agrees to require all of its members to comply with
the provisions of this Agreement, and Metro Transit agrees to cooperate
I want to thank the membership for allowing me the chance to be a
delegate at the 2010 ATU Northwest Conference in Portland, Oregon.
I'm proud to have been in attendance when Cynthia (Cindy) Watson of
Watson Labour Lawyers from Canada, addressed the conference. From
the time she stepped on stage, she was on fire, she electrified the stage!
One of the first things that she said is, "Most of you in the audience will
be offended by what I'm going to say. Right now the largest department
store chain in the world is also the most anti-union company around. It's
a store where most of you probably shop. It's because of their low afford-
able prices." I knew exactly what company she was talking about!
She also went on to say, "This is the kind of company that would build in
small towns that still have the mom and pops, eventually forcing them
out of business. The smaller stores just couldn't compete with the low
prices of this large chain."
"If a union were to ever get in and organize, they would simply close
down, leaving people unemployed and the community nowhere close to
shop."
"This is a store that continues to grow, and why? Because everyone
likes to save money and get good deals."
"Only we can stop this middle-class-eating monster. It's time to talk to
and educate our children, brothers, sisters, parents, and friends about the
harm being done to our middle class because of stores like this."
I'm happy to say, when I returned home from the conference, I immedi-
ately talked to my wife and we decided to give up our membership to an
affiliate to this chain!
She talked about needing to stand together when times are good, not
just waiting to do it when things get so bad! When people are threatened
with the possibility of losing their jobs, they get scared - and scared peo-
ple are easier to control.
If we all work together, we can move mountains…
ATU Northwest Conference 2010
Page 3
Education
Committee
Advisor
Dorothy Maki
Chair
Melanie Benson
South
Liz Goldberg
Vice Chair
Heywood Office
Ilona LaDouceur
Rec. Secretary
Nicollet
Alec Johnson
Ryan Timlin
Twaya McIntosh
Debbi Sievers
Overhaul Base
Open
Ruter
Open
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
Union Meeting Highlights
April
Executive Board Recommendations
Four maintenance executive board members will attend the ATU
Maintenance Training Seminar from May 2-6 at the National Labor
College in Washington, D.C. Those attending are Chuck Feucht, John
Zapata, Greg Stowe and Brian LaRoue.
The AFL-CIO is holding a three-day union member organizing semi-
nar in St. Paul on May 21-23, 2010. The local will send Deb Sievers,
Rick Steffels, Ilona LaDouceur and Marlin Jensen.
Two representatives from Transit for Livable Communities were
allowed to appear and speak before the membership.
Requests for arbitration
An East Metro operator requested arbitration for an accident for
which he was held responsible. After an explanation in which the driver
appeared, a secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to arbitration
An East Metro operator requested arbitration for a Class A Violation,
20-day unpaid suspension and a Record of Warning for violating Metro
Transit's new Cell Phone Policy. After a brief explanation in which the
driver did not appear, a secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to
arbitration.
An FTH operator requested arbitration for an accident for which he
was held responsible. After a brief explanation in which the driver did
not appear, a secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to arbitra-
tion.
Financial Secretary/Treasurer's Report
The following members passed away since last month's meeting:
William Giossi - Retiree
Paul Hakala, #1328 - Retiree
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President's Report
"Rulebook" was explained and discussed with the membership.
The Payroll case has passed the limit at which Metro Transit can no
longer appeal. A meeting with the Bureau of Mediation is scheduled for
May 14. Employees have been notified of the upcoming change, wel-
coming any input from them.
Contract negotiations were mentioned. The Labor Management
Committee (LMC) rejected proposed plan changes. HealthPartners is
charging an additional 14.5% for both 2011 and 2012.
The Cell Phone Policy arbitration was discussed. The company
argued that the policy is not arbitrable, stating it is "requisite to safety."
(CBA: Article 4)Continued on Page 4
Page 4 Union Minutes Continued from page 3
The following members have been added to the Education
Committee: Carl Rice, Walter Curry, and Faye Brown.
May
Arbitration Requests
A Nicollet driver requested arbitration after being discharged for
Gross Misconduct. After an explanation in which he appeared a secret
ballot was cast. This case will not be going to arbitration.
A South driver requested arbitration for a Class A Violation, a 30-day
unpaid suspension and a Record of Warning for violating Metro Transit's
new cell phone policy. After a brief explanation in which he appeared, a
secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to arbitration.
An East Metro driver requested arbitration for a Class A Violation, a
20-day unpaid suspension and a Record of Warning for violating Metro
Transit's new cell phone policy. After a brief explanation, a secret ballot
was cast. This case will be going to arbitration.
An FTH driver requested arbitration for being discharged for violating
his Last Chance Agreement. After a brief explanation in which he
appeared, a secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to arbitration.
An FTH driver requested arbitration after being discharged for violat-
ing his Last Chance Agreement. After a brief explanation in which he
appeared, a secret ballot was cast. This case will not be going to arbitra-
tion.
A South driver requested arbitration for discrimination by Metro
Transit. After a brief explanation in which he did not appear, a secret
ballot was cast. This case will not be going to arbitration.
President’s Report
The transition process involved with moving the Payroll employees
back in ATU was updated.
The arbitration decision concerning Metro Transit's Cell Phone Policy
has not been received.
$10 million per year has been reported to have been cut from Metro
Transit’s next budget. Funding from the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST)
has improved more than expected, though.
A recent article in the City Pages about operators was discussed
briefly.
The last dispatcher pick was addressed.
The "Rulebook" demonstration was discussed.
New Business
Members of ATU Local 1005 voted to endorse Margaret Anderson-
Kelliher for Governor in 2010.
The winners of the ATU Local 1005 Scholarships are as follows (stu-
MJR
Tim Robinson #1617
Recent retirements are mechan-
ics Mike Cope 1540 (35 years),
Larry Hanson 9245 (18 years), and
Driver Joyce Murschel 814 (31
years).
We would also like to welcome
some new faces: Mechanic Mike
Meyer 5426 from OHB, Helper
Yee Xiong 65163 from Nicollet
and Dispatcher Dennis Fitpatrick
from Light Rail.
Within the last month, we had
some down-home cooking to raise
money for next year’s “Black
History” event. Lillie 6828,
Lorene 838, Dakota 67299,
Margaret 9066, and Alemu 63113
worked to make this a real mouth-
watering experience. Look forward
to another one in August.
Coming up there is a good
opportunity for those at Ruter to
get Security Awareness and
Terrorism Recognition Training.
Metro Transit will be paying over-
time to all (parttime and fulltime)
who attend. The dates are June
30, July 7, July 24, August 3, and
August 28th.
TV FUND
Thanks to those who have
already contributed. With these
donations and more to come, we
will be able to continue with the
satellite TV service.
FLOWER FUND
When a family member or
close relative of a driver dies,
flowers are sent from MJR Driver
flower fund. This fund is kept up
by donations.
Page 5
dent names): Jack Daniel Schafer, Kevin Krepsky, Tarry Schott, Daryl
Krepsky, Chuck Gudknecht, David Oaks, Oscar Funwi, and Barry Hall.
June
Arbitration Requests
The full-time instructors requested arbitration for overtime given to
relief instructors when they feel it should have gone to full-time instruc-
tors. There are no more full-time instructors at the garage level since
they were moved to the 725 Building. The contract language needs to
be clarified. After a brief explanation, a secret ballot was cast. This case
will not be going to arbitration.
An LRT train operator is requesting arbitration involving a signal
overrun on signal #160 into the Mall of America. The signal has a histo-
ry of violations and the offense in the past has only been a class "B." It
is because the signal is difficult to see when the sun is in certain posi-
tions. After a brief explanation in which he did not appear, a secret ballot
was cast. This case will be going to arbitration.
An East Metro operator is requesting arbitration for discharge because
of a violation (departing late because of restroom use) and overall record.
