2013 Jan/Feb

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

January / February 2013

What’s Inside...

Officer’s Corner

page 2

Union Meeting Highlights

page 3

Siemens Getting Ready

for Revenue Service

page 10

Transit Benefits included in "Fiscal

Cliff"

page 11

Fire and Water

page 12

Promotional Process

page 13

Rules Are Rules

page 14

Union By-Law Proposals

page 16

New Bus Stop Sign Testing

page 18

Declining Unionization

page 19

Transit Safety Security Committee

page 24

Tour De Cure

page 29

Obituaries

page 34

"The fi ght we have is bigger than

our union alone. The people who

share an identical interest with us

are the people who use and ride on

(transit) every day."

- Larry Hanley, ATU Int'l.

President, speaking at the Labor

Notes Conference May 5, 2012

Continued on page 17

Members Ratify Three-Year Contract

On Sunday, January 6, at

the Ramada Inn in Bloom-

ington, Minnesota, after ten

months of sporadic and frus-

trating negotiations, the ATU

Local 1005 Executive Board

presented management’s “Best

and Final Offer” to the mem-

bership. Balloting took place

following discussion at the

meeting and also at the union

offi ce during offi ce hours on

Monday, January 7. 92% of

voting members accepted the offer, with 8% voting no. This contract will

be retroactive to August 1, 2012, when the previous contract expired.

A majority of the package dealt with work classifi cation and pay

equity issues in the maintenance department. Several jobs within the

maintenance department require certifi cations or degrees before hiring

(e.g. two-year diesel vocational school, FCC license, Overall contract

wage increases offered were 2% each year for the next three years.

In previous contract meet-

ings, each proposed change was

read aloud before discussion was

opened. A refreshing change this

time was that a proposal summary

was prepared, enumerating which

proposals were for contract cleanup

only (such as dates and outdated

language), and which were substan-

tive.

After Recording Secretary Mark Lawson read the proposals, the

discussion started. The Executive Board voted 100% for the offer. At a

member’s request, several Execu-

tive Board members explained why

they voted unanimously in favor of

the offer. A previous offer contained

health care language detrimental

to retirees, and did not address the

mechanical senority issue. This offer

had been unanimously rejected by

the Executive Board and was never

OFFICER’S

CORNER

Michelle

Sommers President/Business

Agent

LOCAL 1005

OFFICERS

President/Business Agent

Michelle Sommers

Vice-President

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:

[email protected]

website:

www.atu1005.com

Calendar

Education Committee

Meetings - 11:30 a.m.

on the third Tuesday

February 19th

March 19th

Membership Meetings

on the fourth Tuesday

February 26th - Mpls.

March 26th - Mpls.

10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

We are continuing to work on the Rochester contract and have petitioned for mediation.

The contract with Metro Transit has been ratifi ed by the membership, and it is time to move forward with other issues. Do not misunderstand me: All of us on the Executive Board know that not everyone is happy with the contract. We also understand that there will never be a contract that makes every member happy. We will continue to address contract issues as we hear about them throughout the term of the contract.

All ATU members need to work together for bills that deal with transit issues, including increased transit funding and tougher laws on operator assaults. We need members that are willing to give a little of their own time to call their representatives, sign a postcard, go to a town hall meeting or maybe send an email. Please contact the union offi ce to fi nd out how you can help.

On Monday, February 11th, one of our members, Ron Fontaine, walked into the LRT facility for the last time, where he took his own life. There is no easy way to talk about the situation. Here is my attempt: (This message is also for any manager who may be reading it.)

I have talked to a lot of people this week, both ATU and non-ATU. I have seen and heard people who are angry, frustrated and sad - and some are unaffected. Most of us will never get the answers we want about why all of this happened. Some of us will guess or assume why Ron made the choice he did, and some of us think we already know. The truth is that none of us will ever know.

These are things that we should keep in mind:

None of us can ever know what another person is truly thinking. All any of us can do is try to take care of ourselves and be a respectful co-worker, family member or friend. We all need to think just a little harder about the way we treat each other. This also includes me. We need to think twice before cutting off another operator or holding back so the other operator can pick up our riders. We need to think twice about taking another mechanic’s tools or yelling at a fellow employee. We need to think about how we would want to be treated if we were the one in trouble or being questioned. We need to learn how to work together better.

Together we must fi nd a way to bring back the respect so many people

Continued on page 32

Continued on page 4


November 2012

Local 1005 donated $2000 to the Christmas Fund for the locked-out

workers of Crystal Sugar.

Requests for Arbitration

An LRT Operator requested arbitration on a Class A Violation and

Record of Warning (ROW) - Red Signal Overrun. This case will go to

arbitration.

An FTH Operator requested arbitration on a Final ROW and 20 Days

Suspension - Electronic Devices Policy Violation. This case will go to

arbitration.

An FTH Operator requested arbitration on a Final ROW and 20 Days

Suspension- Electronic Devices Policy Violation. This case will go to

arbitration.

A Nicollet Operator requested arbitration on Overall Working

Conditions. This case will not go to arbitration.

Financial Secretary’s Report

The following members passed away since last month’s meeting:

Warren Bergman - 50-Year Retiree

Harry Albrecht - Active

Harry Crook - 50-Year Retiree

Members stood for a moment of silence.

