2013 sept oct
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ATU NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
The 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
Autumn 2013
What’s Inside...
Officer’s Corner
page 2
Union Meeting Highlights
page 3
57th ATU International Convention
page 7
TSSC Minutes
Page 11
Roadeo Winners
page 14
Privatization Issues, Challenges, and
Opportunities
page 15
Green Line Update
page 19
Employee brunch
page 20
Theresa Collins #1378
Ice Cream Social
page 21
Low-Wage Workers In Revolt
page 23
ATU Local 1005 Picnic Prize List
page 24 (Pictures on page 30)
What Really is Affirmative Action?
page 25
"A stronger and more demo-
cratic labor movement is an es-
sential ingredient in a revitalized
movement for progressive change
and social justice, which I believe
is so important to this country's
future".... Michael Goldberg, As-
sociation for Union Democracy
ATU 1005
ELECTIONS At this year’s ATU Inter-
national Convention, ATU
1005’s Michelle Sommers
was elected as an Interna-
tional Vice-President (see p.
2). Since her election to that
position, Local 1005 Vice-
President Dorothy Maki has
been Acting President. In or-
der to fi ll the position of ATU
President, an interim election
was necessary.
The two positions up in
the October 15 primary were for
President and Recording Secretary
(Mark Lawson had to resign to run
for President.) Dan Abramowicz and
Stephen Babcock ran for Recording
Secretary/Ass’t. Business Agent, and
Dan won the election with a majority
of votes cast.
For the position of President,
there were seven candidates: Peter
Huston #9974, Fred Snelson #5449,
Mark Lawson #6986, Bob Patkoff
# 9038, Joseph Mitchell #67293,
Andrey Piskun #71046 and Faye
Brown #6331.
In a primary election, one candidate must win 50% plus one of the total
votes cast. If that does not happen, there is a runoff election. The run-off
election was on Wednesday, October 30, between Mark Lawson and Fred
Snelson. Mark Lawson won.
The next scheduled election for a three-year term will be held in
November, 2014. Many thanks to all the candidates, voters and workers
who made this elect a success.
This is our Union!
Ballot clerks Lillie Loving and Jody
Theisen, MJR Maintenance Board member
Steve congratulates Dan on his
win, "We are all ATU!"
Less than two months ago I was elected an International Vice
President of ATU at the International Convention in San Diego. I am the
first person from our local to serve in a position in the International. I
will do my best to represent.
A week before the San Diego convention, I did not know I would be
in this position. It wasn’t planned. I was not selected for the position. I
had to decide, literally overnight, whether to take on the challenge to run
against the endorsed candidate. I made the choice to run, and the
delegates made the choice to elect me. So I am bringing my knowledge,
my skills, and my attitude to the International.
All the IVPs met at the end of the San Diego convention, and from
there I went straight into the job of helping in a Chicago local. There was
no side-trip to Washington. My home remains here in Minnesota. For
the past month, most of my working days have been spent in Chicago,
and that will continue for awhile. I have no idea where my next
assignment will take me.
Everything I learned about the union comes from 1005. This was my
first union job. I can't begin to thank everyone for all the help and
support over the years. We had some ups and downs but we always
found a way to get the job done. My days with 1005 prepared me for this
new role. I’m ready for the challenge.
I am still under a leave of absence from Metro Transit. I’m still paying
my local union dues. I won’t forget where I came from.
OFFICER’S
CORNER
Page 2
Michelle SommersFormer
President/Business Agent
LOCAL 1005
OFFICERS
Acting
President/Business Agent
Dorothy Maki
Recording Secretary/
Ass’t. Business Agent
Mark Lawson
Financial Secretary/
Treasurer
Tommy Bellfield
ATU Local 1005
Union Office
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Closed 12:00 - 1:00)
312 Central Ave.
Suite 345
Mpls., MN 55414
612-379-2914
email:
website:
www.atu1005.com
Calendar
Education Committee
Meetings - 11:30 a.m.
*Meeting Date Changes
November 12th
December 10th
Membership Meetings
*Meeting Date Changes
November 19th - St. Paul
December 17th - Mpls.
10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
From the conven-
tion fl oor after being
elected ("And no,
Jerry, I didn't cry.")
Page 3
Union Meeting Highlights
August
Executive Board recommendations/Requests for arbitration
In each of the following cases, members appeared before the Executive
Board to discuss their requests. Because their requests were
recommended for arbitration, they did not have to appear before the
membership.
A Nicollet operator requested arbitration for a Responsible Accident.
The Executive Board voted to recommend this case for arbitration.
An LRT operator requested arbitration for a Discharge: Misconduct.
The Executive Board voted to recommend this case for arbitration.
An FTH operator requested arbitration for a Discharge: Absenteeism
Policy and Overall Record. The Executive Board voted to recommend
this case for arbitration.
An FTH operator requested arbitration for a Discharge: Responsible
Accident with Bicycle. The Executive Board voted to recommend this
case for arbitration.
Other business
The State Fair 2013 Letter of Agreement was read, discussed and
recommended for adoption. The membership voted to adopt.
Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
The following members passed away since last month’s meeting:
Timothy Perez – Active
Leonard Christensen - Retired
Donald Oshman - Retired
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President’s Report
Michelle Sommers reported:
Rochester contract negotiations have stalled. The main issues are
healthcare and the lower wage rate. Some actions are being planned to
deal with this situation.
An arbitration case was lost in which a bus side-swiped a garbage
truck.
Metro Transit is being investigated by the Department of Labor on
FMLA Second Opinions. The DOL will contact some individuals for
interviews.
At the last meeting of the ATU Health & Safety Committee, we met
with the FTA in Washington, D.C. They are talking about finally hosting
a national conference on operator assaults and driver restroom breaks.
The ATU International Restructuring Committee (I’m a member)
has come out with recommendations to be heard at the International
Convention next week. They are proposing Joint Service Councils to help
small locals with contract administration and paperwork. Joint Industry
Councils would help deal with specific private employers, bargaining and
Education
Committee
Advisors
Dorothy Maki
Mark Lawson
Chair
Melanie Benson
South
Theresa Collins
Heywood Office
Ilona LaDouceur
Rec. Secretary
Sam Adams
Nicollet
Alec Johnson
Ryan Timlin
Ruter
Jackie Williams
Joseph Oladipo
East Metro
Philip Jarosz
Doug Barton
Heywood Garage
Faye Brown
Vice-Chair
Debbi Sievers
LRT
Carl Rice
Lisa Callahan
Joseph Otoo-Essilfie
725 Bldg.
Stephen Babcock
Layout
Editorial Board
Ken Dolney
Gary Bier
Page 4
contracts with First Transit, MV, etc. This
also would include an increase in the
International monthly per capita of $1.50 in
July 2014, and an additional $1.50 in July
2015.
We are trying to attend all the
transportation funding meetings possible
right now to build the coalition to get a good
transportation bill passed next year.
Mark Andrew received the Regional
Labor Federation endorsement to be the next
mayor of Minneapolis. He will be good for
transit.
There’s a new state law on sick leave
effective August 1st. Now you can use up to
160 hours of sick leave to care for family
members. This does not change the sick
leave policy - an occurrence for a family
member still counts (unless covered by
FMLA). The contract language of 10 days
for FMLA care of a family member is now
overridden. This is Bulletin 84 for bus
operators.
The MSRS is doing well, and has had a
14% return on investments so far this year.
Retirees will now be able to have their retiree
dues deducted monthly from their MSRS
check, if so desired. Starting in 2015, there
will be some reduction factors which will
take effect for early retirees. Call the MSRS
for information on your specific case.
Vice-President’s Report
Metro Transit’s open enrollment is coming
up Oct. 30- Nov 15th. Consider a generous
contribution to the ATU 1005 Hardship
Fund. Board Members and officers will be
in the facilities talking about it.
There will be a Labor Day Parade at the
State Fair Grounds. There’s free admission if
you march in the parade.
New Business
A resolution to stand in solidarity with
Justice for Terrance Franklin was read and
discussed. A standing vote was taken. The
motion failed.
South Transportation Board Member-elect,
Arthur Hayne, took the oath of office.
Light Rail
Carl Rice #6223
Lisa Callahan #6716
Joseph Otoo-Essilfie
# 67312
Light Rail welcomes these new operators starting on October 7:
Donald Helgesen #2458
Lorna Sheehan # 2488
Gregory McClellan #65176
Mohamed Ali #66198
Annette Butler #67087
Robert Rahim Muhammad #67249
Jony Erena #67387
Eddie Moore #67419
Hamza Noor #64362
Abdusemed Ahmed #68302
Pao Moua #68308
Christina House is the new Coordinator for Light Rail.
Christina joined Metro Transit as a bus driver in October 2007
and went to Rail in July 2008. She became a Relief Instructor
for Light Rail on June 2009 and a Full-time Instructor on
September 2012. In her new position, Christina will coordinate
with management on a wide range of activities, including
training new and veteran operators for the Blue and the Green
Lines.
Rolland Green also accepted the position of Full-time
Instructor in September of 2013. Rolland was a bus operator at
Nicollet and MJR Garages. He joined the Rail team on
September 2009 and became a Relief Instructor in November of
2012. His primary responsibility is to train new and veteran
operators on the blue and the new green lines.
A cozy new exercise room for Light Rail has been
completed on the third floor of the Light Rail Operations and
Maintenance building. It has been fitted with a 40-inch flat
screen TV for comfort while exercising. Management has also
replaced the old TV in the operator break room with a brand
new 60-inch flat screen TV for the operators.
There are 12 new radio channels. Almost all radios have
been updated. If you see any trains that haven’t been updated,
please let the RCC know and write it up.
Checking in to get your track warrant has changed. There is
no more direct contact. It’s all done via phone and computer
now.
Remember, operators, to take your trash with you when you
leave the cab. And last trains in, please turn in the lost and
found. Take care of the trains. We do have to share them with
everyone. The new cup holders are nice, but I take it a few of
the operators don’t like them because I see them being taken
apart. Some of the new seats are already hard to adjust.
Page 5
Union Meeting HighlightsSeptember 2013
Request for Donation
The “Raise the Wage” Minimum Wage Coalition requested
that ATU 1005 sign onto a resolution of support, and make a
contribution. A motion passed to endorse “Raise the
Wage” and contribute $250.00.
Arbitration requests
A South operator requested arbitration over a Medical
Disqualification. After discussion in which Judy appeared and
made a statement, the Executive Board voted not to recommend
this case for arbitration. On appeal, the membership voted not to
send this to arbitration
Two LRT maintenance employees requested arbitration after
being charged with occurrences for not reporting twice on the
same calendar day (two cases). This case will go to arbitration.
An LRT Operations Mark-Up Issue will go to arbitration.
A Nicollet operator requested arbitration over a Filed
Customer Complaint. This case will go to arbitration.
Other Business:
A motion to consider the following proposal submitted to the
Executive Board failed:
The ATU 1005 Executive Board shall direct/implement that a
“special edition” newsletter be published. This “special
edition” newsletter shall be for the sole purpose of providing a
forum in which any and all nominated/qualified candidates for
the upcoming union election may submit articles introducing
themselves along with their positions to the membership at
large.