He had complied with all the previous requests from management con-
cerning notification of being late. (Side note: A supervisor backed up a
bus. Only operators or mechanics are supposed to move buses. Will he
get a 20 day suspension?) After a brief explanation in which the operator
did not appear, a secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to arbi-
tration.
A mechanic is requesting arbitration for overtime pay because of a
supervisor moving a train for maintenance (vs. for training and/or experi-
ence). After a brief explanation in which the mechanic did not appear, a
secret ballot was cast. This case will be going to arbitration.
President's Report
Schedules - The company just keeps tightening the schedules and,
when a driver is late, they blame the driver. The union came up with a
proposal: To have two drivers from each garage sit down and talk with
upper management. These drivers were not coached or prepped in any
way. Management offered to pay the drivers for their time. Questions
were asked and views were exchanged. It would be nice to have them sit
down with drivers from the worst routes (timewise). It was a good meet-
ing and hopefully these meetings will continue.
One of the immediate results is that Michelle Sommers (ATU
President) and Rob Mileson (Maintenance Manager) will be going
around to the facilities and talk about the mechanical issues.
Section 8, Section 10 - There are a lot of things in the rule book man-
agement will not discuss. Please listen to the union members who are
out there trying to guide their fellow union brother/sister.
Negotiations - Have gone nowhere on big ticket items.
Union Minutes Continued from page 4
East Metro
Philip Jarosz, Dr. #65015
Lisa Callahan, Dr. #6716
Please welcome our new
Garage Coordinator, Cheryl
Kienietz-Hall, and Margo Trujillo
here from the OJE (on-the-job
experience) Leadership Academy.
I know we have all been told to
please shut off our cell phones.
I'm guessing we don't understand
the consequences: It's a 20- day
suspension without pay. How can
anyone afford that? So please -
Shut them off and stow them. At
your layover, get out of your seats
to use them and shut them off and
put them away after.
If you find a cell phone on
your bus and don't know how to
shut it off, please call Control, let
them know you have a cell phone
that was found and that you don't
know how to turn it off. If it starts
ringing, they will think it's yours,
so please call Control and ask
them to come remove the phone
from your bus.
Seat belts are mandatory. It's
the law that we must wear them.
We have a new 1200 series bus,
we don't yet know how many
more East Metro will be getting.
All the construction downtown
for light rail is coming along.
Make sure to check the 4-day
board every day for detours, the 94
construction being by far the
worst.
If you have something you
would like to put into this column,
please see Ken Dolney, the dis-
patcher and Local 1005 executive
board member, or leave a message
for Dr. 6716 in her mailbox or for
Phil, Driver #65015.
Continued on page 6
Page 6
Commuter Rail Big
Lake
Northstar is currently working to
purchase Locomotive 12 from the
Utah Transit Authority. We have
negotiated a fair price from UTA
which is less than we paid for the
last locomotive of our original con-
tract (505). The locomotive will be
paid for out of the Northstar con-
struction project funds. To spend
any of that remaining money, we
have to get approval from each of
our funding partners. Northstar
management staff have been repre-
senting the Council in commission
meetings at Anoka, Hennepin and
Sherburne counties. Each of the
counties have approved the use of
project funds. The last step will be
for approval by the Council. The
Transportation Committee approved
the purchase on May 24th and the
full Council will consider the pur-
chase at their June 9th meeting.
MN Ballpark Authority has
issued a commendation in recogni-
tion of everyone’s effort at Metro
Transit and partner agencies. The
commendation recognizes that 20%
of fans, on average, arrived at the
ballpark via bus, train or bicycle.
Other Stuff
Sidewalk – (Bids being received)
Two Cabinets for cleaning supplies
have arrived. AESS – components
to arrive late August. MPI to install.
Shorepower – Upgrade complete. A
revised operational procedure to
come. 3 & 4 car spot signs are in
and will be installed in June. S&I
Fall Arrest – Equipment ordered.
S&I Ramps – Re-engineered and
delivered. Additional ramp ordered
for north side of S&I track. On-
Board Cameras – To be completed
August 2010
Department of Labor Settlement - If offered, the union will accept
supervised elections on the next cycle of elections.
Nurses strike - We are watching it closely.
Delegate Report
Northwest Conference, presented by Tommy Bellfield, Financial
Secretary/Treasurer. (Please see Officer’s Corner on page 2 for full
details.)
Ron Heintzman appointed International
President upon retirement of Warren S. George
Canadian Randy Graham appointed
International Executive Vice President
WASHINGTON, DC - 2:10 PM: Ron Heintzman has been appointed
international president by the ATU General Executive Board following
the retirement of International President Warren S. George, effective July
1. He becomes the eighth international president in the ATU's 117-year
history.
Randy Graham has been appointed by International President Ron
Heintzman, and approved by the General Executive Board, to serve as
international executive vice president. Graham is the first Canadian to
hold one of the executive officer positions in the International Union.*
His appointment becomes effective July 1.
Both will serve the remainder of their predecessors' terms until new
elections are held for international offices at the 56th ATU Convention in
Orlando, FL, this September.
International President Ron Heintzman
Service as International Executive Vice President
International President Heintzman has served as the international
executive vice president for the past year, and prior to that served as an
international vice president for seven years. As executive vice president,
he was responsible for directing the activities of 18 international vice
presidents and four international representatives in Canada and the
United States.
In addition to directing the IVPs, Heintzman was responsible for over-
seeing the organizing and strategic planning departments. During the past
year, more than 1,000 new members were organized into the ATU.
Service as International Vice President
As an international vice president, he assisted locals in organizing and
negotiating collective bargaining agreements in Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Nevada and Texas. In many of these cam-
paigns he used his unique skills to assist the locals in using innovative
approaches to the marshalling of public and political support for transit
workers.
Continued on page 23
TRANSIT SAFETY/SECURITY COMMITTEE (TSSC)
MEETING MINUTES
May 2010
Members of the Committee Present:
Sharon Peterson, Committee Chair
Danielle Julkowski, Management Advisor
Christina House, LRT
Steven Leko, South
Darrell Hanson, Nicollet
Diane Rude, East Metro
Derje (DJ) Tafesse, MJR
Others in attendance: Visitors
Chuck Wurzinger, Maintenance
John Siqveland, Marketing Specialist
Eric Isakson, TCC
Russ Dixon, Union
Debra Downing, Street Operations
CALL TO ORDER
Sharon Peterson called meeting to order at 10:00 am in FTH
Chambers.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
April meeting minutes approved.
VISITORS
John Siqveland
Promoting bicycle safety connections to transit.
- Minneapolis has bicycle mode split of 4.3 percent - second highest
in the country among major cities.
- Bike racks, trails increasing in Minneapolis and region.
- City is adding more bike racks for parking bikes and Target Field
bike parking.
- Metro Transit can carry bikes on rail, buses, and Northstar.
- Bus bike rack demo: rack holds 2 bikes per rack on buses.
- Always approach from bus side curb.
If bike rack is full, ask operator if you can bring bike on bus.
Always driver's decision.
Bikes have fallen off racks very rarely. To date, Metro Transit has
Page 7
Transit Safety/Security
Committee (TSSC)
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.
Light Rail
Facility
Stephen Babcock
Carl Rice
Here at Rail we say goodbye to
Dennis Fitzpatrick, our dispatcher,
to MJR.
We welcome to Rail Ed
Pederson from South as our new
dispatcher. We also welcome back
to the operators’ side of LRT,
Sharon Mancuso!
Carl Rice has been appointed
to the Education Committee.
Please contact him or any
Education Committe member for
any ideas or articles you would
like to see published.
We are close to awarding the
car contract.
The Central Corridor is starting
construction in St. Paul.
We finalized the plans to the
Operations and Maintenance
facilty.
We are installing a new crane
in the basement for Overhaul’s
use.
We are updating our lighting.
That will save us money in the
long run.
They have put in new tactile
signage line wide, more recently
completing the Lake Street Station
and the Goverment Center.
Overhaul is on their ninth car.