President’s Report

Michelle Sommers reported:

An arbitration concerning logged complaints was won last month.

One filed and two logged complaints were removed from the record.

The Union members on the Transit Safety Security Committee have

worked very hard. We are not interested in (the company) wasting time.

We are interested in Safety and Security. I would like to come up with a

system that works – and where the ATU has more control.

We have given examples about the worst managers to management

over the years, but nothing was ever done. A group of employees finally

had nothing to lose. They organized a meeting with Brian Lamb, Wayne

Schafer, and others. Long story short: This manager no longer supervises

ATU members, and the right-hand man was also transferred. Remember,

when we stand together and go for what’s right, we can do it! Thank you

to the members who stepped up and told the truth.

Elections: It’s now transit-friendly at the capitol! Maybe we can get

more funding. Our transit partners are working on a capital improvements

Education

Committee

Advisors

Dorothy Maki

Mark Lawson

Chair

Melanie Benson

South

Heywood Office

Ilona LaDouceur

Rec. Secretary

Sam Adams

Nicollet

Alec Johnson

Ryan Timlin

Ruter

Jackie Williams

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

Light Rail

Carl Rice #6223

Lisa Callahan #6716

Joseph Otoo-Essilfie # 67312

It’s that time of year again

for Annual Training. This year

its 8 hours - 4 hours learning

the new Siemens and 4 hours

rules and Right to Know. And it

takes the whole 8 hours.

Almost everyone should have

already had your annual ride

along to recertify you to drive.

If not, see instructors or they

will find you.

Welcome to the new

Operators Topee Jackson

#8954, Jacqueline Beamish

#9171, Jeff Larson #6260 and

Greg Scott #9396.

Welcome also to the four

new employees in the Signal

Dep't. Randy Loitz, Ahamadou

Alassani, Timothy Gruhlke, and

David Moore.

Congratulations on your job

transfers to the track dep't. to

Clarence Maloney, and Mark

Gross, who transferred from the

Maintenance Dep't.

Our apologies if we forgot

anyone, and welcome to all the

new hires. I know there are a

lot who have already started

and more coming with Central

Corridor just a year and four

months away from opening.

Last, but not least, Farewell

and Happy Retirement to Gene

Wolf #67314.

package for the legislature. Last year we tried to get the (operator)

assault bill passed, but even Governor Dayton didn’t support it. Now we

have a better shot. We have sponsors for the bill lined up, and AFL-CIO

support. We are also working with other groups to generate support.

Contract: We received word in the afternoon that negotiations for

Friday are cancelled due to the mediator being sick. The lead negotiator

for Met Council also said the actuary is re-doing some of the health care

numbers. We’re in a holding pattern, we’re done… The savings from the

healthcare rates going down has not been enough for them. Nobody goes

backward by us keeping the current contract. The Executive Board will

be at the BMS Friday to vote on a contract offer.

There is some confusion out there about self-funded health care. It’s a

new concept for a lot of people. 1) It gives us more financial control. 2)

It automatically removes some taxes, saving 4-7% in premiums. Plan

administration will go out for bid for 2015. 3) Plan design is not limited

to what a provider offers.

Many people are concerned, and there are a lot of myths out there.

Catastrophic claims will be insured. Retiree health care is not very good

with HealthPartners. We can make a better plan for them.

Our opinion is this is not a bad thing. We do have responsibility to be

educated. That’s why Tommy and I did the training last year.

Joseph Otoo-Essilfie was appointed to the Education Committee.

Delegate Reports

Mike Qualy (Political Coordinator) reported that we won 11 of our

targeted races, and lost only two. He also commented that if the

legislature makes a massive swing this session, we could see the

pendulum swing back politically in two years.

Unfinished Business

Chuck Feucht presented the Trial Board Report:

I’m addressing unfinished business from the September union meeting

on charges brought by a member against another member for misconduct

toward another union employee. The membership voted the matter to the

Union Trial Board. The Trial Board had discussions with all the

concerned parties and agreed that an apology was appropriate to settle this

dispute. We also encourage all union employees to talk to their board

member before talking to management about a fellow employee.

The recommendation was approved.

New Business

Tommy Bellfield presented the 2013 budget. The membership

Heywood

Ilona LaDouceur #66048

Faye Brown #6331

Debbi Sievers #64222

Sam Adams #3634

Safety

Safety begins at home (home

garage that is). You are a profes-

sional driver and as such watch the

doors, make sure they are com-

pletely raised before you move,

don't be in such a hurry. And don't

leave out behind another bus until

you make your own stop at the

door. These doors are expensive to

replace. PULL UP, LOOK UP

before you DRIVE UP.

Transportation

And another reminder: Start

your bus and do your pre-trip; and

if you can't move outside, shut the

engine down. DO NOT LEAVE

THE BUS IDLING.

Training

MAKE SURE YOU SIGN UP

FOR RIGHT-TO-KNOW

TRAINING STARTING

FEBRUARY 2.

Those of us in TIC would like

to welcome Jackie Alsaker, Jean

Harwell, Paddy Garin, Lydia

Millard and Chue Yang. By the

time you read this, most or all of

you should have turned in. We

wish you the best of luck in your

transit careers!


December 2012

In response to a request from the ATU International, Local 1005 is

contributing $2,000 to the ATU Disaster Relief Fund to help members

deal with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

A motion that the ATU withdraw from the Transit Safety Security

Committee failed.