This “special edition” newsletter will be published in a
timely manner and distributed to the membership at least ten
(10) days prior to the election.
Any and all details necessary in carrying out this motion
shall be the responsibility of and at the discretion of the
executive board.
Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
The following member passed away since last month’s
meeting:
Richard Kirkvliet- Retired
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President’s Report
Acting president Dorothy Maki reported:
The Stockkeeper training program is moving along well.
Ron Laumeyer is working with me. This will help other ATU
members obtain the qualifications for the job.
The coalition for the Transportation Bill includes roads and
bridges. I went to Blue-Green Alliance event “Repair America
Bill” on repairing the infrastructure. We aren’t proactive, but
Heywood
Ilona LaDouceur #66048
Faye Brown #6331
Debbi Sievers #64222
Sam Adams #3634
TIC
Congrats to the five new TIC hires.
They have all completed their training
and coaching and are now full-fledged
Transit Information Representatives.
A special shout out to friend, long-
time union brother and first-time TIC
Trainer Sam Adams #3634 who, along
with very long-time union brother Gary
Bier, had a successful first class (five of
five).
Construction
September was a trying month with
the construction right at our feet at
Heywood. There was some construction
in our front parking lot for a short period,
but the big obstacle was the construction
going on out in front of our facility on
6th Ave. N./Olson Memorial Highway
due to the Interchange across the street.
Who knew that that because of a con-
struction closure from our facility going
east to the Holiday Station where it meets
5th Street N. and 5th Ave. N. could be
the nightmare it was? For example,
going to the lower lot to retrieve a staff
car to bring to the front of the building to
load supplies for a Travel Booth event
took 25 minutes (versus the normal five
minutes). We were all in for more head-
aches than ever that month.
Buses were detoured from turning
left from Olson Memorial on to north-
bound 7th St to the street just west of
Oak Lake Avenue. This included buses
already detoured from the detour on pull-
ins and pull-outs!
Thankfully, they have reopened 6th
Ave to traffic. We are so grateful!
Page 6
MJR
Jackie Williams
#66180
Joseph Oladipo
#66152
Congratulations
MJR would like to congratulate Michelle
Sommers on her election as an ATU International
Vice-President. Thank you for your great work.
Drivers will miss you and management will dance
joyfully.
August saw the retirement of Driver Roger Kellene
#2261. He had over 12 years of service with Metro
Transit, all at MJR. Happy retirement, Roger.
Congratulations again to Annette Duscheres
#72276. She successfully defended her garage title in
the Roadeo. Her wing woman was Leatha Falls who
followed with Garage second place. Only eight active
MJR drivers were brave enough to try the course this
year and only two were women. What happened to
the other 180???
Ms. Lillie is big news. Do a Google search of
"Lillie Loving." She is the September featured driver
on the Metro Transit page Rider's Almanac ‘Know
your Operator.’ Congrats, Ms. Lillie! Keep on smiling.
Garage amenities
After years of talking about a kitchenette in the
garage, the renovation has been on going over the last
two years and is still in process. Our GM Doyne is
still pushing for it.
Two thumbs up to MJR Club members Carmen
#67015 and Joel #2101 for serving breakfast to raise
money for the TV. Thank you.
We are having good conversations about parking
etiquette. People are more aware and speaking up.
There should be no double parking in the front.
People who want to double park should do so at the
back of the lot. Be courteous of other drivers.
Running Time Committee
The garage manager has appointed two drivers to
a running time committee for the #5 line. The aim is
to improve running time between noon and the end of
rush hour. If you have any ideas on how to make the
route run better, talk to committee members Elmer
#6733 or Joe #66152.
waste money by being reactive.
U of M workers are looking for support. The U is
looking to take $1.8 million out of their healthcare.
They showed up for us at our rallies.
Please call these key transportation legislators if you
live in their district (list on back table).
Vice-President’s Report
Dorothy Maki reported:
I flew into San Diego early for the Latino Caucus.
By Sunday it was clear that many locals wanted
Michelle to run for International Vice-President. She
decided to run.
I knew from Sunday through Thursday that I would
work on a speech to nominate her. It was a pleasure.
We’re losing one of the best. We need Michelle at
the International- to fight the lawyers and to have a
higher profile.
We’ll miss her. I’m not ready with four years in
office to fill her 17-year shoes.
New Business
A motion passed to pass the hat for Latino Caucus
member Victor Torres, who is a State House
Representative in Florida.
Nominations (accepted, only) for the interim
election for President/Business Agent:
Peter Huston #9974, Fred Snelson #5449, Mark Lawson
#6986, Bob Patkoff # 9038, Joseph Mitchell #67293,
Andrey Piskun #71046, Faye Brown #6331
Nominations (accepted only) for the interim election
for Recording Secretary/Assistant Business Agent:
Stephen Babcock #3128, Dan Abramowicz #6225.
REPORT OF ROCHESTER
Dave Gosha reported: Next mediated negotiations are scheduled for October 16th. We will see how things go. We may need to do some actions - stay tuned. We will need a schedule of volunteers. The new pick is coming at the end of October. Jim would like to do a one-day pick on a Saturday. How do you feel about that? (Consensus is to stay with the current contract language for picking.) The new Route 19 will be included in the pick if the city is ready with it by then. It will add approximately two positions. Rick Brown’s last day was today. He has retired and is moving to Arizona. The “Open Enrollment” was for non-union employees. We will have open enrollment after the contract is settled. What we have will stay in place until then.
Page 7
East Metro
Philip Jarosz #65015
Doug Barton #68273
POD13
Over the next 10 weeks train-
ing for the Washington Avenue
Mall will be implemented. All
operators are required to take this
training. Please see George or Tim
in instruction before signing up for
this training.
New Pull-in and Pull-out
Procedures For Next Pick
The ongoing construction of
the I-35E corridor will bring in
new changes for getting into and
out of East Metro beginning with
the pick in December. Pull-ins
will proceed as follows: All bus
traffic will be diverted to Jackson
Street (Rte. 68) to Cayuga.
Proceed down Cayuga hill R into
East Metro. Pull-outs: Exit out
East Metro R onto Cayuga, L on
NB I-35E Ramp VR on York
(Buses Only Slip Ramp), R on
Westminster to Cayuga.
The reasoning behind the two
routing procedures is to minimize
the impact on Cayuga Hill at
Jackson. Stay tuned for updated
procedures in regards to routing of
car traffic and changes of existing
routes as the December pick draws
closer.
57th ATU International Convention
"So Much More"
“Change is the law of Life. Those who look to the past or the present
are sure to miss the future.”
Javier Perez, International Executive Vice-President
From Convention Literature:
The Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO, CLC, is the largest
international labor organization representing transit workers in the United
States and Canada. Founded in 1892, the ATU today is comprised of more
than 192,000 members in 254 local unions spread across 45 states and
nine provinces in Canada. We represent a broad range of frontline transit
workers providing public transit, school transportation, intercity bus
service, light rail, para transit, ferry services, and maintenance and clerical
service as well as firefighters and other municipal employees. The ATU
works to promote transit issues and fights for the interests and welfare of
Page 8
725 Bldg.
Stephen Babcock #3128
Electronic Department
Greg Springer, electronics
technician has left service. We
wish him well. They are looking
for a replacement.
The new buses have started
arriving again for their video
and radio installs / updates.
Farebox Department
There will be four positions
opening up soon.
Training Department
Professional Operator
Development 2013 (POD 13)
POD13 is mandatory for all
bus operators (part-time, full-
time). Classes are being held at
the OSC/725 building and oper-
ators must report to class on
time and in proper uniform.
They also offer some weekend
classes. Full-time instructor
Denny Johnson will be teaching
all the classes with the help of
one relief instructor from each
garage.
POD13 is being split into
two areas: First, a one thirty
minute presentation on intersec-
tions; and second a two hour
presentation on WATM
(Washington Avenue Transit
Mall). WATM is were Metro
Transit buses will drive on LRT
tracks from Walnut Street to
Church street. The WATM pre-
sentation will include classroom
instruction as well as actual
driving on the WATM.
SOP’s for right turns, left
turns, straight ahead intersec-
tions, and the WATM will be
distributed during this
mandatory class.
its hard-working members and all working people.
ATU delegates from across North America began arriving in San
Diego, California for the 57th International Convention that began
Monday, August 26 and ran through Friday, August 30. The theme of the
Convention “So Much More” reflects our conviction that while we have
accomplished so much since our founding in 1892, we have only begun to
realize the full potential of our international union.
ATU delegates elected international officers for the next three years,
heard from notable speakers, addressed the 21st -century challenges
faced by Labor and the transportation industry, and made plans to create a
brighter future for transit and allied workers. Among the speakers were
transit advocates, Senator Elizebeth Warren D-Ma,, Rep. Tammy
Duckworth D-IL. and Ontario New Democratic Party Leader, Andrea
Horwath.
ATU delegates charted a course for the future at with the restructuring/
addition of Industry Councils. The new structure defines a strategic
vision to raise standards and build power for transit workers, and to fight
for more and better public transit. These dramatic changes to the ATU
structure were approved to better fight multi-national transit companies,
and funding measures were passed to sustain these efforts. Delegates also
voted for a series of resolutions to increase educational and training
opportunities.
Delegates re-elected International President Larry Hanley and
International Secretary-Treasurer Oscar Owens. International Vice
President Javier Perez was elected to ATU’s number two spot as
International Executive Vice President.
“I am honored and humbled to be re-elected to lead a union of leaders
and activists who make a difference in their communities,” said Hanley.
“Our leaders recognized we face many challenges. Multi-national
companies are trying to take over transit systems at the expense of
workers and riders. Billionaires and their political stooges are attempting
to destroy democracy, gut public services, marginalize workers and
debilitate communities. Our delegates voted to make critical changes to
restructure ATU to better arm locals both large and small to confront these
battles.”
“The Convention is where our local and international leaders take
stock of our International Union as it is today, while refining our vision of
the future,” said Hanley. “We meet at a challenging time for our members,
public transit riders and all workers. Ridership is at record levels, but
many transit systems are still cutting service or raising fares. Billionaires
and the politicians who serve them have spent the last five years tearing
apart the laws that enable workers to collectively bargain and to have
decent lives.”
Delegates took part in the first-ever ATU Convention Training
Academy. This innovative educational experience is part of the Union’s
continuing efforts to enhance the skills and abilities of our local officers
and members as they respond to the new challenges facing transit workers
and the industry.
Page 9
Nicollet
Melanie Benson #854
Alec Johnson #66034
Ryan Timlin #66279
Nicollet Garage Sale
The garage sale on September 7th
was very successful. Drivers will be
able to continue enjoying cable TV,
and a portion of the $900+ proceeds
was shared with maintenance. Many
thanks go to all of the volunteers who
worked so hard on a very hot day to
make this possible. Special thanks go
to Maria Flores #6942 for her energy
and commitment.