Page 8
not been at fault. Putting bike on is at own risk.
- Baby seats on bikes need to be removed if driver’s view is being
blocked. Driver should let rider know.
- Placed stickers on racks "Don't forget your bike" - reduced bikes left
on buses by 1/3 from 2009.
Nice Ride bike share kiosks will be introduced in Minneapolis
6/10/2010.
- $5.00 a day, $60.00 a year.
- Kiosks are portable, all bikes have front and rear lights.
- Has a safety agreement - must read bike laws. Information is on
line.
TCC REPORT
Eric Isakson
Last month's calls
- 137 overt alarms, 1,768 priority requests to talk and 9,594 routine
calls.
- 32 Priority 1 calls with goal of 10 minutes or less response time met.
STREET OPERATIONS
Debra Downing
- Twins Games - 81 total home games. Route 679 is very popular run-
ning from 500+ on week-ends to upper 600's to low 700's on weekdays.
7th St/2nd Ave N stop being closed 2 hrs prior to 1 hr after. Metro Transit
is still working with the City of Minneapolis to move that bus stop per-
manently.
- Leamington Ramp-Route information done concerning pedestrians
walking up the ramp. Signs have been ordered to place on the ramp to
tell pedestrians not to walk there and operators have been requested to
advise passengers upon exiting the bus to go into the lobby and up the
stairs to the street level and out to the sidewalks.
- Nicollet Mall - Signs are coming to educate passengers on the free
ride system. "Buses don't stop here" signs are posted at the stops that are
closed. There are still some complaints of people knocking on the doors
trying to gain access to buses at the closed stops. Improved signage
should help alleviate some of these problems.
MAINTENANCE REPORT
Chuck Wurzinger
Installing spot mirrors on low floor artics and low-floor 40' buses. New
Gilligs will arrive with spot mirrors.
- 1/3 buses done, about 100 left to do.
- Parts are in to lower left side street mirror on 40 ft buses.
- New exterior mirrors on 50 of the buses will have external signal, 10
per garage.
- Drivers asking if new buses have turn signal sound, and want sound
turned back on.
- 61 new Gillig buses this year. 30 hybrids, 31 diesel.
Nicollet
Melanie Benson #854
Twaya McIntosh #9002
Debbi Sievers #64222
Alec Johnson #66034
Ryan Timlin #66279
Nicollet Garage Rummage
Sale
The Nicollet Garage Rummage
Sale will be held on a Saturday at
the end of July or the beginning of
August. Hours will be from 9:00
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Look for posting
at Nicollet garage.
This annual event raises money
for the Nicollet Garage cable TV
service and other activities organ-
ized by the Nicollet Club.
Items are still being accepted
for the sale, which has proved
popular in the neighborhood and
among employees. Donations can
be left just south of A-bay in the
Nicollet Garage. Volunteers are
welcome. For information on the
garage sale, contact Maria Flores
#6942 or Joel Terrell, Garage
Coordinator.
Petition signed
Many employees signed a peti-
tion left in the drivers' room to ban
guns on Metro Transit buses. This
petition was intended to be pre-
sented to senior management, who
could then take it to the legisla-
ture.
There are a lot of issues that
would have to be addressed. As
further information becomes avail-
able, it will be shared here.
Page 9
- Shade bracket for front is shorter. Side shade will be completely
dark.
- Moved mirrors down to shoulder height.
- Changed to dark floor and dark wheel housing to cut down on glare.
- Put insulation under front floor to prevent sliding in wintertime. Will
retrofit other buses if this proves to be effective.
- Fresh air intake on new buses can decrease moisture in the bus,
which should help prevent windows from steaming up. Gillig is writing a
process on how to set new defroster for keeping windows clean.
- New buses will have diesel exhaust fluid, with gauge on dash. New
artics will not have this year.
- First hybrid bus should be here this week or beginning of next week.
- On some buses at two garages, driver seats have been moved further
back from pedestal. Shorter operators cannot reach pedals, when moving
seats. Decision will be made whether to move or not.
- Buses will have adjustable pedals on 40 ft., not artics.
- Question about the black box behind seat, can this be removed?
Chuck Wurzinger will check.
ACTION ITEMS
Darrell Hanson - Card slide into card holder have a reflective on back
South
Liz Goldberg #1630
South Dispatch Staff Changes
South welcomes Kimberly
Fleming and Donald Rossebo, as
the newest additions to South
Dispatch. We bid our fondest
good wishes to Daniel Stearns,
South relief dispatcher who has
transferred to Heywood for a tem-
porary full-time dispatch position.
Dan- we will miss you!
Current staff members are:
Full time Dispatch:
Frank Collins, Larry Pederson,
Sharon Basso, Bill Mayer, Brian
Sager and Kimberly Fleming.
Part time Dispatch:
Herb Baker, Donald Rossebo and
Tom Mansk.
Transit Safety Security
Committee Elections
TSSC candidates to represent
South in the July elections were:
Lisa Benson , #9143, Pam Davis,
#65184, Tom Frazier, #65120 and
current TSSC rep Steve Leko,
#9201.
No candidate received a major-
ity vote, and run-off elections were
held July 8 between Lisa Benson
and Steve Leko.(Results will be
revealed in our next 1005 newslet-
ter due to print/publishing time
disparities.)
Congratulations Clifton
Hammock Op. # 17
Cliffy retired this July with 35+
amazing years of service with
Metro Transit and will be greatly
missed by many of us from South,
Heywood and MJR - a truly sweet
and wonderful guy to work with.
TRANSIT SAFETY/SECURITY COMMITTEE (TSSC)
MEETING MINUTES
June, 2010
Members of the Committee Present:
Sharon Peterson, Committee Chair
Danielle Julkowski, Management Advisor
Derrick Cain, LRT
Steven Leko, South
Darrell Hanson, Nicollet
Derje Tafesse (DJ), MJR
Others in attendance:
Visitors
Chuck Wurzinger , Maintenance
Rosalind Salters, Business System Analyst
Derrick Cain, LRT
Elizabeth Kelly, TCC
Russ Dixon, Union
Debra Downing, Street Operations
Mike Lavine , Police
Brenda Himrich, Safety
Michael Carter, East Metro Garage
Brian Funk, Heywood
CALL TO ORDER
Sharon Peterson called meeting to order at 10:00 am in FTH
Page 10
Heywood
Ilona La Douceur #66048
Faye Brown # 6331
Walter T. Curry, Jr. #3815
SAFETY - Seatbelt compliance is
at 80%. If we were to get into an
accident, we could be thrown
through the windshield, so be safe
and BUCKLE UP.
It's summer and there are more
people out on the street, so watch
for pedestrians crossing.
Garage accidents are up.
Remember, just because you are at
the garage doesn't mean you are
home free. Stop, look, listen and
clear the crosswalks. There are
pedestrians here, too.
TRAINING - They are always
working on the picks and reduce
service to assure we are prepared
on the routes we have. There will
be two to four new part-timers
coming to Heywood. Training will
start at the training center learning
to operate the bus only, then they
will move to the garage for route
training. I think this training proce-
dure works so that the driver can
focus on one thing at a time.
MAINTENANCE - The second
shift supervisor in the maintenance
department, Robert Anderson,
passed away, and his funeral was
June 28.
Welcome to the fleet the 7200
series, which are being upgraded to
fit our specifications, like mirrors
and cameras.
DISPATCH - Our dispatch depart-
ment will be changing with their
pick. Glen will be going to MJR on
July 7th, and Dan will start at
Heywood on July 10. We will miss
you, Glen, and welcome back, Dan.
Chambers.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
May meeting minutes approved.
VISITORS
Rosalind Salters
Installed annunciators, testing since January, feedback forms from rid-
ers - 95% enjoy this. Get drivers feedback from Route 17, how they uti-
lize it, and how it would work for them.
POLICE REPORT
Mike LaVine
Last weekend special details at Fort Snelling. Sunday, Fort Snelling
had a huge amount of cars backed up on freeway for the cemetery.