A motion to suspend ATU’s participation in the Transit Safety Security

Committee until agreed-upon changes are made to TSSC, to have

managerial accountability and action on operator security and safety

issues, passed.

Request for Arbitration

An FTH Operator requested arbitration on his discharge in November

for Gross Misconduct. This case will go to arbitration.

Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report


Edward Ebert - Active

Lance Baumann - Active

Walter Mickelson - 50-yr. Retiree, former Recording Secretary of

ATU 1005




Transit Funding: We are working with community groups, and the

resolution also passed at the AFL-CIO. We are supporting an increase in

transit funding of $300 million per year.

There are ongoing issues with FMLA. One of our members got a good

letter from her doctor to the company on how messed up the second

opinion is. Get your doctor to write a letter to Metro Transit as to what is

wrong with their second opinion.

Contract: Why did we have a Special Executive Board Meeting, and

put up notices of a contract vote, only to tear them down? The offer was

tabled by the company. The officers refused to recommend the offer,

pending receiving full retiree healthcare numbers. Once we saw those

approved the budget.

A motion that ATU Local 1005 withdraw from the Transit Safety

Security Committee was tabled until the next meeting and will be

placed on the agenda.

Commuter Rail

Big Lake

The Northstar staff would like

to congratulate Ryan Stellmach

#68327 on his new job as working

foreperson on third shift.

Good luck to Will Fetterly

#5587 on his transfer from

Northstar to Hiawatha Light Rail

and John McConnell # 8803 on

his transfer from Northstar cleaner

to Heywood helper.

Mike McGinley # 69183 is the

new stockkeeper for Northstar,

replacing Roy Ellsworth #9012

who had left to go to Hiawatha

Light Rail. Good luck to both on

their new positions.

Congratulations are in order to

Anna Carlson #67334 who got

married on January 19th to

Anthony Blake #67305, a driver

out of Heywood Garage. Anna

wants to give a big thank you to

Anthony Johnson #9345, who

performed the ceremony.

Northstar has started the four-

year Inspections on the coach cars

where all control valves have to be

taken off and sent in for

reconditioning and qualification as

required by the Federal Railroad

Administration.

Locomotive # 501 has had the

motor pulled out and shipped out

for rebuild. Interesting facts about

this motor are that it weighs

36,425 lbs. and produces 3600 hp,

2237 kW, at 900 rpm.

Birthdays for January/

February:

Anna Carlson - January 4th

Marc Lund - February 6th

Bob Lex - February 23rd

Ryan Moss - February 27th

numbers, the retirees from 2004 and through the future were negatively

affected. The Executive Board voted no.

I called Sandi Blaser, the lead Met Council negotiator. Why would we

accept a concept for retirees that we would not accept for active

(employees)? She said that unions do it all the time. I said we are not

going to sell out retirees.

The offer was tabled. They are re-doing the retiree numbers. We

believe we will have a new offer Friday.

A new maintenance seniority system is in the offer. All mechanical

board members will be at the garages ASAP after the Board vote. They

will talk to every shift. We want everyone’s vote to be educated on this

issue - not to vote without understanding.

Vice-President’s Report

Dorothy Maki gave an update on the Hardship Account of $2824.70.

She reported that it was used for a variety of things, including Cub gift

cards, phone and utility assistance, and rent assistance.

Assistant Business Agent’s Report

Mark Lawson reported on the Rochester First Transit negotiations, that

they are going well, but had hit a wall in the last session. A temporary

contract extension is in place. More negotiations are scheduled in mid-

January. It is refreshing to negotiate directly with the decision makers in

the room.

New Business

Charges against an Executive Board Member were read (copy of

petition attached). A motioned to convene a Trial Board to investigate the

charges failed.

Nominations were taken for an election to fill the unexpired term of

the South Transportation Executive Board Member.

Rochester Meeting

Drivecam is now in all buses. The light turns red when an event has

been recorded. It records 10 seconds before and after the trigger event.

Contract negotiations took place on December 11th. Several Tentative

Agreements were made. More negotiations are scheduled for mid-

January. The current contract is extended. Remaining big issues include

health care and wages.

East Metro

Philip Jarosz #65015

Doug Barton #68273

MCI 5352, 5353, 5354 coach-

es are now here at East Metro

Garage. Drivers, if one of these

coaches is assigned to you and you

do not have the proper training,

DO NOT drive these Coaches until

you have been trained. See Jerry

Larsen or George Hernandez so

that a training date can be sched-

uled.

Coming soon at East Metro

Garage: On May 9th 2013, there

will be a Multi-Cultural Event.

There will be guest speakers, food

and some entertainment. More

information will be available on

this event over the coming months.

New bus stop signs are now

located at the East Metro Garage

for drivers to look at. Test signs

will also be posted at selected

stops along West Seventh Street,

as well as along Marquette Avenue

and 2nd Avenue in Minneapolis.

Please forward your input to

George Hernandez for consider-

ation.

Safety Keys classes are avail-

able upon request for all drivers

who have not taken them in recent

years.

Any articles or comments for

this union newsletter can be for-

warded to #65015 or #68273 for

review and print.


January 2013

Requests for Arbitration

An East Metro operator requested arbitration after a Discharge-

Fourth responsible accident in three years. This case will not go to

arbitration.