Retirement Party
Safety Specialist Jon Uzpen retired
on October 1st after 40 years of
employment. He will be replaced by
Marilyn Hood, previously the Safety
Specialist at Heywood Garage.
New Garage Coordinator
Following the recent retirement of
Joel Terrell, Nicollet Garage was look-
ing for a new Coordinator. Jerry
Larsen #9763 has accepted the posi-
tion of Garage Coordinator for
Nicollet, and will begin this new
phase of his career on October 12,
2013. Jerry had been a Relief
Instructor since October 2001 and has
most recently been at East Metro
Garage.
We look forward to working with
Jerry, and we welcome him to
Nicollet.
Nicollet Avenue Reconstruction
The road project on Nicollet
Avenue between 36th Street and 40th
has come to an end after a very long
summer of detours and obstacle-
course driving. Buses that have been
detouring on Blaisdell southbound and
1st Avenue northbound are finally able
to drive on Nicollet Avenue once
again.
Classes ranged in subject from “Obamacare” to grievance
procedures and ranged from an hour to several hours. The classes
gave the opportunity to ask questions, comment, and share/learn
information.
Delegate Report Submitted by Stephen Babcock
Michelle Sommers Elected ATU Vice-President #18
The candidates nominated for union positions remained
unchallenged and were declared winners by unanimous vote until we
reached the position of Vice-President #18. Two candidates, Paul
Bachtel of Local 587, Seattle, and Michelle Sommers, ATU President
of Local 1005 were nominated.
The candidates knew prior to the nomination that they were in the
running. Campaigning had begun as soon as they had arrived in San
Diego prior to the start of the convention. Michelle campaigned
aggressively by going to individual caucuses and requesting
endorsement. Paul was not sitting idly by. He had also been visiting
caucuses, but not by himself - he had the backing of President
Hanley and was accompanied by Javier Perez, future International
Executive Vice President. On Thursday, Paul came out with his
flyer and a letter of endorsement from President Hanley.
Michelle had come out with a ! yer on Wednesday that listed some of her quali" cations, along with her endorsements: ATU Latino
Caucus, ATU Midwest Conference Board, ATU Ontario Conference,
ATU Florida State Labor Conference Board, ATU Ohio Joint
Conference Board, ATU Texas State Labor Conference Board, ATU
Illinois Joint Conference Board. Paul’s local was out campaigning, as
were the 1005 delegates.
By Thursday, Michelle’s endorsements had increased, but
at the time of nomination it was felt that the election could go
either way. Dorothy Maki, ATU 1005 Vice-President, made the
nominating speech for Michelle while other 1005 delegates stood at
the microphones. Paul’s delegates nominated him. After the vote
was taken, it took some time to tally the results. The vote count was
327-204. The rest is history. Paul gave a gracious concession speech of unity and respect for Michelle. Michelle is now the International
Page 10
South
Theresa Collins #1378
The maintenance staff has an
awesome working relationship
with the drivers, and they work
very hard to keep our buses well-
maintained and nice and clean.
The next time you see someone
from the shop, make sure and tell
them thank you.
Billy Gamble will be coming
back to the South shop from East
Metro to be the 2nd-shift foreman.
Welcome back home, Billy!
Radio,farebox and bus bad-
order slips are now available in the
fuel pump/wash rack area, so
please always remember to write
up your bad-order bus.
The Southsider's Club has dif-
ferent cookouts throughout the
year. The volunteers who work
hard so we can have a nice meal
should be acknowledged. They
are:
Art Hayne #9414
Cornelious Sykes #847
Ann Marie Deneen #1274
Art Shelton #1347
Anna Penland #68310
Darlene Evans #65105
Latchman Bhagwandin
(Jerry)#6990
Thanks! You all ROCK!
Congratulations on your retire-
ment, Frank Webster #64068!
V.P. for the Midwest
(although they can
relocate her anywhere).
On Friday she was told
to report for arbitration
in Chicago the following
Wednesday.
In other related
convention news: Tommy
Bellfi eld and nine other
local fi nancial offi cers
received “Oscar” awards
for outstanding performance as Financial Secretaries in their local unions.
Marlin Jensen achieved a personal milestone in exchanging pins with
other locals (a custom at these get-togethers).
Mark Lawson was appointed to the Rules Committee, Michelle
Sommers was appointed to the Laws Committee and Marlin Jensen was on
the International President / General Executive Board Report Committee.
John Nichols, international columnist, named the ATU as the “Most
Valuable National Union” in 2012 for ATU’s community response to
Hurricane Sandy, among other things. The ATU stepped up and not only
supported its own members but also transit riders in the wake of this
devastating storm.
On Monday night there was a charity event/concert for ATU Disaster
Relief. Music was provided by the Beach Boys. Everyone had such a
good time that the
Beach Boys played
for four hours non-
stop to a dancing,
singing crowd.
A tribute to
Martin Luther King
was provided by
Marilyn McCoo
and Billy Davis Jr.,
original members of
the Fifth Dimension.
TSSC Minutes – June 27, 2013
In Attendance:
Monica Kruger, Nicollet ATM – Management Advisor;
Kermit Wallace, Nicollet – Chair; Jerry Langer, MJR;
Terry Zeimet, LRT; Deb Sievers, FTH; Cornelious
Sykes, South; Shanghi Ly, East Metro;
Captain Mike LaVine, Metro Transit Police; Mike
McNamera, LRT; Jim Perron, LRT; Brad Cummings,
LRT; Eric Anderson, LRT; Christy Bailly, Bus
Transportation; Mark Lawson, ATU; Emily Anleu,
Recording Secretary; Jouquitta Johnson, Bus
Transportation Intern; Brenda Himrich, Safety
• Monica called the meeting to order. Agenda /
Approved May’s minutes.
General summary of pre-meeting recap • Reps are able
to bring up issues or concerns from operators in the
garage.
• Leave the main meeting time for bigger issues that
can be problem solved by the bigger group. -Police
calls are being addressed by others outside of the
committee. You might have received an email from
Captain LaVine
• Robbinsdale locks - Cornelius Sykes is working
outside of TSSC meetings on issues about Robbinsdale
Transit Center locks and improved security, especially
related to the women’s restroom.
• Refl ective stripes - Cornelius Sykes reported concern
about refl ectivity of bus stop signs. Deb Sievers agreed
to locate the bulletin about giving feedback on new bus
stop signs and forward information to Cornelius and
Monica.
• LRT is in the process of fi guring out the best avenue
for concerns or issues
• Perception of the police presence -There is a
perception that police go where there is a lot of energy,
for example Red Line, instead of being available for
buses.
- Captain Lavine – Discussed Red Line. Free rides this
week, so there is more police presence. In the future
there will be two offi cers there checking fares. Offi cers
are additional to current staff
• Contact information for reps and members will be
provided to operators so they can easily raise concerns.
• We want to get tentative agendas out 2-3 weeks
before the meeting and will update about a week before
the meeting.
• Monica would like to develop criteria to determine
what issues we address. Option Evaluation for Decision
Making Sheet
• Legal
Capt. LaVine addressed questions about legal options
that exist for offi cers and operators, practical issues for
handling situations and things that are important for
operators to communicate to offi cers.
- Captain LaVine – If you have a hot concern that needs
to be addressed, please email me ahead of time so I can
address it before the meeting.
There was an issue about kicking a person off the
bus or trespassed or the Offi cer asking that the person
be allowed to stay on the bus. This was addressed
with the Offi cers with a Roll Call sheet explaining that
Offi cers responding to a call from the Operator should
initially fi nd out from the Operator what the problem is
and what they would like done.
• If the Operator wants to make a Citizen’s Arrest, have
them sign the Citizen’s Arrest Form, but it is still at the
Offi cer’s discretion whether to arrest, or not arrest, after
investigating the circumstances.
• If the Operator wants the suspect removed, the
suspect should be removed.
• If the Suspect has a problem with the Operator, the
suspect should be referred to Customer Service to
fi le a complaint. - Legal options - What conditions
need to be met for someone to get arrested? • For
misdemeanors police can’t arrest unless they witness
the crime.
• You need to be willing to make a citizen’s arrest if
the offi cer hasn’t witnessed a misdemeanor. Based on
the offi cer’s investigation, this may allow the offi cer to
arrest.
• Citizen’s Arrest - needs to be explained to operators
more often - You won’t for sure go to court.
- Operators could get subpoenaed and then they would
need to go to court. Contact your manager so we can
help you with this process.
- Offi cers can make an arrest on a felony with probable
cause, i.e. Operator assault
- We need enough evidence that the person probably
committed the crime. Clothing, description, pick them
out of a line up.
Page 11
- Operator will be asked if they are willing to
participate in the prosecution. If you aren’t willing, the
person probably won’t be charged.
If you get subpoenaed for Court You will need to go to
court and testify about what happened.
Most of the time the Assailant will get a plea bargain
- When should you make a citizen’s arrest - Chronic
fare evader.
- You have to be willing to sign the citizen’s arrest if
it’s a misdemeanor
- Sometimes the police are able to locate the suspect
after they left the bus. Please indicate to TCC that you
want the person to be arrested.
Pressing charges factors:
- Did the person commit a crime?
- Is it something that you feel they should be arrested
for?
- Is the person still on the bus?
- Provide good information about what happened.
- Can’t arrest over stroller issues.
- There are state statutes about eating and playing
music.
- It becomes a crime after the operator asks them to
stop and they don’t.
What about the times when they are wearing
headphones, but we can still hear the music? • Call for
a supervisor or police.
• Advise them, if they don’t listen, call the police and
they will be taken off the bus.
• They can be arrested if the operator has already
asked them to stop what they are doing.
You are in charge of your bus and if you want someone
off they will be taken off.
- Can the TCC be notifi ed when a suspect has been
apprehended so they can tell the op? Captain LaVine –
I think that would be a good idea.
Monica Kruger – TCC usually gets that information,
but don’t often pass it on to the operator.
• Monica will talk to TCC management to talk
about options for communicating this information to
operators.
• Mark Lawson– If you want to know what happened
go to your manager and ask for the SSR (Special
Situation Report)
• Jim Perron – TCC tries to minimize calls to operators.
Citizen’s Arrest form: You might need to fi ll out a
victim impact statement. • It’s good evidence to have in
court
What about allowing the rest of a group to ride after
one of them has been kicked off? • If you want them
off the police will take them off.
• Articulate a good reason why.
• Call TCC right away to make sure the police will
come back out there.
• The group is allowed to board the next bus.
Mob issue – They pile on the bus and no one pays. •
Call TCC for police
• Operators can pass up a large unruly group.
• Transit Supervisors and police can call TCC and have
them tell the operators to pass up a group.
- School passes are discounted on July 16 except for
summer school - Some students are still trying to use
their cards.
Call TCC for police
Letting family members use a student pass is fare
evasion.