Saturation details, 10 officers in morning and 10 in afternoons.
Rash of operator assaults. 4 from last week May 23, Payne and York,
suspect boarded with cigarette and punched operator, last Thursday at
Franklin and Hennepin where operator had dispute with rider, operator
was punched in throat and face, suspect tried to drag operator out of win-
dow. Suspect has been caught and charged. Lake & 19th Ave So., argu-
ment inside bus, operator ask them to leave the bus, and they punched
operator in face. Pictures are out for suspect. 3 have not been arrested
yet, still working on this. Robbery at 26th and Chicago, customer on bus
had iPod taken, victim punched several times. Chicago/Lake Transit
Center staked out and picked up suspect. Suspect who did assault will be
charged with robbery today. Operators complain about Payne and up to
White Bear Avenue. Need more security.
Police are working on this.
TCC REPORT
Rosalind
Put out to drivers on the regular 17, so they relay their concerns on
how it is working for them.
SAFETY REPORT
Brenda Himrich
Vehicle and Customer Bus Accidents per 100,000 miles by garage
(April year to date)
SYS - 3.79
NIC - 5.64
FTH - 2.9
MJR - 3.06
EM - 3.43
SO - 3.61
Been working on painting other areas and striping.
Information video showing what is going on at the Nicollet Mall.
Showed changes before March and after. Need feedback on this in order
to show drivers some of the changes @ Nicollet Mall. All express buses
were moved off Nicollet Mall. Since the removal of the express routes,
more bikes on the mall. Easier for people to see. Safe zone officers are
there to tag bikers. Bicyclists need to obey the laws on Nicollet Mall, per
Page 11
Rochester City
Lines
April 28, 2010
A motion was m/s/c to recess
the meeting so representatives from
RCL management could appear and
speak about a new performance
policy.
Members were reminded of
their Weingarten Rights when
speaking with management.
Health insurance through the
employer will be reviewed in June,
2010, to see if there can be any
changes.
May 2010
A contract committee has been
assembled to prepare for upcoming
contract negotiations with
Rochester City Lines. Those
selected are Terry Sprung, Dave
Gosha, Kanye En and Rick Brown.
A brief discussion took place
regarding a denied Work Comp
claim concerning a member.
Concern was expressed over
another member's health status.
Dues for Rochester members are
going up to $32.30 per month start-
ing July, 2010.
The ATU Picnic was mentioned.
RCL's new "point system" disci-
pline policy still has some bugs to
be worked out before it is finalized
and implemented.
"Article 8/Article 10" Rulebook
demonstration was discussed.
Health insurance issues were
discussed briefly.
Operators no longer want to sell
bus tickets while in service.
Continued on page 15
bike safety rules. Free bus rides on northbound 18 and southbound route
10.
LRT
Derrick Cain
Major shut down Friday, June 25 thru Monday morning from Target
to Fort Snelling. Window washing at skyway windows. Lighting replace-
ment at station. New signal for 160 before entering Mall of America on
signage. LED signal will block out some of sun. Operators decided on
new seat.
STREET OPERATIONS
Deb Downing
5th Street Garage - Complaint of pedestrians walking through the
garage. Will put signs up and ask Northstar and LRT to make announce-
ments on trains. During Twins games, supervisors are present to monitor.
Construction & Events Season - Many detours due to construction
and events. Operators need to print paddles and check boards. There is
concerted effort to NOT text buses unless absolutely necessary so it is
imperative that operators are familiar with detours. Questions - make sure
to talk to garage coordinators.
Bus stop 7th St. / 2nd Avenue- moved to 7th @ Twins Way - Better
than old location, still some issues with vehicles stopped and temp signs,
but permanent signs should make it more visible.
Leamington Ramp - Signage has been placed at street and lower level
to advise pedestrians NOT to use the ramp. Street Ops have been moni-
toring.
Leamington & 5th Street Garage - Supervisor offices have been
cleaned up and will be staffed periodically. Operators invited to stop in.
7th & Nicollet bus stop closure - Recent closure with minimal notice
caused problems. Text messages sent to buses didn't reach all buses. Will
continue to work with TCC on this issue.
MAINTENANCE REPORT
Chuck Wurzinger
Two new Gilligs, one at Heywood- hybrid, will be going into service
soon. East Metro #1200 new bus will go into service soon. Issues with
fuel recording system. Both require diesel exhaust fluid and are equipped
with a gauge on dash. All 61 40' buses will have this system. There will
be training for mechanics. Should not affect operator.
On articulated buses, the center axle brakes lock up when humidity is
high. This issue requires operators to follow the procedure for backing up
artics before pull-out.
Low floor articulated buses at East Metro and Heywood, door bolts
are coming apart. When opening doors, operators are pulling #1 and #2
door from the center of the door. Push from the outside of doors instead
of pulling on inside.
Page 12
Oops... Will the real "2009 Roadeo Rookie of the Year" please stand up? Okay, so I have never said I was perfect. If I was I could walk on water. I made a mistake in the Roadeo
article I wrote in the last ATU 1005 issue.
I would like to say a very heartfelt "I AM SORRY" to Garry Fleck #68294. Garry was the Rookie of the Year
for the 2009 Roadeo. Garry drives as a part-timer out of Heywood and has been with Metro Transit since
October of 2008. Hope to see you at this year’s roadeo in September - and good luck.
Again, Garry, I am so sorry about the goofup.
Deb Sievers
Headphones on the Busby Melanie Benson
These are techniques that I've personally developed over the years. They are not part of official company
policy or training procedures. It helps to depersonalize the issue if a driver says, "I have to ask you to turn
down the volume," (the sooner, the better).
Fingernails on a blackboard. Styrofoam rubbing on Styrofoam. A balloon squeaking. A fly buzzing around
the room. A mosquito buzzing in the ear. What do these things have in common? While not necessarily loud,
these and other similar noises can be extremely hard on the nerves. Perhaps it's the relatively high frequency of
these sounds that's the cause.
Many of us can add to this collection
the noise that leaks from the headphones
of some of our passengers. This can be
more irritating than all of the rattles on
the bus put together, probably because,
when the bus finally comes to a stop and
we should be able to rest our ears and
nerves, that sound doesn't go away.
While we do have every right to ask
these passengers to turn down the vol-
ume, it's often difficult to do so. The best
way to inform someone that the volume
has to come down so no one else can
hear it is as they board. Gestures help.
Once a passenger is seated, even with the
use of the P.A., passengers listening to
loud music may not hear the announce-
ment: "Would anyone using headphones
please keep the volume down so no one else can hear it?" People who listen to music at a high volume through
headphones also may have already damaged their hearing, as studies have shown. A driver can stand in the front
of the bus and pantomime, but there's no guarantee that the offender will see it. As a last resort, a driver can
approach the person individually and indicate the need for the volume to be turned down. Please remember that
management frowns on drivers getting out of the seat to approach a passenger.
Depending on the circumstances, therefore, this can be a very sensitive situation and requires a great deal of
tact and a lot of respect. Some passengers may still ignore the driver, become defensive, irate or abusive. A
driver may request police assistance in those cases. Other passengers who are bothered by this noise may say
something to the offender or to the driver, but more than likely will suffer in silence. Many are grateful if the
driver speaks up.
Recently, some rules of conduct for passengers were posted inside the buses. While the particular issue of
headphones is not addressed as such, there are rules about courtesy in general.
Page 13
Learning from Experience - Videos on the BusPart 1
by Melanie Benson
It's too bad that it took an accident and a complaint for me to get more interested in the cameras on the
buses, but here is what I learned (so far):
The cameras on the buses are very good. They don't produce grainy, convenience-store black and white
video. The images are full-color and very clear. The camera system is activated one or two minutes after the
bus ignition switch is turned on. After the bus is shut off, the cameras record for another half hour. The micro-
phones pick up even low-volume voices and sounds. The camera system can even tell whether a driver is apply-
ing the brakes and which turn signal is being used.