A South operator requested arbitration for a Chargeable Late

Occurrence. This case will not go to arbitration.

A FTH operator requested arbitration on a Final Record of Warning

and 20-Day Suspension: Electronic Devices Policy Violation. This case

will go to arbitration.

A LRT operator requested arbitration on a Class A violation for a

trailed switch. This case will go to arbitration.

A South operator requested arbitration on a Logged Customer

Complaint. This case will not go to arbitration.

Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report


Anthony Franklin- Active

Roger Thomson- Retired




The Education Committee is reappointed: Stephen Babcock, Melanie

Benson, Ilona LaDouceur, Sam Adams, Alec Johnson, Ryan Timlin,

Jackie Williams, Phillip Jarosz, Doug Barton, Faye Brown, Debbie

Sievers, Carl Rice, Lisa Callahan, Joseph Otoo-Essilfie.

We won the cell phone arbitration involving a Metro Transit director

who accused a bus operator of talking on the phone while driving. The

evidence showed that she was not, and that the director was mistaken.

Dayton’s budget proposal is coming out at the Capitol today. We are

working on transit funding and assault legislation for the 2013 session.

Safety and Security Committee: We are working with management to

restructure the committee. By-laws are being worked on by Kermit

Wallace, the chair of the committee. Training for the committee members

is being looked at. All ATU committee members are fairly recently

elected, and will have a chance to turn things around. We are looking for

the committee to center on security issues, particularly operator security,

Nicollet

Melanie Benson #854

Alec Johnson #66034

Ryan Timlin #66279

Maintenance

Eleven of the new

7100-series buses have been

added to Nicollet’s fleet. All

of the buses through the

700-series have been retired

from Nicollet. Some older

buses have been imported

from other garages to keep

the age of the fleet uniform

with other garages.

Two maintenance staff

members have left Nicollet.

One is Mike Humphrey, who

retired. The other is Craig

Weber, bay service, who

transferred to the Overhaul

Base as part of a two-year

maintenance pick.

Welcome to Ivery

Johnson, who will be

working bay service from

4:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Transportation

Right-to-Know classes

began January 26. The

schedules for all garages

have been posted in case

Nicollet drivers need to take

the training elsewhere.

Fire Inspection

A large group of

firefighters and inspectors

converged on Nicollet

Garage around 10:00 a.m.

the morning of Tuesday,

January 15 for a surprise

inspection.

with other safety issues being secondary.

Rochester negotiations: Last week met for two days. There was no

progress. There is an extension agreement signed. Another day and a half

is scheduled in February.

Addressing dissatisfaction from the contract: Some operators and

others are feeling they didn’t get anything because the bus mechanics

received a large wage class increase. We are not a Union of (separate

departments) - we are in this together! The mechanics have been

underpaid for years. They got their increase because of this. Our

proposals to management had a wage class increase for everybody. We

did not write the Final Offer. Management may tell you to your face that

they would give you a raise, or anything else, but if they really wanted to

do it out of the kindness of their hearts, they would do it. We will take

advancement for a group in the contract, and keep working for others in

the future. If you criticize, please do it with facts! If you are only going

to worry about yourself and your own wage class, and not others, you

have a lot of room to grow as a UNION member!

Vice-President’s Report

Winter Carnival Parade this Saturday- anybody can come. Line up at

11:30 a.m. at 411 Main Street in St. Paul.

Transportation Day at the Capitol is February 7th. Meet us at the

Capitol. Call the office for details.

List of members who attended at least ten meetings last year and

earned a sweatshirt was read.

New Business

By-law proposals were read for information only.

Rochester Meeting

Arbitrations were presented by Mark Lawson and voted on.

Contract negotiations update: Extension agreement is signed. Pay

will be retroactive to January fi rst as it’s written. We didn’t get very far in

negotiations last week. Lots of discussion about health care and changing

the plan we currently have. Other sticking points as well.

It Was So Cold…

Late one night when the bitter wind plummeted the temperature

to well below zero, a driver on Nicollt Avenue-line picked up a teen,

who paid two dollars and rode from 33rd Street to 35th Street – a

whole two blocks. Shocked (and sympathetic), the thoughtful driver

offered the young man a free bus pass.

MJR

Jackie Williams #66180

Meet our newest Assistant Manager (ATM) Amina Wolf

Last issue we thanked Manager Doyne Parsons and ATMs Barb

Keener and Ken Ferguson for the wonderful meal they provided to

appreciate MJR’s finest (the drivers).

Then something tragic happened: We failed to include MJR’s newest

manager, Amina Wolf.

This manager is so respected among her peers and the drivers that when she was not mentioned, various

people wanted an explanation - and they deserve

one. Unfortunately, I was recovering from an

injury when she arrived, and I mistook her for

someone in the Leadership Academy course.

This MJR column, therefore, is for the sole

purpose of introducing her to some, and presenting

her to others. She agreed to an interview, and what

follows is a summary of that interview: Ms. Wolf

has been an ATM since August of 2012. She drove

bus for Metro Transit for a year and a half, was a

Train Operator for a few months, and was working

as a Light Rail Supervisor for 4 years before

coming to MJR.