• Kermit Wallace - Limited mobility Go-To cards
are purchased and then given to people who are not
supposed to use it. - This will be discussed at another
meeting
• There is an open section at the end of the meeting
to allow management attendees opportunity to give
information. Some said they would communicate ahead
of time if they had things they wanted to talk about or
bring up an issue
• Problem solving form
• Next meeting suggestions: -Limited mobility
- PCA’s
- These will be discussed outside the meeting before
being added to the agenda.
Page 12
Page 13
TSSC Minutes – July 30, 2013
In attendance:
Monica Kruger, Nicollet ATM – Management Advisor;
Kermit Wallace, Nicollet – Chair; Jerry Langer, MJR;
Terry Zeimet, LRT; Deb Sievers, FTH; Cornelious
Sykes, South; Shanghi Ly, East Metro
Captain Mike LaVine, Metro Transit Police; Christy
Bailly, Bus Transportation; Emily Anleu, Recording
Secretary; Jouquitta Johnson, Bus Transportation
Intern
• Monica called the meeting to order.
• Prioritizing Issues in the Operator meeting
• Minutes were approved.
Upcoming meetings
• Training Workshop – Scheduled on 8/6. - Shanghi
can’t be there. Should we reschedule? – No – Work to
enroll her in the workshops when offered for general
enrollment.
• Next TSSC Meeting – 9/12 MJR
Bylaws
• Draft of bylaws as well as other Information and
guidelines were distributed.
• We need to fi nd a time to work on these.
• If you have any suggestions about how we schedule
time to work on them please tell Monica or Kermit and
we will fi nd time to work on them.
Contact information was reviewed.
Security improvement and problem solving items
• A Tool for Prioritizing Concerns has been used by the
Representatives. - Topics evaluated were teens causing
problems on transit vehicles, teens hanging out at
Transit Centers, assaults, limited mobility and PCA fare
abuses and cell phone issues.
- Highest rated issues were the two about teens and cell
phone issues.
- Teens causing problems on transit was given the most
priority. This topic was chosen to focus on. We’ll use
a problem-solving process like the one from the recent
workshop.
- Teens hanging out in transit stations and cell phone
use on vehicles may be handled separately in other
ways or at other times.
• Cornelius Sykes: Captain LaVine, has the teens
causing trouble on transit gone up or down in your
opinion? - Captain LaVine: I have been tracking the
issues surrounding MPLS students.
- It’s an education issue. We need to educate them
on how they should act on Transit.
- There were 101 cases where we were called by
MPD, bus ops, etc.
• Cornelius Sykes: Is there a way that we can have
certain passes active only until 6pm and some active
until 10pm? - Christy: We did a pilot study with limited
passes for truant students.
- Captain LaVine: Once kids were issued limited passes
they were eager to fi gure out what they could do to get
the extended pass. Maybe the schools can use that as a
behavior changer.
- Kermit Wallace: Can the parents and the students
have more information that if they act up then their
passes will be limited?
- Monica Kruger: More so, what information is
available for the students and parents? At this point in
the problem solving process, let’s focus on questions
that gather information versus offer solutions.
• Group work - Symptoms, facts, etc. About teens
causing problems on transit vehicles. Summertime kids
are bored and they ride buses to the malls • Hanging
out at bus stops
Not riding the bus to a destination, just from stop to
stop
There are ring leaders that hold the train doors to
show control.
Posturing and showing off
Pulling the cord for every stop
Drug use
Theft – Cell phone, purse
Teens packed and overcrowded trains might cause
our paying/regular riders to fi nd another form of
transportation.
Fare evasion
Mob mentality
Customer Service Complaints
Loud music and cell phone usage
• Captain LaVine gave the following updates: - Metro
Transit PD caught the guy who was in the women’s
bathroom at Robbinsdale
- MN Laws regarding 4th degree assault: Effective
August 1, 2013, “Transit Operators” were added to
State Statute (609.2231 S11) which states in part:
- The person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor if (1)
the persons assaults a transit operator or, intentionally
Jack Berner #8927, FTH
2nd Place (Pictured Above)
David Wagne #72339, FTH
Rookie of the Year
Mark Probasco #69044, EM
East Metro Champion
Randy Finch #128, South
South Champion
Annette Deschnes #72276, MJR
MJR Champion
Page 14throws or otherwise transfers bodily fl uids onto a
transit operator; and (2) the transit operator is acting
in the course of the operator’s duties and is operating
a transit vehicle, aboard a transit vehicle, or otherwise
responsible for a transit vehicle.
- A person convicted of these “slap and spit” type of
assaults against bus and train operators could receive
up to a $3,000 fi ne and one year in prison.
- Misdemeanor is now a gross misdemeanor • Don’t
need a citizen’s arrest
• They can be arrested and taken to jail
- Cases : • July 12 – operator on the Rt. 18 was spit on,
gave good description and the suspect was arrested.
• July 9 – Rt. 11 passenger threatened bus operator over
fare evasion. Person was arrested.
- Disorderly conduct: On July 16th at Maplewood
Transit Center a male suspect came up to the bus
and asked for a transfer and she told him no and
closed the door. He tried to pry it open and then
ran to the driver’s window and tried to pry it open
as well. He then stood in front of the bus. He
was arrested and booked for Disorderly Conduct,
Interfering with Transit and Tampering with a
Motor Vehicle.
• Cornelius Sykes: When will the rest of the fl eet that
has annunciators get them? – End of 2014
- Canned messages: We did a pilot and we received
good feedback on it.
- Playing a canned message is considered a warning
for a rider.
- Christy Bailly will check on when the canned
messages will be authorized to be used.
• There is a concern about kids playing in the streets at
Bush and Atlantic. Christy Bailly: We can send over a
transit supervisor to check it out.
Jeanne O'Neill #2116, Nicollet, was
the Nicollet Champion and the fi rst
woman to fi nish among the top three
in the overall competition, winning
3rd Place.
Roadeo Winners
Michael Stenberg #71018, FTH
Champion/Heywood Champion
Page 15
Amalgamated Transit Union 2013
Privatization Issues, Challenges and Opportunities: Smart Choices NeededAs reported by Ilona LaDouceur #66048, TIC
At the International ATU Women’s Conference held here in Minneapolis in June, one of the workshops we
attended was about privatizing transit, and I wanted to share this with my union brothers and sisters. While
privatization may not initially sound like one of the “hot” issues” (e.g. transit funding, cell phone policy,
contracts), it is fundamentally important in many ways.
If we lose work to “opt-outs,” our union members are losing work. Losing work means losing money - one
of the biggest impacts. I have heard stories from people who work or have worked for some of our opt-outs, and
they’re concerned about the safety of the buses they and their coworkers operate. Some report that there has
been less then quality and safe maintenance performed on a number of these buses. Some of the opt-outs do not
hold to the same high standards as Metro Transit does.
As a TIC representative, I also see the inconsistency in the quality of service and the timeliness of these
privately-operated routes. Something strange is happening if sometime during any given day a B Line bus
(537/538/539) is not running 15 or more minutes late. Don’t get me wrong, any route anywhere does run late at
times. But from where I am sitting, it is a lot more frequent with the opt-outs. Our riders also tell us that some
of the operators are not professional at times, rude or dismissive to them other times. Supposedly subcontracting
routes to these companies saves the Metropolitan Council some money, but at what cost?
When Cities Privatize Transit, They Lose Control
No one in the private sector would contract out a crucial internal operation without knowing the full scope of
management issues. The public sector deserves the same respect. Private firms don’t typically contract out work
that involves their core customer base directly, nor do they give control of their capital equipment to outsiders.
For contracting out to work in public transit, that is precisely what is required.
As policy makers argue for privatization, they rely on certain assumptions about “government inefficiency”
vs. “business efficiency” - that Government is wasteful, complacent, etc. while Businesses are “lean,” “effective,”
“innovative,” and “sharp,” due to competition. Further it is promoted that private businesses will do things better
and cheaper, that there’s no downside to giving business a chance to do the job better.
History of Transit Privatization
There was a surge of privatization in the 1980s and 90s. Denver, San Diego, Phoenix and other cities saw
mixed results (short-term vs. long-term). Privatizers claimed that the benefits to Cities were that labor rates
would shrink and pension plans would be scrapped. For these results, sure there is a potential for short-term
savings. However, with the disadvantages of lower wages and reduced benefits come unhappy workers who are
not able to make a livable wage. This then leads to major turnover issues, training problems, safety issues and
threats to the quality of service. Businesses claim this is just healthy competition, but it’s nothing like that. It has
been and would continue to be a straight-up monopoly. A competitive environment is difficult to maintain with
only a handful of companies providing transit service.
Huge foreign corporations have absorbed small private providers. There are only a few major players left
(MV, Veolia, First Transit, Transit Team). There are no incentives to provide high-quality service. There is no
accountability, because profit is the only real motivator.
So, with transit monopolies in place, there is truly less incentive to provide the best and safest service to our
customers as possible. With increased privatization will come more service cuts, fare increases and/or cutting
corners with maintenance and safety. The resulting loss of control and lack of transparency leads to disaster.
These costly promises of saving money reduce the standard of living for workers and diminish transportation
services to our communities. Then comes the realization that the mechanisms that had been used to calculate the
competition issues and the costs aren’t at all what were promised.
Page 16Headlines from around the U.S.:
From the GreenBay Press-Gazette November 16, 2011: Green Bay Drops First Transit as Bus Manager,
Will Run Metro System
“After five years, the city decides to bring work back in house.”
From Long Island’s Newsday February 17, 2012: NICE to trim service
"Private bus line says it need to close $7.3M gap; Claims it will only scale back on less popular routes.
Veolia slashes service only six weeks after taking over LI bus service.”
From the San Diego Union-Tribune April 4, 2012: BUS PRIVATIZING SAVINGS not as touted; About
$1 million realized, not the $10 million NCTD had hailed before outsourcing
“All of the savings were achieved through cuts – First Transit slashed annual bus service hours by
14,000.”
From The Sacramento Bee April 7, 2004: Yolo County Looks to Fix Bus Woes. High Driver Turnover
Spurs Talk of a Sacramento RT Merger
“County asks First Transit to agree to improve its bus operators’ benefits in hopes of keeping drivers on
the job longer. First Transit paid its top drivers only $14 an hour, and lost 30 of its 56 drivers from 2003-
2004. Massive service delays, and maintenance issues….”
From the Denver Westward January 31, 2002: Bus Stopped: The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and
Round as RTD Struggles to Find a Competent Contractor
“Promised 40% savings - In first six years, costs of contracted service rose at a rate
double that of the rest of the system. Cost to city = $9 million”
From the Savannah Morning News April 2, 2013: Chatham Transit Ends Public-Private Partnership
“Chatham Area Transit (CAT) in Savannah announced that it is dumping Veolia Transportation less than
three years after entering into a contract which the French conglomerate. The CAT Chairman said simply that
the experiment ‘was becoming too expensive.’”
From NBC in the Bay Area March 6, 2013: Fairfield Officials Fine MV Transportation 295 Times For
Poor Performance
“Between 2008 and 2010, the private company was fined 295 times by local transit officials in the town
where it is headquartered for poor performance, including too many accidents, missed bus runs and late
buses.”