A conversation with Chad Levasseur, Acting Manager of Communications, brought other facts to light.
There are four different video systems in the fleet: VCR's that tape over themselves in 8-hour cycles (300+);
GEDVR-3 (61 buses); the newer GEDVR-4 (21 buses); and Verint, which features a wireless connect for down-
loads in the garages. Because Verint is user-friendly, holds data, and can keep more than one week of digital
video, the goal is to have the entire fleet fitted with Verint by the end of 2011.
Videos were first installed in buses in the early 90's, in the 2300 series of buses. Now, the systems are
installed at the manufacturer, and the vendors check the entire fleet's systems once a month.
There are five cameras on each 40-foot bus, and six on the artics. One camera is aimed out the windshield to
record what happens in front of the bus. One is aimed at the fare box, another out the front door. The camera in
the rear tapes from the back forward, and another covers the back door. There is no camera trained on the dri-
ver's compartment. One microphone is located in the front of the bus, and one is in the rear. Contrary to rumor,
says Chad, there is no way for anyone behind the bus to see what's happening on the bus.
When an accident or incident occurs, there are three categories of people who can pull the hard drive and
download the images to a server: Risk Management (safety), the Metro Transit Police, and supervisors. The Op
Center can request a video, and the Vid Center views it. Apparently, no one from management has either the
inclination or the time to just watch videos all day.
The most interesting question is how these images are used and who's responsible for determining the criteria
for deciding what's appropriate for viewing and what's open for disciplinary action. One driver was called in
about a minor complaint and was told by the manager that the tape had been pulled and that the passenger's
complaint had no merit. The manager then cautioned the driver that, according to the video, the driver had earli-
er rolled through some stop signs. When the driver said, "But you can't use that against me," the manager
replied, "I could, but I'm not going to."
When 'DG' rides buses to see if drivers are calling streets, he makes other observations, but those are not
allowed as reasons for discipline. Neither should unrelated images seen on videos. The union and management
will need to come to an agreement on this issue.
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 21 ) Submitted by Pat Kelehan, Facilities Tech. #5470
A Z B Y C X A C W D Z C Y V Y T U X C F C S C G X C R U
V G J F G C J S B K X B F F B S A G R B F L S M B W.
Ah, the 21-line!
Diane Rude, Driver 9204 of East Metro Garage, wanted to request the video of one of her trips on the 21-line
just for its entertainment value.
When she left the Uptown Station on her 12:13 trip on May 4, traffic was heavy as ring tones and cell phone
conversations could be heard on the bus. At Bryant Avenue, two women in wheelchairs were waiting to board.
Diane had to ask one woman to put out the cigar she was holding. An Asian woman in the other wheelchair
boarded with a small companion dog on her lap. Two Somali girls were arguing. One wanted the dog off the
bus.
Other passengers were boarding with groceries and strollers. At Grand Avenue, a man with his foot in a cast
needed a place to sit, and a regular rider in a wheelchair had to be turned away. A Somali woman was arguing
about respect, and the Asian woman was upset. By the time the bus left Nicollet, the bus had filled up with thir-
ty more people, some carrying lots of bags.
A number of people got off at Chicago to make connections, when a blind woman boarded with her seeing-
eye dog. Now there were two dogs on the bus. The seeing-eye dog got interested in, and a little excited about,
the little companion dog of the woman in the wheelchair, who could only use one hand to keep the seeing-eye
dog away, and the blind woman had to pull on her dog as the man with his foot in a cast tried to help.
At Bloomington, the woman in the wheelchair with the companion dog got off. Diane was twenty minutes
late by the time she arrived at LRT.
Now, wouldn't this have made a good short subject video?
Only on the 21….
Health NotesPhilip Jarosz
I would like to share some tips I discovered on dieting and driving.
Having stiffness in getting up from the seat on the route can be tiring. Stiffness could be a result of too much
acid in your joints, caused by having too rich of a diet. High-protein and low-carb foods are contributors. Certain
foods can alleviate these symptoms, such as cherries and lemons. (When life gives you lemons, make lemon-
ade.)
Alcohol, tea, soda pop, and coffee are diuretics. They dehydrate you and leave sugar, as a result, for energy.
One might need a new fix while your body relaxes.
Mild exercise will increase circulation throughout your body. Ever wonder why doctors check your feet in a
physical? It's because they're good indicators of blood flow to the lower parts of the body. We as drivers need
both feet to work free of pain. Numbness in the left foot and feeling cold could be signs of gout. Gout is a seri-
ous arthritis that comes at will and could cripple you. Research has shown that high-uric acid foods can bring
about attacks. Stress can induce flare-ups, and being 20 pounds overweight can bring about conditions.
I just want to inform fellow drivers of the importance of exercise and eating right. We, in this sedentary envi-
ronment, may bring great health risks upon ourselves over a long period of time. For someone driving over three
years consistently, your body will show signs of retreat. An increase in the waist size may foretell of bigger
problems looming.
Check on-line or ask your doctor about gout-prevention foods. These will increase your energy without sugar
or chemicals, naturally producing energy and reducing pain and calories. Smaller portions of food and more
water allow food to be used more efficiently. Try fruits as a snack alone and vegetables as a main meal. It will
take six weeks to notice a change in a good direction. Try it once on a pick and see the difference.
First, get a checkup and ask for a gout test (simple blood test). This may answer some questions about
fatigue, soreness, stiffness, and prevent joint replacements later on. Suffering from gout can be extremely
painful and possibly crippling if not addressed early on. We want to maintain this good living as we know it.
The words and information here are strictly those given to this author and are no way intended for medical
advice to anyone else.
Any questions can be forwarded to 65015 about my personal applications to this issue.
Page 14
New batch of 15 articulated
buses are done at St. Cloud,
should be arriving about 3rd week
of June. Should be in service by
July.
First 15 40' Diesel buses will
be at East Metro.
Could there be shields in back
of driver on low floor 40 foot
buses? Putting shield lower could
be an issue for wheelchairs.
ACTION ITEMS
Smith Ramp Pedestrian Issue -
Ramp management has been noti-
fied and asked to put up signs
directing pedestrians. Request
made for signs to advise operators
to honk horns when leaving
garage. Street Ops will be putting
up signs at entrance and in opera-
tor's room.
BCTC - Doors automatically
lock at 10:00 p.m. Complaint that
after 10:00 p.m., when operators
use key to open one door that all
doors open. Danielle and Street
Ops will be following up to assess
the problem and notify MTPD if
there is an issue.
Hardship Fund/Charitable GivingATU membership will vote on this at the July meetings
TSSC Minutes Continued from page 11 Page 15
Pamphlets at picnic August 15th
and in the fall campaign drive.
Part of Charitable Giving
Campaign 2010
They will administer the hardship
fund.
Located in our building on the 5th
floor.
When a spouse or child has died,
when a medical condition occurs
where the member cannot work,
when a catastrophic event takes
place (fire, flood, tornado, etc.),
when a fired member is voted to
arbitration.
This fund is designed to help
members pay a vendor up to $300.00
Have you heard this one…?As drivers, we've all had passengers say some funny things. Maybe it wasn't funny at the time, but when you
think about it you laugh out loud (LOL).
I don't have any money for the fare (but they have an arm full of items they just purchased).
You're driving Route 10 (or whichever) and a passenger asks if you get to a location before another route that
you know nothing about.
Seventy-five cents drop in the farebox. The passenger flashes ID at you with a lot of rubber bands wrapped
around it. You say, "I can't see the L." They reply, "It's not there. I don't have one," seeing they are busted.
A passenger asks, "Can you let me know what stop to get off for the brownstone building?" (It's not a stop,
it's a place you know nothing about, and now they are upset with you.)
You're driving a bus due to arrive at 9:07 a.m. You pick up a passenger who's on the phone and you hear,
"The 9:07 a.m. didn't show, haven't seen it." You reply, "Hey, there was an accident. I'm late, but here."