To the question, “What do you feel your

inspirations and aspirations are as a manager that

could be deemed an asset to MJR and the drivers?” she responded: “To sum it all up, I am a firm believer

that my job is to assist the driver to be successful. I have a goal, and that is to change the operators'

perspective, that every Manager or Supervisor is not out to cause them to trip up, fail, or seeking ways to

cause them to be terminated. I want to help and encourage the drivers to succeed and attain every goal to

either excel in the company, or retire successfully.”

When asked, What is your greatest accomplishment?” she answered, “I am very proud of my three

daughters: Jasmine, 19 years old, in the National Guard; Anisah, 9, a third grader; and Layla, 7 years old, a

first grader.

She also won second place in the recent chili cookoff.

We wish Amina Wolf good success in her career at Metro Transit and MJR, and we appreciate the fact that

she is one of the few approachable managers.

Recent MJR Retiree

Lynn Weinkauf #8863, after 24 years of

service

Chili Cookoff Winners

1st place - Ed Dery #70187

2nd place - Amina Wolf ATM

3rd place - Joel Wagner #2101

Manager Doyne Parsons presents trophy

725 Bldg.

Stephen Babcock #3128

We are sorry to hear of the

passing away of Farebox tech.

Tim Maloy's spouse, Roma Louise

on January 8th, 2013.

General Manager Brian Lamb

is holding three billionth customer

milestone events throughout Metro

Transit. One was held between

11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on

Monday February 4th at the

Instruction Center – Ramsey

Room.

Scott McDonald, supervisor of

the Electronic Department, has

decided to implement the Five S's

system. It was developed at

Boeing. The Five S's are:

Sort - Get rid of uneccessary clut-

ter. Group decides what is really

needed.

Simplify - Organize, make pro-

cesses easier. Label items, assign

locations for items.

Sweep your area - Monitor area.

Is everything in its place, physical-

ly clean?

Standardize - Have specific pro-

cesses that everyone follows, no

deviation.

Self-Discipline - Do the right

thing.

This is a group effort and

everyone participates. There is a

video of the process on the 'H'

drive.

Siemens Getting Ready

for Revenue Service

Lisa Callahan #6716, LRT

We were just informed that on

February 11, 2013 the new Siemens

vehicle will be running revenue

service on the Blue Line (currently

the Hiawatha Line). All Operators

will have gone through four hours

of training to learn the new features of the train. The train itself has had

to go through days of testing to ensure that all of the systems of the train

perform correctly before passengers are allowed on board.

The Green Line on University Avenue is slated to be open in June of

2014. Metro Transit will run pre- revenue service (running a paddle

board but not picking up customers) for six weeks to ensure that grade

crossings work correctly and that there’s a smooth blending of the Green

and Blue lines in downtown Minneapolis. The two lines will share the

same tracks from 11th Ave South to Target Field Station.

A little about the Siemens light rail vehicle (LRV): It was built here in

the United States in Sacramento, California. It is slightly lighter than our

current rail vehicle and weighs about 100,000 pounds. It has better

insulation so it will be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. It

uses LED lighting throughout, including interior overhead lights and

headlights. It appears to have 68 seats and will hold approximately 200

people per LRV. A three-LRV consist will hold approximately 600

people. It has many new safety features. The driver will have cameras

acting as their mirrors (that will take time to get used to).

The projected life of the vehicle is 30 years. We have received four

trains so far with four more coming every month, totaling 59 new trains.

Siemens employees have an office here at the O&M. When the first few

trains arrived, they went through extensive testing. Siemens gathered

information and built software that could then be downloaded into all

other trains. The new trains would be ready for service for the most part;

however, they still will go through their own testing. Any changes or

updates they need can be taken care of by our in-house Siemens

representatives. The new color scheme will be applied to all the light rail

vehicles in the coming months.

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 is-

sue 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

is posted on www.atu1005.com for easy access.

Transit Benefi ts Package Unexpectedly

Included in "Fiscal Cliff" Deal

Thanks to the fi scal cliff deal, up to $240 a month is available to commut-

ers for transit costs. While neither Republicans nor Democrats seem thrilled

with the results of the deal resolving the fi scal cliff, transit commuters scored

an unexpected windfall.

Included in the package of tax increases was the restoration of a com-

muter benefi ts program that allows workers to pay for up to $240 of their

monthly transit costs with pre-tax dollars. Transit passengers could exempt

up to $1,500 of their annual commute costs from taxes as a result of the

legislation.

Originally part of the 2009 federal stimulus package, the $240 monthly

program wasn’t renewed last year, which resulted in the perk being reduced

to $115 a month. The reduction came at the same time that the amount mo-

torists can write off for parking costs was increased from $230 to $240.

Restoration of the program was an unexpected boon to local commuters,

said John Ford, executive director of the Peninsula Traffi c Congestion Relief

Alliance, a transit advocacy organization. Ford didn’t even know the pro-

gram was back on the table.

“This is a defi nitely a benefi t to commuters who use public transportation as opposed to traveling alone in their

car,” Ford said. “We should be encouraging an increase in public transit in the region, and this is an important

program to achieve that goal.”

Bay Area transit costs can be expensive — a monthly pass for a Caltrain rider commuting between San Jose

and San Francisco is $338 — and more than 30 percent of regional passengers spend more than $125 a month,

according to WageWorks, a commuter benefi ts group.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., were the two congressmen who pushed for

the transit benefi ts package to be included in the fi scal cliff deal, Ford said.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, who opposed the expiration of the original transit benefi ts package, trum-

peted the restoration of the $240 pre-tax levels.