ATU GOALS ARE TO ENSURE THAT ANY POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS ARE PROPERLY
MEASURED AND WEIGHED AGAINST POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS ON SAFETY AND
SERVICE
A former Denver transit executive spelled out some features of privatization: “…savings by paying workers less,
offering fewer benefits, deterring employees for remaining a transit agency long enough to reach top of pay
scale…” Key – offer at least “reasonable” packages so service is not affected.
American Public Transit Association (APTA) Executive:
“I don’t want to sound like I’m against privatization, but there’s no inherent advantage of it,” Guzzetti says.
“There’s nothing about that private-sector manager that makes him a better manager than a public-sector
manager … Of course, if the savings are all, say, in the labor part, then you say all you’re doing is competing for
the lowest wages, and that’s a decision that the local community has to make.”— Charleston City Paper, May 1,
2012
Page 17
Fun Fact: Since July of 2001, ATU members have been involved in 21 work stoppages in the U.S. 81% of
these strikes have been in the private sector.
The real facts about Privatization
Privatizing transit services results in fewer, rather than more bidders.
Cost savings are far slimmer than projected, and decrease over time.
40% of systems say service quality and customer service suffer negative impacts from privatizing.
Safety, maintenance concerns, high employee turnover all contributed to this negative impact on
service quality.
Incremental savings may be found after contracting out, but by the second round of contracting, savings
disappear.
Big companies deliberately low-ball initial bids, then jack up costs after eliminating competition.
Comparing public vs. private is deceptive. Add the cost of monitoring private firms to ensure that the
level of service is maintained and savings often disappear.
What really happens:
Initial cost differentials are small (if at all), and other costs frequently eclipse even these small savings.
When routes get contracted out, transit systems spend much more than they had anticipated in
monitoring the level and quality of service provided by private entities, both of which inevitably decline
over time.
Universally recognized – private bus companies present low bids by offering substandard wages and
poor benefit packages. These circumstances inevitably lead to high turnover, fewer experienced workers
and a decreased level of safety and security measures.
We have two choices:
1. Privatization = shrinking, deteriorating service
2. Funding = expanding, improving service
This is where we start:
Building Community Campaigns and Powerful Coalitions
A coalition is an organization of organizations working together for a common goal. We build coalitions to
amass the power necessary to do something we cannot do as a single organization. The basic steps in building
coalitions are identifying common interests, reaching out to community groups, setting up a meeting and creating
mutual goals or targets of interest
How Do We Build Effective Coalitions?
Understand the distinct interest of each participating group. It is important that all the members of a coalition
understand each other in order to build on their strengths and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
Choose unifying issues to work on.
The advantages of coalitions are clear: we win what we couldn’t win alone. We increase the impact of an
individual organization’s effort. It helps increase resources for our cause, draw new leaders into the work, and
broaden the scope of our work.
Getting Started
Identify groups in your community that have a stake in transit. There are many groups out there who either
rely on transit or believe in its importance. Environmental groups, smart-growth advocates, senior citizen
organizations, churches, disability groups, anti- poverty organizations, and university student groups are just
Page 18
some examples of pro-transit groups that may be present in your community and may even already be engaged in
lobbying for better transit
Think About Messaging
After you’ve got a good list of potential transit coalition partners in your community, the next step is to think
about how to approach them. Talking about your next contract fight won’t win you support from potential
community partners. However, talking to groups about the larger issues, such as the need for more funding,
better service, and the role of transit in economic growth will appeal to their self-interest and help link them up
with your local.
Set Up a Coalition Meeting
After you’ve identified potential allies in your community and you’ve thought about how to communicate
with them, the next step is to set up an inaugural coalition meeting. You may want to pick a date, time and
location in advance ahead of time, so that you have something specific for potential partners to commit to.
Identify Mutual Goals and Targets of Interest
When you have your first coalition meeting, lead the discussion but don’t dominate it. Find out what goals
each of your partners have, and what kinds of changes they’d like to see.
Member mobilizers can help you build coalitions and establish a greater presence in the community, without
requiring more time commitments from you as a Union Officer. Begin by identifying the “1’s” in your local who
are interested in organizing other members around issues, actions, legislation, and community-related topics.
Now that you’ve done the hard work--you’ve organized internally, tapped member mobilizers, built coalitions
with community groups, and identified a strategic goal--you get to do the fun part: brainstorming some collective
actions.
The tactics you choose should create excitement and enthusiasm among your membership, show your union’s
power, make the target of the tactic uncomfortable, and earn positive media attention.
Basic Criteria for a Good Tactic
1. It is focused on the decision maker of the campaign.
2. It puts power behind a specific demand.
3. It meets your organizational goals as well as your issue goals.
4. It is outside the experience of the target.
5. It is within the experience of your own members, and they are comfortable with it.
Gathering union members together with community partners for a rally can be a powerful and highly visible
way to energize members and earn free media attention.
A rally by its nature depends on turnout—a significant turnout shows strength, while a poor turnout backfires
with weakness. Turnout for a rally depends on personal communication— face-to-face and by phone. For these
reasons, a rally should not be the first tactic you go to, but a capstone on a series of smaller actions that get
attention and get members pumped up.
Building coalitions adds strength to the ATU’s position and puts additional pressure on decision- makers who
want to respond to their constituencies. If elected officials perceive that their proposed changes in public policy
are being opposed only by a few disgruntled employees and their union, they will probably proceed. If, however,
they are bombarded with letters, postcards, petitions, visits, telephone calls, and news articles calling attention to
and opposing their proposals, they may be convinced to stop them.
References: International ATU PowerPoint Privatization at ATU Women’s Conference; MN2020.org; Wikipedia
Page 19
Talent Corner by Deborah Sievers
If you or someone you know has some special talent and would like to share it with your co-workers,
please contact Deb Sievers at Heywood Garage or leave a message at
612-963-0298.
Fundraiser for 'Working
Partnerships'
On Monday, September 16,
2013 a golf tournament was held to
benefi t “Working Partnerships,” a
program of AFL-CIO Community
Services of Minneapolis.
This includes the ATU 1005
Hardship Fund, which helped eight
of our Local 1005 members this
year.
Pictured are Gordy Ravel-
ing, MJR dispatcher; Ted Ravel-
ing, Nicollet dispatcher and Russ
Hoosline, Heywood driver.
Green Line UpdateLisa Callahan #6716, LRT
The Light Rail Green Line along University Avenue is now 94% complete. We have been testing on the Green
Line since August doing some Electrical Magnetic Interference (EMI) testing from the west bank to the east bank.
This was supposed to be done by now, but the testing isn’t going so well. They have been making minor repairs
to the rail and it’s coming along. We have done some testing while being pushed, with no electrical (we call it dry
running). They also did a live wire test and went to Fry and University Avenue. That’s good progress.
On Saturday, October 5th we took three trains to the new facility in Saint Paul for storage, and I was part of
the journey. We left the Hiawatha storage at 5:45 a.m. and got to the Saint Paul facility around 12:00 p.m. with a
few minor setbacks. The vehicle that was towing the three-train consist had a hard time making it up the incline
on University and Malcolm, where rain had made the rails a little slippery. After an effort of about 45 minutes we
were up and at ‘em and moving right along. When we got to 5th and Minnesota, a dump truck was parked on the
rails. Again we had to wait to fi nd the owner of the vehicle, who fi nally arrived about an hour later.
All in all, it was a great experience. People were coming out of the woodwork to watch as we putted along
University. There’s still more testing to come and there are more trains to move to the new facility. Soon, all the
electrical will be up and running so we can start testing the rest of the tracks.
That’s all for now. I will report next time on new developments as we get the Green line ready for the opening
in June.
Page 20
Employee Recognition BrunchTheresa Collins #1378, South
As a 25-year employee, I was invited to attend
this year’s Met Council Employee Recognition
Brunch, held on Wednesday, September 18th at the
Harriet Island Pavilion. The weather was great and
the food was superb! Attendees came by bus.
This year’s theme was: Together Everyone
Achieves More (TEAM). Guest speakers included
Met Council Chair Susan Haigh, Regional Administrator Pat Born, Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb
and special speaker Governor Mark Dayton. The governor thanked us for our dedicated work at Metro Transit.
A variety of Met Council members, managers and Re-
gional Director Pat Born gave acclamations to 20, 25, 30,
35 and 40- year-service employees. Special recognition was
given to Nicollet Garage Maintenance Manager Sy Sharp
for 50 years of service. Bus Maintenance Rodeo winners
were also honored, along with those receiving safe-driving
awards.
I brought my camera with me to take pictures of my
coworkers. It was nice to see so many dedicated employees
at this event. Please enjoy the photos.
CRYPTO
Each letter stands for another. If you think M=E, for example, it would equal E throughout the puzzle. Clue:
X=O, D=E (Answer on page 35) Submitted by Pat Kelehan, Facilities Tech. #5470
A Z B X - C X W V D W T F S G R V G T S X H Q J P G J X R F S D
L K P W G B K F X W L X P P D B K H T D G K A T H B S K
M X X J Q G K W.
Page 21
Theresa Collins #1378 Rejoins Education Committee
I have been a driver for the past 25 years. I have worked out of old Nicollet,
Heywood, new Nicollet, and I am currently working out of South.
Over the years I have been involved in many activities through work: a former
Education Committee member, Community Outreach, Nicollet Club, Fit for Life,
Transit Safety & Security Committee; and I have volunteered for many different
union events.
I grew up in Anoka and was
raised by hard-working parents. Ours
was a union household. My dad is a
retired Teamster trucker, and he was
also a union steward for many years.
Some of my hobbies are movies,
dining out, traveling, crossword
puzzles and reading trashy romances.
I have been a single mother for many
years. My son is 21 years old and is starting his fourth year of college, where he is on the honor roll.
I thought you would enjoy the before and after pictures. As you can see, in the last 25 years I have changed a
lot.
Heywood Ice Cream SocialFaye Brown #6122, FTH
On September 17, 2013, Heywood Garage held one of many fundraising events hosted by the Hospitality
Committee, formed to give our drivers a
show of support when they are out with an
illness, injury or death. The ice cream social
was a way for everyone to enjoy a cold treat
and meet each other.
The committee consists of three drivers:
Felicia Bennett, Kenyia Benson and myself,
Faye Brown. We do this to show the kind-
ness that we all can show for one another.
Special thanks to the drivers, Brian Funk,
Steve McLaird, Jeff Wostrel and the many
other managers, offi ce personnel, mainte-
nance and dispatchers who supported this
event.
Greg Springer #69027
Leaves Service
Employees of the Radio/Elec-
tronics Department say goodbye
with a farewell lunch.
Page 22
ELSADeborah Sievers #64222, FTH
ELSA is a hands-free mobile live interpretation solution that provides immediate communication in 180 lan-
guages. Our Metro Transit Police Department has several that are in use.
RTT Mobile Interpretation is the leading innovator in the language interpretation industry. Their
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Interpreters are available 24/7 and 365 days a year. When the button on the device is pushed, an operator
comes on and quickly directs the user to one of the highly skilled, qualified interpreters fluent in the required
language, as well as English.