Thanks for reading, and feel free to send more to me,
Faye Brown, Driver # 6331, Heywood Garage
ATU Members
Donating
Working
Partnerships
Working with
United Way
ATU 1005
Members are
helped in their
time of need
07/22/00 Cha Pao Thao, 3680
07/20/00 James Till, 2091
07/08/00 Richard Tischner, 2085
Thirty years
07/21/80 Leo Andrews, 1331
07/14/80 Michael Hadel, 3067
07/02/80 Robert Little, 5272
07/07/75 David Jablonski, 5374
Thirty-five years
07/14/75 Robert Miller, 722
AugustFive years
08/08/05 Loretta Englund, 65089
08/20/05 Abdelghani Ghalbane, 65100
08/22/05 Martin Hauge, 65094
08/08/05 Timothy Hnida, 65086
08/15/05 Daryl Long, 65090
08/08/05 Douglas Looyen, 65087
02/17/04 Gary Miller, 64071
08/22/05 Michael Mucker, 65108
08/08/05 Ray Norvoll, 65084
08/22/05 Lamar Robertson, 65111
Ten years
08/21/00 Curtis Banks, 5597
08/05/00 Donald Dixon, 2103
08/17/00 Leatha Falls, 2109
08/17/00 Ray Garner, 2114
08/05/00 Donald Jefferson, 2107
08/05/00 Roland Jones, 2105
08/05/00 Manuel Paredes, 2106
08/07/00 Marc Sater, 5593
08/21/00 Bruce Smith, 5596
08/05/00 Paul Stueber, 2104
08/17/00 Tou Vang, 2113
08/07/00 Wa Vang, 5594
08/05/00 Joel Wagner, 2101
Twenty-five years
08/19/85 Lyle Sanders, 382
Thirty years
08/20/80 Alan Anderson, 5309
08/11/80 William Fehrman, 1379
08/28/80 Brian Heichert, 5351
08/11/80 George Hernandez, 1354
08/28/80 John Lund, 5353
08/18/80 Timothy Maloy, 3136
08/18/80 Patricia Parnow, 1412
08/04/80 Arthur Shelton, 1347
RetirementsCongratulations to April Retirees
04/01/10 Abdulkadir Isse, Nic. Bus Op. 6816
04/03/10 Wayne Eastman, LRT Coordinator 1766
04/03/10 Robert Cunningham, Hoover Building,
Public Facilities Worker 3117
04/12/10 Allen Potts, Nic. Mech. Tech. 5314
04/13/10 Bruce Peterson, OHB Mech. Tech. 5332
04/16/10 Darrell Johnson, Nic. Bus Op. 1041
04/17/10 Jeffrey Besikoff, EM Bus Op. 2401
Congratulations to May Retirees
05/01/10 Robert Carter, FTH Bus Op. 7756
05/04/10 Thomas Newkirk, Instr. Ctr. Instr. 997
05/04/10 Michael Vance, OHB Mech. Tech. 5527
05/08/10 Robert Rossman, MJR Disp. 1010
05/13/10 Howard Tappe, MJR Mech. Tech. 5333
05/21/10 Leonard Jacox, Nic. Gar., Bus Op. 494
Congratulations to Employees Celebrating
Anniversaries
JuneTen years
06/10/00 Eduardo Chavez, 2072
06/10/00 Scott Dorman, 2074
06/15/00 David Erickson, 2077
06/29/00 Kevin Finch, 2082
06/10/00 Denice Newton, 2071
06/15/00 James Wright, 2078
Twenty years
06/16/90 Kent Eklund, 6024
06/18/90 Ernest Meyer, 6031
Twenty-five years
06/08/85 Jack Shaw Jr, 3316
Thirty years
06/03/80 Kevin Buschkowsky, 5210
06/09/80 Phillip Luger, 5213
06/24/80 Frederick Schwartz, 5264
JulyTen years
07/20/00 Merhej Abouhadir, 2093
07/15/00 Richard Bork, 3679
07/20/00 Charles Dufoe, 2097
07/08/00 Leonard Hopkins, 2086
07/08/00 Dale Hough, 2084
07/20/00 Michael Ludke, 20927
07/08/00 Ann Morrison, 2035
07/15/00 Michael Nelthrope, 5592
Page 16
08/25/80 Daniel Syverson, 1444
Thirty-five years
08/11/75 Thomas O'Neil, 3595
Retired Members’ Clubs
Northside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:30 a.m. the 2nd Tuesday of each
month at Barnacle Bill’s, Shingle Creek
Parkway and Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn
Center.
Southside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:00 a.m. the 1st Wednesday and the
4th Thursday of each month at the VFW Post,
67th Street & Lyndale Ave in Richfield.
St. Paul Retiree Lunch Club
Meets 12:00 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the
month at Mattie’s (formerly Wells Lanes ) So.
Concord St., South St. Paul.
Metro Transit Mechanic Teammate
Meets at 12:00 p.m. the 3rd Tuesday of the
month at Old Country Buffet (by Petco), 2000
South Robert St., West St. Paul.
Page 17
This picture was taken in
Danbury, Wisconsin over
Memorial week. It was a
great time.
Right to left:
Jerry Sandquist
Bob Knoblauch
Retirement’s Corner
Lowell Pingree
George Hernandez
Bob Rossman
Dave Lunderborg
Dave Schwintek
Jim Juettner
Glen Murschell
If you have pic’s send them in, we will get them in!
Pizza!!When was the last time you were at a union meeting? Do you
know that they give away door prizes at the end of the AM and PM
meetings?
Do you know that at the evening meeting there’s pizza in
Minneapolis and there are subs in St. Paul? Morning meetings still
have great doughnuts and
fruit.
These pictures are from
June’s Minneapolis meeting
It takes three people (Dorothy, Ilona, and Chuck) to bring the pizzas
in!
The prizes are given away towards the end of each meeting. They
are: a union jacket, a golf shirt, a T-shirt, and an ATU logo hat. You
must be present to win.
Then there is the cameraderie! Where else can you can get the
lowdown on what management is up to now, what the union is up to? What is the truth on past and present
labor issues? An involved member is an informed member and has the power of knowledge (plus a good snack).
Bob Rossman, Dispatcher 1010, Retired from Metro Transit
with 30 Years of Service
Bob was 35 years old when he came to Metro Transit. He had "been around the
world once and talked to everyone twice." He had been in the Navy and had worked
for UNIVAC. After that he worked as a machinist, went to Lakewood Community
College and sold real estate. When the interest rates skyrocketed to 16% and the
market bottomed out, he went to take a test to be a housing inspector in St. Paul.
He failed, and it was through that failure that another door opened to him. Bob's
neighbor, Ron Kritzeck, a bus trainer (now called an instructor) at Shingle Creek
Garage, talked him in to coming to Metro Transit. He started as a bus driver on
June 25th, 1979 at Shingle Creek Garage.
Bob knew the company was hiring lots of drivers, but he was not advancing any-
where (Shingle Creek being full of high seniority drivers). He transferred to
Northside Garage in January of 1980. He was elected Local 1005 board member for
Northside in 1982, and served for three years. In 1985, Bob ran for Recording
Secretary/Assistant Business Agent of ATU Local 1005, and held the position for
nine years.
Bob ran for his fourth term and was defeated. He went
back to Heywood as a rank-and-file member. A short time
later, he applied for the Sentinel position and was appoint-
ed by the union executive board from 1993 through
January of 1995.
After the 1994 strike, the Met Council decided to down-
size MCTO and offered “buy-outs” to the employees
which Arnie Entzel (President) and John Johnson (Vice-
President) took advantage of. In 1995, Bob ran for
President/Business Agent and completed the final eleven
months of Arnie's term. He was elected two more times
until 2002, when he informed the membership that he was
not going to run for an additional term. He went back to
being a rank-and-file member as a dispatcher at the Ruter Garage. Bob retired on May 7th, 2010.