“Restoring pre-tax transit benefi ts to $240 per month as part of the bipartisan fi scal cliff deal is a victory for

our transit-fi rst city and the thousands of San Franciscans who use BART and Muni each day to travel to their

places of business and to their families at home,” Pelosi said.

And the package is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012, which means commuters may be able to fi gure the benefi ts

program into their upcoming tax returns. Because the deal was so unexpected, Ford said his organization is still

trying to determine how transit riders can recoup their costs from last year.

With the transit-benefi ts package now matching the perks offered to motorists, public-transportation riders

no longer face a fi nancial bias from the federal tax code, said Michael Melaniphy, head of the American Public

Transportation Association.

Tom Nolan, who sits on the Caltrain and San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board of directors,

said restoring the benefi ts program will be a big help for the region, which struggles with traffi c congestion.

“Any incentive to get people to take transit is a bonus,” said Nolan. “This was defi nitely a shock to me. Makes

you wonder what else was included in that fi scal cliff deal.”

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/transportation/2013/01/transit-

benefi ts-package-unexpectedly-included-fi scal-cliff-deal#ixzz2IADWFklh

Source: Transit for Livable Communities

South

The Education Committee cur-

rently has no representative from

South Garage. If you’d like to

join the committee, please contact

the union office. (612-379-2914)

If you’d like to contribute infor-

mation for a column, that would

be appreciated, too. Thanks.

Congratulations to Tom Lohlein,

new Transpotation Board Member

at South.

Fire and Water

Two recent events, in which fortunately no one was killed or seriously injured, caused major disruptions in

transit service.

Uptown Fire

On December 28, a condominium fire west of Humboldt

Avenue on West Lake Street began shortly after 8:00 a.m., as a

result of unattended candles. As thick smoke billowed into the

air and flames shot out of the three-story building, numerous fire

trucks blocked off West Lake Street for most of the day, causing

detours of Routes 17 and 12. Routes 6, 23 and University express

buses were affected by traffic congestion as both Lake Street and

Lagoon Avenue were completely blocked and all traffic was

detoured until 5:00 p.m.

Firefighters were able to save nearby business Dunn Bros.

Coffee Shop, but the century-old condominium building burned to

the ground, leaving the twenty residents homeless and without

personal belongings. One older woman was treated for smoke

inhalation, but no one else was injured.

Downtown Water Main Break

Less than a week after the fire, a 36”water main broke

in downtown Minneapolis at 2nd Street and Washington

Avenue in downtown Minneapolis at about 2:30 p.m., hit

by a demolition bucket. Fourteen million gallons of

water flooded nearby streets up to a depth of three feet,

and water service was affected as far south as Abbott-

Northwestern Hospital and Uptown Minneapolis.

The Hennepin Avenue Bridge was closed, and traffic

was rerouted to the Third Avenue bridge. Fifteen bus routes were directly impacted: 4, 6, 7, 11 and 61 were all

rerouted. Although Washington Avenue remained open, congestion detours were put in for the 3, 16, 50 and 94

to get them to the 5th Street Garage. Traffic was heavy on the Third Avenue Bridge and on Washington Avenue

between Hennepin Avenue and 35W.

Many businesses in the area closed early, and some employers excused their employees early on Thursday,

contributing to the traffic congestion during rush hour.

City crews worked around the clock to restore water service to residents and businesses, and bus service was

back to regular.

Many thanks to Brian Funk , Assistant Director – Field Operations, for information on the bus detours during

the fire and the water main break.

CRYPTOZ A X B A W W C X D V F T C B K Z L M Z L A G D W V B

F N O Z A K B B W "D G O X" G O F C D V B Z B Z C

C W R W P S W V B C Z S X.

Z=I AND D=B

Each letter stands for another. If you think M=E, for example, it would equal E throughout the puzzle. Clue:

M=E, first two words done. (Answer on page 24 ) Submitted by Pat Kelehan, Facilities Tech. #5470

Promotional Process - Fair or Unfair?Jacqueline Williams #66180, MJR

Alemu Foluke # 63113, MJR

Past practice for promotion in this company has been to apply for a suitable position that matches one’s

qualifications. Every operator was not meant to be an operator for thirty-plus years. Periodically, positions

appear that are so inviting that you may feel the need to escape the operator seat, and apply.

You hope that fairness and equal opportunity would supersede all hiring prejudices, but you find your hopes were

in error.

Please allow me to share a few examples of disappointment by a few anonymous operators. I say

anonymous because these individuals are willing to have faith to give the promotional practice another ‘shot.’

Operators were chosen randomly and asked, “Have you ever applied to promote within this company?” and most

volunteered how many times they had done so.

A male operator answered, “Yes I have—three times for the same position. Each time, I was told, ‘We

found someone more qualified.’ When the decision was made and posted, the person had less college, no degree,

and zero management experience. I feel there is something that is broken and has been for years. I need insight

on the system. I believe it’s always who you know, and not what you can contribute to this company. You want

more?

Another operator responded, “Yes, I applied for a rail operator and was listed #2 on the interview list…they

interviewed #1, # 3, #4 and so forth and skipped #2 for reasons I questioned. After the interviewing process was

interrupted, I was granted an interview, but, as you see, I am yet operating a bus. They knew who they wanted to

promote, but didn’t mind inconveniencing others by the so-called ‘Equal Opportunity Act.’”