Law enforcement and first responders find that using the ELSA is
great for fast response times and accurate information to save lives.
Using the device gives the officers and first responders:
1. Immediate response
2. Ability to assess situations accurately
3. Improved relations in the community
4. Better protection for the public, as well as themselves
5. Less chance of misdiagnosis
6. Improvement in patient and legal outcomes
7. Increase in efficiency
8. The ability to save lives
Technology
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If you would like more information, go to http://www.rttmobile.com/about.htm
Union Volunteer Hours Rewards Program
Members, we have a variety of areas that need volunteers and involvement of membership.
Please become more involved with the Union! Call 612/379-2914 and let us know your phone number and
what days and times in the future are best for you to help with an effort. We have rewards for our appreciation of
your efforts:
10 hours -Hat
25 hours - ATU Jacket
50 hours - Laptop briefcase (canvas)
100 hours - Leather Jacket from Union House
Page 23
Low-Wage Workers In Revolt
Ryan Timlin #66279, Nicollet
February 14th, 2011 was a turning point in history, and in the labor movement in the Unites States. It was the
fi rst day of protests in Madison, Wisconsin that would soon rapidly culminate into a tense struggle at the state capitol. Sadly, these actions ended in defeat. Where the struggle collapsed, however, a much-needed discussion for the working class began to grow in its place. It may seem late to bring up events from three years ago, but since then, the nation has witnessed an upswing in strikes. From the struggles in Longview, Washington with the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) to the Verizon workers’ strike, to the Chicago Teachers Union’s historic victory against Rahm Emanuel in Chicago, there has been a marked rise in activity within the labor movement.
In November 2012, workers walked off the job at a Walmart warehouse in Illinois, organized under the banner Our Walmart. Later that month, that action inspired 200 fast-food workers in New York City to walk off the job, calling for $15 per hour and a Union, under the name Fast Food Forward. The Our Walmart campaign hasn’t ended, as it still fi gures out ways forward to keep fi ghting. The momentum, however, has swung towards the Fast
Food Forward campaign. In fact, a quote from a TIME Magazine article makes it clear:
“It’s absolutely going to continue to grow,” says Steven Ashby, a professor at the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations. “I see no signs from all the people I’ve talked with that it’s going to falter. At this point it hasn’t reached its peak yet. The energy of the workers, their passion, their commitment, is very, very high. They basically feel like, ‘We’ve got nothing to lose.” (Times Magazine “Fast Food Strikes Go Viral” August 27, 2013)
The campaign spread from New York City to multiple cities across the entire nation this spring, where workers walked off their jobs. One of the largest places of action was Detroit, which saw its largest strike day so far on August 29. Earlier in the week, it was estimated that 35 cities would have strike actions, but as the day drew near it was clear that this had been an underestimate. The day of the strike there were strike actions in about 60 cities.
With so much energy building up behind the struggle for fast food workers, it’s easy to wonder why this sector of all industries is leading the way. One of the biggest reasons for so many of the strike actions is because the fast food worker isn’t the stereotypical teenager with a summer job any more. More often than not, it is people in their late twenties or older. Many are parents trying to live on the minimum wage while raising a household. This more than likely will be a continuing trend, as the July jobs report shows. Out of the 162,000 jobs created in July, 65 percent of the positions employers added were with low-paying retailers, restaurants, bars and service chains.
The actions caused McDonalds to respond and defend its low wages. In July, McDonald’s created a website to show that fast food workers could survive off of minimum wage. Called the “Practical Money Skills Budget Journal,” the site’s guide to living suggested that a person working in the fast food industry needs a second job to make ends meet. Showing a monthly budget of $2,060 and 70+ hours on the clock, McDonalds’ budget shows that living paycheck-to-paycheck is indeed possible, as long as your basic necessities like health insurance, heat, child care, and adequate groceries are not included in this “Practical Budget.” This is coming from a multi-billion dollar company.
Since the strikes have taken place, there have been gains made. Jonathan Westin, who helped organize New York’s fi rst fast food strike as the executive director of New York Communities for Change, says some local workers have seen wage increases of 25 to 50 cents per hour. Some Chicago strikers have also gotten higher wages (Times Magazine “Fast Food Strikes Go Viral” August 27, 2013). These are not huge gains, but they are gains nonetheless. Ultimately the lesson for these workers is that only through direct struggle is there a way forward to better wages, better working conditions, and the right to organize.
One of the major keys to success is community and labor organizations fi ghting together. SEIU (Service Employees International Union) is the main union working with groups like New York Communities for Change to form Fast Food Forward. What this partnership has done is allowed the unions to build stronger links to
Page 24
communities. For too long it seems most unions have just stuck to the day-to-day tasks of what is going on in
their locals, forgetting that their members are a part of the larger community. What happens there affects every
worker.
The movement for fast-food workers continues to grow. In many ways, the struggle is still in its infancy. One
thing has become clear, however. With each escalated action, more low-wage workers are emboldened to join in
the fi ght. There will be many curves and obstacles ahead, but there is no going back. Exactly how these strikes will play out still waits to be seen, but the past three years have provided a possible glimpse of a fi ghtback from labor in the United States.
1 Game System- Wii Judson Jones
2 Union Jacket Linda Bueno
3 Jax $100.00 Dan Abramowicz
4 Lunds $100.00 Vernon Hutchinson
5 Cub Foods $50.00 Dennis Berg
6 St. Paul Grill $100.00 Bonnie Green
7 Shelf System- LG Mike Qualy
8 Union Polo Shirt Cheryl Kienietz-Hall
9 Google Nexus 7 John Powell
10 Nye's $75.00 Keith Severson
11 Holiday $50.00 Amalio Perez
12 Nelson's Cheese & Deli $50.00 Ken Dolney
13 Rainbow Foods $50.00 Marlin Jensen
14 $100.00 Holiday Gift Card Tom Frazier
15 Union Hoodie Matthew Stauffer
16 Bachman's $200.00 Otis Meneese
17 Mancini's $100.00 Karl Obermeyer
18 Weber Grill Trinity Jensen
19 Cub Foods $75.00 Ed Anstett
20 Ipad Mini Sreytouch Anderson
21 Basil's $100.00 Carmen Baumgardt
22 Union Letterman Jacket Stephen Nichols
23 Recognition Day (Metro Transit) Gary Bier
24 Union Bank $50.00 Scott Hielsburg
25 Union Hoodie Jon Bendix
26 Knife W/ Sharpener Don Baker
27 Rainbow Foods $75.00 Christopher Ptacek
28 Union Hoodie Skipper Kringen
29 Rainbow Foods $50.00 Philip Jarosz
30 Nelson's Cheese & Deli $50.00 Ken Dolney Jr.
31 Union Jacket Ernie Meyer
32 $100.00 Holiday Gift Card Judy Jackson
33 St. Paul Grill $100.00 Paul Brown
34 TV- 40" Sony Barb Osadchuk
35 Union Polo Shirt Brendan Anderson
36 Union House $100.00 Jay Jensen
37 Union Pullover Peter Mooers
38 Ipad Mini- 64 Richard Bork
39 Mancini's $100.00 Traci Williamson
40 Union Letterman Jacket Neal Lagos
41 Xbox Game System Jessica Kern (Blodgett)
42 Jax $100.00 Tom Joerndt
43 Weber Grill Marsha Smith
44 Nelson's Cheese & Deli $50.00 Daniel Kirley
45 Recognition Day (Metro Transit) Brooks Letourneau
46 Rainbow Foods $75.00 Corrie Nelson
47 Union Hoodie Tom Mevissen
48 Holiday $100.00 Jesse Long
49 Google Nexus 7 George Hernandez
50 Shelf System Jeanette Roberge
51 Union Pullover Richard James
52 Knife Set Melissa Mensah
53 Nye's $75.00 Charnelle Larson
54 $100.00 Holiday Gift Card Martin Olufson
55 Cub Foods $50.00 Gordon Raveling
56 Basil's $100.00 Francene Akins-Ross
57 Twins Sep.14th -4 Tix Tina Shamekh
58 Union Bank $50.00 Rocky Richardson
59 Lunds $100.00 Eric Cox
60 Holiday $50.00 Richard Walker
61 Union House $100.00 Terry Dolney
62 Galaxy Tab 2 Stephen Babcock
63 Union Pullover Deborah Sievers
64 Cub Foods $75.00 Jim Swartout
65 Bachman's $200.00 Charles Ricard
66 Nelson's Cheese & Deli $50.00 Mark Hansen
67 TV- 47" LG Susan Mitchell
14.5 $200.00 American Apparel Gift Card Wayne An-
dermann
30.5 $200.00 American Apparel Gift Card Kurt Ander-
son
50.5 $200.00 American Apparel Gift Card Maria Flores
50/50 Drawing ($231.00) Russel Dixon
Painting Drawing Dasha Lawson
Ipad Drawing Cameria Miller
2013 ATU Local 1005 Picnic Prize List
Look at these great prizes!
Page 25
What Really Is Affirmative Action?Joseph Otoo-Essilfie, M.A. #67312, LRT
Many people have preconceived ideas about affirmative action and resist information that contradicts their
beliefs. Even many advanced-level textbooks about affirmative action contain factual errors about the topic,
especially on the topic of “quotas.” Affirmative action is one of the most controversial and most misunderstood
subjects in the business curricula.
Understanding affirmative action and how it interacts with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is of
prime importance to both employees and employers. Hopefully, what I’ve written will help elucidate this very
sensitive and important topic to clear up some myths we may have about affirmative action.
Misconceptions about affirmative action
These myths include:
a. Minorities and females cannot be fired under affirmative action.
b. Under affirmative action, all an employee must be is a female or a minority to be placed in a job.
c. Affirmative action prevents employers from hiring white males who are more qualified.
d. Affirmative action requires employers to remove qualified whites and males from their jobs in order to give
these jobs to minorities and women, whether they are qualified or not.
e. Most employees who obtain jobs under affirmative action plans are not qualified for the job.
f. Workplace productivity and efficiency always suffer under affirmative action plans
g. There should be no affirmative action because the best person is always the one who gets the job.
h. Employers cannot apply to females and minorities the same job requirements they do to males and
nonminorities.
i. Hiring quotas and preferential treatments are permissible
under affirmative action.
These are some of the misconceptions about affirmative
action and, incredibly, some college textbooks contain some
of these factual errors.
The History behind Affirmative Action For a clearer view of what affirmative action is, a few lines about the history behind its enaction would be helpful in explaining this important law/executive order. The first African slaves were brought to North America in 1619. Slaves were considered property and necessary for economic development. They had no rights and at some point slaves outnumbered the indigenous people by a wider margin. Some difficult laws were passed during this period to keep slaves as “slaves,” and slavery continued for over 200 years. The civil war began in 1861 after an attempt by the country to abolish slavery turned into a bloody civil war between the northern and the southern states. The northern states triumphed and slavery was abolished when the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was passed, only to be replaced by Jim Crow laws which kept African-Americans and women in somewhat the same position as they were during slavery. Segregation and racial discrimination went on for many years until 1954, when public schools were desegregated. Another milestone was achieved with the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 abolishing discrimination on the bases of race, sex, color, religion and national origin in employment, education, public accommodation, and receipt of federal funds.