When asked to identify the most difficult issue of his presidency, he replied, "The Coleman Consulting Report
(work rules), where we went from all 8-hour runs to 10% 8-hour runs and 90% 9-hour and 10-hour runs. Try as
we might, we were not able to modify it until the next contract. At the bargaining table, the company refused to
discuss it. We walked out of negoiations until they. agreed to bargain on this issue first. After a month’s recess,
the company came back to negotiate.”
Bob plans on spending time up at his cabin in Remer, Minnesota.
He was able to finish it during the 2004 strike. He also plans on
traveling.
Best wishes to Bob Rossman.
Page 18
When in office as 1005’s
President/Business Agent
When he retired
Bob with Ron Lloyd, Vice-President, when
being sworn in as President/Business Agent
by Javier Perez, ATU International Vice-
President
Bob coming into office as President/Business
Agent Arnie Entzel goes out.
Page 19
Breaking Bread Union officers and
some members donated
time for the letter carrier
Stamp Out Hunger Food
Drive at Cub Foods
around the city. A
record-breaking amount
was collected at each site.
We broke bread (corn-
bread, that is) at Rudolf's
with Michelle’s parents
and Deb Sievers.
This event is not
sponsored by the ATU
1005. It is in the
paper for information
to our interested
members only.
Page 20 Section 8, Section 10 Continued from page 1
with the ATU in its efforts to enforce compliance by its members with the provisions of this Agreement.
Section 3. No employee shall be engaged in employment with another employer which interferes with their
employment with Metro Transit.
Article 8 / Article 10By Ilona LaDouceur
Most of you have seen the buttons "Article 8/Article 10" worn by many of us members. The definitions
were given in the beginning of this article. These tell us "what" they are, but here is my understanding of the
"why" and "what" of this campaign.
Our ATU contract with Metro Transit does expire on July 31, 2010. That is part of it, but it really goes much
deeper than that. The most important consideration is SAFETY - safety of the passengers, bus and rail opera-
tors, garage personnel and the general public. I spent several hours speaking with operators at various garages
and other locations, and safety was their primary concern. Contrary to the story in City Pages a few issues ago,
"Bad Boys of Metro Transit," all the members I spoke with take great pride in, care about their jobs and take the
responsibility of it very seriously. I heard many say they love their jobs, enjoy their riders and like their peers.
However, I also heard of frequent frustrations with the unrealistic expectations of management.
A big issue is, of course, the schedule/layover times. The pressure and stress on the operator to maintain
schedules on certain routes at certain times of the day (or for weather or event- related issues) can be at times
overwhelming. The operator attempting to get back on schedule may miss riders at stops, for example. As a
representative in TIC (Transit Information Center), I hear firsthand complaints from callers. Most of these are
late buses or the bus drove right by. (Although it is at times questionable as to whether or not callers were actu-
ally at the stop when the bus went by or at the correct stop.)
In my opinion, we do make good wages and have good benefits. Metro Transit does offer us job growth and
opportunities. At the same time, I believe we earn our wages and benefits. The expectations on our job per-
formance are physically demanding, mentally challenging, and even sometimes dangerous. With regards to the
contract offer of a three year wage freeze…including progressive wages, expecting employees at 70% or even
80% of their wage cap to wait three years to see any type of wage increase is unfair. Furthermore, to add insult
to injury increasing our insurance premium costs nearly 15%! Really?!? This is disconcerting to members.
Although most of us give 100% in our workday, I have heard personal accounts from members (long-time and
short-time and in between), of lack of RESPECT from some management. I won't go into any of them because
we all know one or several of these situations. Things happen…but all of us deserve, and should demand, that
we be treated fairly and with respect.
Take the time to talk to your union representative or other members to find out what needs to be done.
Things can only change if we as members come together and work to make this happen.
SOME IMPORTANT RULES FROM THE METRO TRANSIT HANDBOOK
243) Never enter an intersection if the bus will block the cross street or crosswalk when the signals change.
Buses are not to start into an intersection when the traffic signal is changing from green to amber because the
bus cannot safely and completely clear the intersection.
Minnesota law requires all vehicles to stop and yield the right of way to pedestrians at all marked and unmarked
intersections where traffic control signals are not in operation.
244) Our vehicles must proceed only when it is safe to do so, regardless of the right of way.
245) Speed limits must be observed on all routes at all times.
255) Before you pass a bicyclist, think…is it necessary? Are you within half a block of a right turn or bus stop?
If the pass is necessary, make sure the biker is aware of your pass. Tap your horn before passing. Check your
side-view mirror as you pass to be sure there is four feet between your bus and the bike. Never race a bicycle
Page 21
from stop-to-stop, let them go ahead of you.
257) Nicollet Mall
Speed limit is 10 miles per hour for all vehicles, including buses.
Buses must yield to pedestrians at all times.
Passing of buses in regular service, including those deploying their lift, is prohibited from 5:00 a.m. to
11:00 p.m.
264) Check the condition of your bus's tires before leaving the garage, and at each terminal, and after any acci-
dent involving your bus. At each of these opportunities, you must check the tires with a hammer. You must also
check for loose or missing lug nuts.
278.g) If a disabled person attempts to board your bus, you are expected to offer and provide necessary assis-
tance. This includes leaving your seat to help a person board or alight.
282) All pull-in and pull-out routes are in-service trips, unless your paddleboard indicates otherwise or a super-
visor changes your instructions. Customers are entitled to ride upon payment of proper (non-express) fare.
283) Every bus operating in service shall pull into the bus loading at each transfer point and STOP. If the route
you are operating on had a frequency of 15 - 60 minutes, look in both directions for approaching buses, and if
one is within 2 blocks, wait until customers have had an opportunity to transfer.
284.c) Notify the TCC whenever you are more the ten minutes late leaving a terminal, with no hope of recover-
ing the time through normal, safe operation. Inform TCC as well if you'll be more than ten minutes late arriving
at your relief point.
284.f) Call control if you are more than one minute late (pulling out).
292) END OF THE LINE CHECKLIST
a) Change destination signs as needed right away.
b) Update the farebox as necessary.
c) Check door wells and floor for items that may cause customers to fall or doors to jam.
d) Check the interior of the bus for lost items.
e) Close all windows on air-conditioned buses during hot weather.
f) Check the condition of the bus exterior, tires, lug nuts, and lights.
g) Write up any new mechanical defects you discover.
h) Check for graffiti and report such to TCC.
AnswerTo CRYPTO:
THE DOCTOR WHO DID MY
COLONOSCOPY
IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT
SPELUNKER.
Page 22
Howard Tappe, Mechanic 5333, Retires
Howard retired on May 12th with 39 years of service! Howard also
served as an MJR board member for 20 years. He retired from MJR
working as a Maintenance Technician.
Howard was born in Minneapolis
and grew up in Northeast Minneapolis.
He graduated from Edison High
School and was hired under the old
"Twin City Lines," right before the bus
company went public.
He hired on as a cleaner in
1970 at the old Nicollet Garage
and stayed there for ten years.
Through the years, Howard
worked himself up to his pres-
ent position as a second-shift
mechanic at Ruter Garage.
His favorite bus over the
years was the "New Look
GMC" because it was easy to
work on.
There was no compelling
watershed event that made Howard become interested in union activities.
He started going to union meetings and gradually became more involved.
Howard became a Board Member in 1988. Working the second shift,
he was easy to get in touch with. He came in
early to talk to the day shift and stayed late to
talk to the night shift.
Howard has lived in Fridley, with the rail-
road tracks going through his backyard, since
1981. He has never been married. In his
spare time he works on his antique car collec-
tion ('67 to '72 Ford trucks and then a '54
Chevrolet car with 48,000 miles).
The most difficult aspect of his position
was sometimes having to tell people what they
didn't want to hear. No matter what you did,
someone was going to be mad.
If you want to know something other than
rumors, attend a union meeting.
We wish Howard well in his retirement.
Howard’s last day in a bus
Dave Hopwood, the new
board member, says goodbye.