Numerous operators from all garages all seemed to agree that the promotional process is biased. There are

those who feel their degrees should merit more than operating a bus. They bring so many assets to the ‘company

table.’ The disgruntled employee is real. The complaints are real.

The space provided here does not afford enough room to list all the issues about the promotional errors. There

are great employees here who come to work to do a professional job. If they qualify to excel, they should be

allowed to do so.

One such employee suggested that the way the process is handled should be posted, as well as how they

arrived at the decision to promote one employee over another. Is it a rule of three? Top candidate, managers’

choice, or favorite son or daughter? Maybe, for fairness, the ATU should acquire a seat on the promotional

process.

Operators who had completed the interview process in the past were told their names were in a ‘pool.’ (Uh,

are you thinking ‘cess----?’) Come on now, not only is there one elephant in the promotional process room, there

are two elephants.

Promotional Process part 2 in next issue

Rules Are Rules (Some More than Others)On-Time Pullouts a PriorityMelanie Benson #854, Nicollet

On October 9, I pulled out of the garage seven minutes late because I lost track of time. I was issued a Class

B violation, partly because I had been counseled two other times when late pullouts resulted from problems while

filling my bus with coolant (as I had done every day for over three decades). In the process of grieving the

discipline, I learned a lot. The grievance was settled after I was given copies of several bulletins, documents and

a policy that I didn’t remember ever having seen before. The following article will hopefully illuminate why the

rule about on-time pullouts is enforced more often than others – and, hopefully, will prevent other drivers from

going through the same experience.

History of Pullout Policy

Many things have changed over the years. While pullout times were always a concern, the technology for

tracking them didn’t become a reality until GPS systems were installed, the SmartCom technology was available,

and Control Center supervisors could check pullout times directly from their consoles.

The policy used to be more stringent than it now is: Prior to February of 2006, a driver could receive a

violation for pulling out even one minute late. After some study of the impact of late pullouts on scheduled

passenger service, there was a meet-and-confer with the union that resulted in Bulletin No. 11, dated February

22, 2006. These are excerpts:

“The following locations have been designated as having made pullout:

Nicollet: On 32nd St. at Nicollet Avenue at the stop sign

Heywood: On 6th Avenue N. after clearing the lights at the end of driveway

MJR: On MJR driveway at corner of Shingle Creek Parkway

East Metro: On East Metro driveway at Mississippi St. at the stop sign

South: Two locations:

East Exit – on South Garage driveway at corner of Airport Lane

North Exit – On MTC Road at corner of Longfellow Avenue

If you are delayed due to a defective bus, need for a bus change, or bus assignment concern, you must notify

dispatch immediately so that the concern can be resolved as quickly as possible.

If you are pulling out more than 5 minutes late, you must notify TCC…

Please remember the importance of reporting for duty on time and completing your pre-trip inspection with

sufficient time to make scheduled pullout. Data shows that if your pullout is late it will affect your ability to

leave your first terminal on time.”

Pulling out fewer than five minutes late, then, is not considered a violation. If a driver pulls out seven

minutes late, however, that’s how the discipline will read, not two minutes late, factoring in the five-minute

grace period.

Management Standards of Performance

Of the many rules drivers have to operate by, why is this particular rule considered to be of such importance?

One reason, of course, is that management wants service to be on time. Despite the fact that many of us have

ample time to get to our first terminals (and some of us don’t), the time we leave our first terminal is not the

main factor – probably because it’s much less measurable.

Managers of garages set goals at the beginning of each month, one of which is on late pullouts. It’s one of

their top standards of performance. These goals are charted and distributed to upper levels of management. Each

incidence of a late pullout is sent to all managers at the garage, both in transportation and in maintenance. (They

used to be sent to upper management, as well.) Therefore, garage managers must answer to upper management

about these late pullouts and how they affect their goals. This is where numbers sometimes triumph over

practicality and actuality.

Management also has access to the recording of the conversation between the driver and the Control Center,

and will introduce it in a grievance proceeding. A synopsis of our contacts with the Control Center and street

supervisors (DSL Quick View for Operator #___) can be used in a disciplinary situation, and can go back three

years.

PROCEDURE – 4-7D

Ever heard of it? This is sometimes known as the Metropolitan Council’s Operating Policy, established in

August 2005. This is a very interesting document that should be read by all of us, whether we remember ever

receiving it or not. (Did we sign for it? Do we read and keep handy everything we receive?)

This policy is described as a “…Bus Operator tracking tool and is the primary tool for employee assessment.”

Attached to the policy are three appendices: One an ‘Illustration of the Three-Part-Plan’ on Responsibilities;

‘Thresholds for Warnings’ on adherence codes (Class A and Class B), customer service complaints and safety. It

is very important that we all are familiar this policy, whether or not we’ve ever been disciplined for anything.

One never knows.

Please feel free to ask your manager for this document if you never received it or have misplaced it.