Page 26 The federal government, in addition to the Civil Rights Act, also requires that employers take steps to expand job opportunities to qualified women and minorities in order to bring them into a workplace from which it has been determined that they have previously been excluded, thus making the workplace more reflective of their availability from which the employees are drawn. This is what is known as “affirmative action” in its simplest form. It is a requirement imposed by Executive Order 11246 and its amendments first by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941. This Executive Order underwent several amendments and, in September of 1965, President Lyndon Johnson, inspired by a highly-mobilized civil rights movement, signed the current version into law.
I will not be able to cover all the details of this topic -but there are some important parts that needs mentioning: Like Title VI, this law prohibits government agencies and contractors from discriminating against any employee or any applicant for employment on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, or national origin; government agencies or contractors take steps (affirmative action plan) to ensure that the workplace is demographically reflected accordingly; empowers the court to “correct” (legal affirmative action )
employers who are found to be intentionally engaging in unlawful employment practices; and it also advances the employment of qualified veterans. This explains the reason why, when applying for any government job or a federally contracted job, the question of whether or not you are a veteran is asked on the application form. A major difference between Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and affirmative action is that affirmative action is the intentional inclusion of qualified minorities previously excluded from the workforce due to the vestiges of the past; and Title VII (passive approach) is the prohibition of workplace discrimination. It is clear to readers by now that the Executive Order 11240 (Affirmative Action) is an active approach to correcting under-representation and designed to remedy our current workplace inequities based on race or gender. Under the executive order, companies are required to develop “affirmative action plans” and consider it as management tool or as an integral part of the way companies conduct business. It should also have quantitative and qualitative aspects. The quantitative aspect takes into account how many qualified women and minorities there are in a given geographical area for a particular job or an open position. The qualitative aspect, on the other hand, develops a plan of action to address any under-representation based on the availability of qualified women and minorities in the geographical area.
Learning/Teaching Affirmative Action Correctly Teaching and learning of affirmative action has been plagued with so many misconceptions so much so that many people resist any information that contradicts their beliefs.
The issue of “quotas” in affirmative action, for example, is simply not correct - and yet that is the belief in many minds. The word “quota” does not appear anywhere in the executive order, and factually the Civil Rights Act of 1964 clearly prohibits the idea of quotas in hiring.
A common misconception is that Most employees who obtain jobs under affirmative action plans are not qualified for the job. This is clearly not the case, for the order calls for equal employment opportunities for both qualified women and minorities.
Another misconception is that affirmative action requires employers to remove qualified whites and males from their jobs and give these jobs to minorities and women whether they are qualified or not. This is troubling because it causes fear, hatred, workplace conflict and the mistrust of the hiring process which can have a negative effect on productivity.
It is hard to find the reason for these misconceptions, but one reason may be that there is inaccurate information in some college text books. Some indeed contain factual errors on this very sensitive but important subject. These text books go as far as to state that affirmative action plans require “preferential treatment” of women and minorities. Other academic literatures contains factual errors like “quota based on race and gender is used in hiring”. Quotas, instead, are used by the courts to force compliance from an organization with a long- standing history of employment discrimination (judicial affirmative action). A typical example is the Sheet Metal Workers V. the EEOC in 1986.
What employers are doing nowadays is voluntary affirmative action, where the employer institutes an affirmative action plan regardless of whether the employer is expected to do so or not. It is a proactive measure to avoid discrimination claims if it has been determined that women and minorities were previously excluded from the hiring process. Affirmative action, correctly understood and taught, is a program that: (1) applies to only government and government contractors; (2) requires these government employers and contractors to tell the government about the differences between their workforce demographics and their labor market demographics; (3) and must also show or prove to the government that they are trying to reduce these differences through a program (affirmative action plan) that includes goals and timetables and a documented good- faith effort to achieve them.
Opinion of Affirmative Action A 2005 poll on minority rights indicated that about half the country (50%) of Americans favored affirmative action programs for racial minorities while 42% opposed such programs. In 2001, a poll by the same organization had shown 47% in favor and 44% opposed - relatively consistent positive opinion about the program.
The same opinion poll also showed that, among African
Americans, 76% of self-described conservatives, 71% of
moderates, and 76% of liberals favored affirmative action.
Among whites, most conservatives oppose affirmative
action, but moderates and liberals support rather than oppose
it.
Conclusion
Seeking the true meaning of affirmative action is as good
as the program itself, for it helps ward off unnecessary
speculation and conclusions. It is also important to mention
that, after over 30 years of the program, its success has been
stupendous. Today more than half of the United States
workforce now consists of women, minorities and immigrants,
a marvelous achievement. Perhaps we need to turn Affirmative
Action into Affirmative Diversity in order to compete effectively in the ever-increasing global competitive
Page 27
environment.
Even though prejudice is not dead completely, it has suffered some wounds that may eventually prove fatal in
the coming years. In my opinion the most important factor in getting the progress achieved so far to improver is
getting line managers to buy into the idea - not just putting the burden on Human Resource departments. Perhaps
line managers’ worst fear is the lowering of standards; but it has been proven time and time again that a well-
managed diverse workforce is more potent and makes business sense. Some managers believe that the hiring of
women and minorities is just a social and moral responsibility (a very good reason), but given the nature and
scope of today’s competitive challenges, “Affirmative Diversity,” so to speak, is a must if companies and
organizations want to succeed.
Sources:
1. Fryer, Roland G,. Jr. & Loury Glenn C. "Affirmative Action and its Mythology". Journal of Economic
Perspective 19, 2005, 147-162
2. Thomas R. Roosevelt, Jr. "From Affirmative Action to Affirmative Diversity" Harvard Business Review 68(2),
1990, 107-117
3. Crosby, Faye J. "Understanding Affirmative Action" Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 15, 1994, 13-41
4. Beeman, Mark, Chowdhry, Geeta, and Todd, Karmen. "Educating Stidents about Affirmative Action: An
Analysis of University Sociology Texts". Teaching Sociology, 28, 2000, 98-115
5. Dawn Bennett-Alexander, Lawra Hartman (2009) 6th Edition - Employment Law for Business
(Misconceptions, Executive Order 11246)
In the next issue, we will discuss FMLA “The Basics.”
Page 28
This is the fi rst class of Rail operators which began training on October 7th for the new line. The class of 11
new operators in a group picture with instructors Rolland Green, Ali Haasan, Hugo Fuentes, and Joseph Otoo-
Essilfi e
Donald Helgesen #2458
Lorna Sheehan #2488
Gregory McClellan #65176
Mohamed Ali #66198
Annette Butler #67087
Robert Rahim Muhammad #67249
Jony Erena #67387
Eddie Moore #67419
Hamza Noor #64362
Abdusemed Ahmed #68302
Pao Moua #68308
Light Rail Students and Trainers
Retirements
Congratulations to August Retirees
08/02/13 Harold Lindsay, Hey Gar. Mech.Tech.
64431
08/29/13 Frank Webster, So. Gar. Op. 64068
08/31/13 Roger Kellene, MJR Gar.Op. 2261
Congratulations to September Retirees
09/07/13 Ronald Vrnak, EM Gar. Op. 6404
09/07/13 Rodney Ruffell, Hey. Op. Gar. 9818
09/26/13 Gloria Allen, Sr. TIC Rep., 3338
If you have pictures or announcements of
retirements, please contact your Education
Committee member or the union office.
Retired Members’ Clubs
Northside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:30 AM 2nd Tuesday of each month.
Coon Rapids American Legion,
11640 Crooked Lake Blvd NW Coon Rapids, MN
Southside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:00 a.m. the 1st Wednesday and the 4th
Thursday of each month at the VFW Post, 67th
Street and Lyndale Ave. in Richfi eld.
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
St. Paul Retiree Lunch ClubMeets 12:00 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Mattie’s (formerly Wells Lanes ) So.
Concord St., South St. Paul 55075
If you want to join the St. Paul Retiree Club,
contact one of the following:
President Howard Osterkamp (651) 731-2428
Vice-President Peter Lam (651) 770-8968
Treasurer Paul Huber (651) 698-6551
Roger retired on Fri-
day, August 30th, with
12 years of service.
He was joined by
family members, son
Tom Kellene and Char
Perry.
Roger is looking for-
ward to spending more
time up north enjoying
his travel trailer.
Page 29
Frank Webster #64068
Retires from South
On August 29, Frank retired with nine years of ser-
vice. Helping him celebrate are then-South Executive
Board Member Tom Loehlein and managers Tony Elia
and Frank Stumpf.
Frank is busy enjoying his grandkids, and looks for-
ward to doing some traveling.
Executive Board Member Gordy Ravel-
ing presented Roger with his ATU jacket.
Roger Kellene #2261 Retires
Page 30
Page 31
Photos by John Hawthorne, LRT Maintenance Board Member, Stephen Babcock, Education Committee
Page 32
Back in the DayMelanie Benson #854, Nicollet
Sometimes it’s fun, interesting or even necessary for us to learn a bit about our history so that we can better
appreciate our present or learn valuable lessons from our past. Perhaps this retrospective can be an ongoing
feature of our newsletter. For now, let’s journey back to the mid-70’s, when the transit system was run by the
Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC).
Physical facilities
There were only three bus garages (two had been streetcar “barns”) - Nicollet and the old Northside Garage
on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis, and Snelling in St. Paul. Each garage had a pool table.
All of the MTC management personnel, as well as transit information and customer service, were housed
above the Nicollet Garage. There were only two assistant managers at Nicollet.
Picking procedures
Drivers were not forced to pick work. At the end of the pick, any work not chosen would go on the extra
board. At Snelling, the extra board was four pages long. Drivers could estimate when their work would change
by the rotation on the board.
Drivers' Schedules
Early on, drivers’ work was written and kept under glass. The only person who could change anything on
that work with a pencil was the garage manager. Drivers had to copy their work down on pieces of paper or
notecards they carried. If drivers were in a hurry, they might call out, “Does anyone have Run XXX written
down?”
An improvement was made when printed-out runs were places between two pieces of plexiglass in an orange
plastic frame, a “paddleboard.” Drivers simply removed them from racks and carried them on the bus. (It would
be interesting to know how much paper is used now in the “computer age.”)
Equipment and Street Operations
Driving the old red buses was sometimes a challenge. The air conditioning was practically nonexistent. If it
worked at all, the power it drew from the engine slowed the buses down so badly that a driver could forget about
staying on schedule.
There was no power steering, so drivers got a lot of upper-body exercise steering around tight corners.
Buses had no radios. Drivers who couldn’t deal with problems on the spot had to find a pay phone and use
the dimes they carried to call the garage dispatcher for help. Upon returning to the garage, these dimes would be
refunded. (This wasn’t as much of a problem as it sounds, since pay phones used to be everywhere, before the
invention and proliferation of cell phones.)