Michelle Sommers, ATU 1005 President,
gave Howard his retirement ATU jacket.
The afternoon crew that Howard worked with says goodbye.
Left to right: Tarry Schott, Jim Mulcare, Ryan Stellmach, Tom
Hooker, Eldon Kilmer, Howard Tappe, Bob Marvin, Dave
Dittbener, Larry Hanson, and supervisor Milo Dorn.
It is all about the cake on this day.
Page 23
Service as Local President
Prior to service with the International, Ron served as the president of Local 757-Portland, OR. First elected local
president in 1988, he was elected to five consecutive terms until appointed as international vice president in 2002.
Under President Heintzman's direction and tenure, Local 757 more than doubled in size, growing to over 5,000
members with 23 separate collective bargaining agreements in Oregon and southwest Washington.
In recognition of this outstanding achievement, President Heintzman and Local 757 received the AFL-CIO John
Sweeney organizing award in 1997 and 1998. During his tenure, the local organized over 3,600 new members in all
types of classifications.
As Local 757 president, Heintzman gained statewide, regional and national recognition for his creative pursuit of
economic justice. He organized a multi-union regional conference to discuss strategic approaches to dealing with
the multinational Laidlaw corporation. This model was later adopted by ATU International to present a similar pro-
gram at the national level.
Ron consistently bargained significant improvements in the wages, benefits and working conditions of Local 757
members. He was one of the first to develop the "me too" approach to collective bargaining whereby management's
self-indulgences became both a talking point with the public and a bargaining chip at the table. Employers came to
expect thorough document requests and tenacious bargaining by the local.
Under Ron's leadership Local 757 became a leader in the use of state initiative law to improve worker condi-
tions. In 2000, the voters of the City of Corvallis turned out in record numbers to approve, by a wide margin, a tran-
sit initiative that required subcontractors to pay wages and benefits equal those of all transit systems within a 100
mile radius - most all of whom were represented by Local 757. As a result, Corvallis transit operators have seen
their wages increase from $6.65 to over $19.00 per hour as well as gaining 100% employer-paid family health bene-
fits, pensions, vacations and holiday pay. The local's rallying cry of "economic justice" changed that community and
has become the rallying cry of many other unions in the state and the country.
Local, National, International Leadership
In the face of globalization, Ron led the effort to make the ATU the first US international union to forge official
ties with a European labor union. He also made certain that Local 757 had a significant presence at the World Trade
Organization protests that took place in Seattle, WA. As ATU executive vice president, Ron has been active on the
national forefront in the fight against job-robbing trade agreements and in responding to global warming's impact on
the transit industry. Under Ron's leadership Local 757 experienced numerous legislative wins as well. These
include laws making it a felony to assault bus operators and paramedics. Under his leadership, Oregon passed a law
requiring the installation and use of the nation's first illuminated and flashing "yield to bus" signage on the back of
buses. Local 757 also beat back several concerted efforts in the legislature to privatize transit services modeled after
the Colorado public transportation contracting law.
Biography: International Executive Vice President Randy Graham
Randy Graham's union career began in 1971, when he helped organize the drivers of a school bus company in
Ottawa, ON, and was elected the local president. He began employment at OC Transpo in 1974, where he became
a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union and continued as an active trade unionist.
In 1986, he was elected local president of the 2000-member local -- a post he held for the next nine years until his
election in 1995, as international vice-president of the Amalgamated Transit Union. He was re-elected to that post
by every subsequent ATU Convention
His experience as a licensed auto body repairer, school bus operator, highway coach driver and city transit driver
has assisted him in understanding the many facets and challenges of our industry. He has successfully lobbied
municipal, provincial and federal governments on issues for our members. He has worked with the Canadian
Labour Congress to make amendments to the Canada Labour Code.
He brings with him experience as a trustee of a number of multimillion-dollar pension and benefit funds.
Randy has a thorough knowledge of organizing in our industry and is proud of a solid record when assisting
locals in negotiating collective agreements at worksites across Canada.
* Graham is the first Canadian to serve as an ATU international executive officer. J.C. Manuel, a native
Canadian working in Detroit, was elected as the first national secretary-treasurer at the founding ATU Convention in
September 1892.
International President - Vice President Continued from page 6
The command centers
are located at the Ruby
Junction facility. The Bus
and Rail Control Centers
are right next to one anoth-
er. They all work together
solving any problems that
may occur on the align-
ments.
20 Years Behind Oregon
(That's what the Twin Cities are in regards to light rail!)
by Dorothy Maki
Portland, Oregon's first light rail line (blue line) opened in 1986. It went from Downtown Portland out to a
suburb called Gresham. That's where I lived for four years. Since then, the light rail has tripled its size, by
adding a red line, yellow line, green line, a commuter rail element and a Portland Street Car element.
I attended the Northwest Conference June 9-13th and was thrilled to get a tour from Joe Ruffin III (Portland
ATU Local 757 Executive Board Officer for Light Rail maintenance) of the Tri-Met Light Rail facility in
Gresham.
Joe is also a Light Rail Technician for Tri-Met and showed me around the facility where he works. Joe also
showed me how the technicians saved Tri-Met hundreds of thousands of dollars by rebuilding their own parts in
house such as trucks, couplers, EHU, speed sensors, door cards, circuit boards and multiples of other cost-saving
components that other facilities contract out.
Here you can see the
bus control center with the
rail control center behind.
Joe and I also stopped
for an adult beverage at a
popular and growing
establishment called
McMenamins.
Page 24
Meet our Newest Education Committee Member
Carl Rice #6223LRT Facility
I grew up in the City of Superior, Wisconsin, a block away from Lake Superior! I
come from a large family with three sisters and two brothers. I'm the youngest of the
six. Most of my family are/were union members. My dad sailed for 47 years on the
largest ore boat on the Great Lakes, my brothers were union members of the Iron
Workers Union and my sisters are members of the Nurses Union in Duluth.
My hobbies include model railroading and shipping on the Great Lakes. As of
August 24, 2010, I will have 18 years in, and only 20 more to go until I can retire at the age of 65!! I started
working as a temporary employee for the U.S. Postal Service in Duluth in 1983, right out of high school, also
while going to the University of Wisconsin, Superior, for six years. I would work eleven months, have a month
off, then be called back for another 11 months. I moved to the Twin Cities in 1991 and had a few different jobs
before starting at Metro Transit. My start date August 24, 1992, I drove 15 1/2 years on the bus side before
moving to Rail. My interest in the Education Committee is to foster a better understanding of the union.
Leonard Jacox, Driver 494, RetiresDozens of active and retired Metro Transit folks, family
and friends turned out for Leonard's retirement party at
Nicollet Garage on May 20. Many of us were probably there
to see if this was genuine, since Leonard had been talking
about retiring for so long. Once we saw him with a piece of
cake in his hand, the reality of it sank in.
Another Oops...Darrel Johnson, Driver 1041, misidentified as “Hanson”
Darrel retired from Nicollet with 31 years of service. He
is pictured here with manager Dana Alexon.
Darrel is looking forward to his remodeling projects,
garage sales, and playing 500 (the card game) more often.
Darrel had karaoke equipment that often added enjoyment
to the celebrations of others.
Sorry, Darrel!
Page 25
Always professional and good-natured, Leonard will be missed by his
passengers and his co-workers. Easing the pain will be the fact that every
driver in the system just moved up a notch in seniority, because Leonard
was the most senior driver in the system. We wish Leonard the best in his
well-deserved retirement.
Top: Ellen Davis and Barb Keener help hold
the cake.
Leonard’s brother and recent retiree Fred Bell help
Leonard celebrate.
ATU 1005 Financial Secretary Tommy Bellfield,
Leonard, Nicollet Garage Coordinator Joel Terrell
Fellow drivers, Debra Mills,
Maria Flores, and Kimuel Hailey,
congratulate Leonard on his
retirement.
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 editori-
al to submit, please contact a committee member or our advisor