Training
In 1973, training used to consist of classroom followed by new hires being assigned to a senior driver for
ride-alongs. The senior driver decided how much driving time the trainee got, and (more or less) observed,
sometimes using the time to chat with passengers. There weren’t “instructors” as such.
Safety and Security
The job of the safety supervisor used to be to do ride-checks with three drivers per day.
Garage managers used to decide whether accidents were chargeable or not.
Since there were no cameras, the chargeability of accidents had to be determined by (often-unreliable)
witnesses and the drivers themselves. (Apparently, the cameras used now have exonerated more drivers than
they have implicated.)
This is just a small sampling of how things used to be and how much they’ve changed. If anyone in any
department would like to volunteer information for this column, please feel free. You can send contributions to
[email protected] or contact the Education Committee member at your garage. Thanks.
When you have an issue with a person on the bus
about something, and they call in on you, sometimes
the question from a manager is, “Did you read the
memo?” Some drivers read these memos, their “bus
bible,” and they will enforce them to the end. That’s
just the way some are, so don’t try to change them -
change the memo policy. Why do we need to read
them, when all management does is tell us to
accommodate the passengers?
MEMOS addressing practices that we have had to
later allow:
DON’T allow baby strollers on bus with children in
them, ask passengers to fold up the strollers. (You are
called in your manager’s office and told to allow them
on next time)
DON’T allow Go-To card customers to pay the
difference because the farebox and the “football”
don’t communicate. (Again the managers say to
allow.)
DON’T allow pets on the bus. (Now there’s a dog
sitting on the seat next to a passenger so no one steps
on it, and then someone’s clothes smell like a dog.)
DON’T stop in crosswalks or driveways. (Drivers
have been called in on for not stopping at the bus stop
at 2nd St. SE on Central southbound - it’s at a
crosswalk, for God’s sake).
Oh, come on, we’ve all seen where a driver
wouldn’t allow something, the customers called in on
one of us, and we were told to allow it, after all. So
why does management waste paper and time printing
these invaluable pieces of information? Do they need
something to do all day? Well, here’s a memo for
management: STOP wasting our time in the morning
checking and reading memos that will later be
excused. If you just have to have something to do,
write your memos, but at the end please write
SUBJECT TO CHANGE! Our attempts to follow
these memos cause a lot of our complaint calls.
We don’t have the time for that. We have enough
going on. Imagine thousands of pieces of paper being
thrown into your face. They all have some information
on them you need to see, yet you must still drive
safely and answer questions from customers every
day. Then there are cars, bikes, people walking, traffic
lights and other pieces of paper being thrown at
us. People will misinterpret concentration for
rudeness and make the number of complaints rise
Memo This, Memo What?Faye Brown #6331, Heywood
Page 33
higher.
Some numbers: From 2008-2112, complaints
averaged 5,218 per year. These numbers often
represent misunderstandings between drivers and
customers when we tell them something and don’t
have the time to explain that it’s a policy (I’m just
doing what the memo said); or time to explain the bus
route they need (not the one you are driving) and you
tell them to call 612-373-3333; or you’re just not the
regular driver and don’t do things the same way they
did and then you get called the “other driver,” so now
you’re rude.
Here is the breakdown of customer service calls by
percentage:
- Behavior 24.7%
- Driving/safety 14.0%
- Operations 35.9%
- Fares 2.6%
- Accessibility 5.1%
- Commendations 17.5%
Most complaints are from high-volume customer
traveled routes like the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 14, 16, 17, 18,
19, 21, 22, 50, 64 and 74.
Below are the 2012 top ten most common
complaints:
1. Pass up
2. Rude
3. Late
4. Early
5. Off route
6. Driver not helpful
7. Suggestion for drivers
8. Unfounded complaints
9. Passenger safety issues
10. Driver refused to let
passenger board or asked
passenger to leave
When you are driving, remember that attempting
to follow policies in memos may be misinterpreted as
a behavior issue.
On a happier note, from 2008-2012,
commendations averaged 1,340 per year. Someone out
there loves us. Not all commendations that should be
called in make it (it’s easier to call when you’re mad)
- or they don’t have enough information on the driver
to get it where it needs to go. Overall, for every five
complaints that are called in, there’s one
commendation.
In addition, Metro Transit landed the safety-
related awards from industry groups this year,
including a “Gold Standard” for our transit security
program. So let’s be proud of the service we provide.
Page 34
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 edito-
rial to submit, please contact a committee member or our advisor
Dorothy Maki at: [email protected].
Letters
to the
Editor
Driving the Nicollet Mall
It had been about two years ago that I last drove the Nicollet Mall. Imagine my displeasure (a.k.a. this really
sucks) in driving the Mall again on Rt. 11. I feel that it has become much more hazardous to Metro Transit driv-
ers.
We drivers have much to contend with on the mall. There are the horse and carriages, the pedal pubs,
the city workers emptying the garbage cans on the corners, bicycle taxi’s and bicyclists and pedestrians, emer-
gency vehicles, detours, etc. etc. All of which are distractions we must contend with. But, let me begin with my
three pet peeves.
To the bicyclists on the mall: When exactly did the Nicollet Mall become yours and yours alone to ride as
you please without regard to anyone else? You ride too fast, you swerve inbetween buses, you ride between
buses as we pass each other. May I remind you, this is not the “Tour de France”! Have respect for others who
must be on the Mall also.
Harold celebrated his retirement on
August 1 with coworkers from FTH
Maintenance and his wife Barb.
Now he’s looking forward to work-
ing in his own garage.
New Board Member
South Transportation Board Member-elect, Arthur
Hayne, took the oath of office from Michelle Sommers.
Minnesota
Operator of the Year
Tony Taylor #877 out of
Heywood Garage received this
award at this year's Minnesota
Public Transit Conference.
Congratulations, Tony!
Harold Lindsay #64431 Says Goodbye to Heywood
Crypto Answer
MY CO-WORKERS THINK I SHOULD BID ON THE FABRICATOR JOB
BECAUSE I AM SUCH A GOOD LIAR.
Page 35
To the pedestrians on the mall: Obviously, you need a refresher course on what red, yellow and green mean
at intersections. Red means “Stop”, Yellow means “Caution” and “Green” means that drivers get to drive
through the intersection. You do not get to walk in front the the bus when WE get that green light.
Policemen: Are bicyclists and pedestrians above all rules and regulations? Why aren’t tickets being given to
infractions. In order for the Nicollet Mall to become a safer environment, people need motivation. Let’s start
getting them MOTIVATED!
In order for all of us to co-exist on the Nicollet Mall, rules must be followed. These rules must apply to
EVERYONE, not just Metro Transit drivers.
Diane Schultz #9873
Policy or Harassment?
I have spoken to many bus operators on policy and procedure. I have read the policies on strollers, fares, and
various interests of bus operators. I understand I am hired by Metro Transit to give them an honest day’s work for
an honest day’s pay.
But, when I am ridiculed for relating the stroller policy to passengers, and told this is not Metro’s policy, and
that the policy was made up by the driver, I am wondering should I enforce or let it be. Management states we
should tell passengers the policy and then if they refuse to comply, we should just let the passenger board. What
good is the policy now? Certainly the operator appreciates Management’s concern and compassion for their
safety.
Usually, complaints are coming from 'third party persons.' (That is, persons who have nothing to do with the
situation, but choose to involve themselves.)
Most operators are assaulted by passengers not willing to pay the expected fares. Some are even assaulted
for informing passengers to take the child out of the stroller and fold the stroller before boarding the bus. Drivers
are compassionate and aware of mothers (some fathers) with more than one baby and packages hanging onto the
strollers.
We are told to mention the fare twice and then let it go. We are told to ask a passenger to take the child out of
the stroller prior to boarding, and then let it go. We are told to issue transfers to short-fare payers, and let it go.
Some of this we can deal with, but now we are being instructed not to engage in conversation with the passenger
that could easily be perceived as confrontational.
We drivers understand that perception is the act of deriving meaning from what and how an individual sees it,
not necessarily the way it is. Just recently a frequent rider boarded my bus at the 7th St. Garage
and paid 50 cents to ride the downtown zone. I told him I would be watching, since it was rush hour and he had
ridden to the M.O.A. in the past for 50 cents. He took offense and lodged a complaint.
My question is: Should we bob and weave, or smile and nod? Should we forfeit O.O.A., or confront rude
passengers? I venture to say that all call-in complaints should be scrutinized by qualifi ed personnel, and tossed
as petty and time-wasting. Now, I wonder what could have been a disciplinary measure for telling a passenger 'I
would be watching.'
We, as bus operators, are being harassed by management and by passengers. We are forced to work under
undue stress and pressure, we are followed by street supers, in hopes they could 'catch us' making a mistake - all
of which could initiate an accident. We are attempting to follow procedure, only to be called into the offi ce and
asked, “What could you have done differently to avoid this complaint?'
Is it Policy, or is it Harassment? Should I become a robot and simply say nothing to passengers and drive
them safely to their location? But, mostly, should I smile and nod, or should I weave and bob to avoid becoming
another operator statistic?
Jackie Williams #66180, MJR
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 writing to the Medical Review Officers (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 layper-
son, 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.
This newsletter is a group effort of the Education Committee members and the Offi cers of the
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005. We publish 1,000 copies that are distributed among the
various facilites. Please return this issue to the facility (or leave it at a transit station) after reading
it so the next member may enjoy reading it, too. A color issue and past issues are posted on www.
atu1005.com for easy access.
Donald Oshman - Retired - no further information available
Leonard P. Christensen, age 99, passed away June 20, 2013. He was preceded in
death by his wife, Evelyn. Leonard is survived by children, Susan Tesch (Jerry), Garland
Hajder (Beverly), JoKay Huesmann (Michael) and Keith Christensen (Teresa); many
grandchildren; sister, Mary Berken; and many other relatives. Leonard was a kind, lov-
ing man. He enjoyed polka music and the company of others.
Timothy Perez, age 56, of North Minneapolis, passed away peacefully on July 26,
2013. Tim was preceded in death by his father, Timothy M. Perez, Sr. and other family
members. He is survived by mother, Ann; brother, David (Barb); sister, Mary Ann (Joe)
Torres; son, Timothy M. Perez, IV; daughter, Ashley.
Tim, #2299 was originally hired on February 26, 2001 and remained a part-time
operator until October 9, 2010, when he was promoted to a full-time operator. He spent
most (if not all) of his career at Heywood.
Edward L. “Ed” Smith Jr., age 65, of St. Francis, passed away on August 26, 2013.
Ed is survived by his wife, Bonnie; children Brian Smith, Kari (Cory) Dukowitz and
Nick (Hacer) Smith; grandchildren Emily, Joseph and Natalie Dukowitz, and Alyssa and
Troy Smith; siblings, nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends, especially
the friends and neighbors from "The Ponds".
Ed #406 drove for the MTC beginning on June 17, 1974 and became a transit supervi-
sor for Metro Transit, retiring on November 21, 2008.
In Memoriam