Appendix C

This attachment spells out the various Class A and Class B violations through which we may be disciplined or

terminated. Late pullouts are labeled 39B. There are nine Class A violations and 40 Class B violations. The

first column on the chart lists the violation, and the second column lists the proper reference point in the

Operator’s Guide. Or wait – does it? Actually, the references must refer to an old document. Many of the

sections no longer even exist in the new Operator’s Guide. Hmmm. If we’re expected to know all of these rules

and how they’re applied, perhaps management should update its own documents – especially if they intend to

apply these disciplinary rules fairly. If you’ve misplaced your own Driver’s Guide, this might be the time to

request one from your manager.

Back to Late Pullouts

We are no longer allowed to fill our own coolant, no matter how many years we’ve been doing this without

incident. We’re not even supposed to open the cap. One driver was seriously sprayed with the coolant (more

toxic than it used to be) and had to get medical attention. Another driver slipped in a pool of coolant, broke a

bone and sued Metro Transit. Management is very serious about this.

Whether we need bay service to check our coolant or address another problem with the bus, we must be sure

to call dispatch first. The dispatcher jots down the time we called. Flagging down the bay-service person is not

documented and therefore not recommended. We need to protect ourselves at all times.

If you believe you’ve been disciplined unfairly, please contact your union board member to file a

grievance. The grievance procedure is an excellent learning opportunity, and sometimes you get the discipline

removed, or at least reduced. This is your right as a union member.

Thanks to Ellen Jackson, Manager of Nicollet Garage, for taking the time to provide me with all the relevant

bulletins and documentations for the grievance procedure (and this article).

Yes, Sometimes Democracy Seems BoringUnion By-Law Proposals

Melanie Benson #854, Nicollet

At the beginning of every year we, as members of ATU Local 1005, have an opportunity to amend the

by-laws that govern the functioning of our local union. The by-laws (available from your union rep or the union

office) spell out everything from how the union meeting is conducted to how much our board members and

officers are paid. A date is set in January when the by-law proposals are due. They must be submitted to the

union office in writing. The proposals are then read, for information only, at the January membership meeting.

By-Law Committee

A By-Law Committee, made up of members of the executive board who have been appointed by the

president, then meets in February to discuss the proposals in order to make a decision on whether or not the

changes should be recommended to the membership. Any local union member who has either made one of the

by-law proposals, or who would like to speak on any of the proposals that have been submitted, is welcome to

attend the By-Law Committee meeting to speak. After all the members who wished to speak on the proposals

have spoken, the By-Law Committee members discuss and vote on their recommendation.

The By-Law Committee met to consider proposals in mid-February.

February Membership Meeting

At the February membership meeting (this year on February 26 in Minneapolis), there’s a point on the agenda

for discussing the by-law proposals. The By-Law Committee makes its recommendations, to accept or not to

accept the by-law proposals. Members at the meeting are able to speak on the recommendations. When the

discussion is closed, members vote on whether or not to accept the proposal(s).

Morning and Evening Sessions of the Union Meeting

ATU Local 1005’s monthly union meeting is held in three sessions, the fourth Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00

p.m., to accommodate members on different schedules, and one in Rochester on the fourth Wednesday. Members

attending any session of the meeting may discuss proposals of any kind, but they may only vote once. The

number of members voting for or against any proposal is totaled after the Rochester meeting the following day.

It takes a 2/3 vote to amend, add or change a by-law. If the proposals pass, and if they are approved by the

International Union, they are incorporated into the by-laws of the local and take effect the following year.

Paid parking is available in the mornings on streets around the union building, and free parking is available

on 3rd Avenue between University Avenue and 4th Street in Minneapolis At the evening meeting, parking is free

both on the street and in the lot next to the building. Several bus routes also serve the Labor Centre.

Union Democracy

One of the great things about having a union is that we, the members, have the right to decide how our union

functions. One of the realities that we face is that a very small percentage of our members attend meetings and

vote on issues of importance.

True, attending meetings and speaking in front of committees can seem boring or intimidating if we’re not

used to it; but a little effort often yields a big result.

Please make every effort to attend one of these upcoming meetings. Thanks.

presented to the membership because it was withdrawn by management. The new offer fi xed retiree healthcare.Contract continued from p. 1

Fun or Harassment?Faye Brown # #6331, FTH

Ladies and Gentlemen, it has been brought to my attention that some of us don't quite understand

boundaries of personal space. Please don't touch your coworkers unless invited to. Don't say things of a

personal nature (pertaining to body parts). Not everyone is comfortable with over-friendly gestures of touch

and words. So to you what might be looked at as fun is, to others, sexual harassment. Don't let someone

else make the decision which one it is for you. This is for your protection – and for the right of everyone to a

respectful workplace.

Members look over and discuss the fi ne details of the contract.

Comments from the fl oor were varied: Some thanked the Executive Board and Offi cers for their hard work

and for negotiating our fi rst raise in several years. Others questioned why there was not more in the offer for

drivers (and why the wage progression for drivers wasn’t considered an “equity” issue); why there hadn’t been

more outreach on the contract vote; and whether the wage increases would be eaten up by increases in the costs of

medical coverage.

Copies of the offer remain available for board members and in the union offi ce for those who didn’t get a

chance to see them.

The Metropolitan Council approved the package in January of 2013. New contracts should be on the

property in the spring.

New Bus Stop Sign TestingIlona LaDouceur, #66048, TIC

I had heard through the rumor mill that there are new bus stop signs in

the future for Metro Transit. I went to my source, Transit Service

Supervisor Ben Rajkowski, to find out the facts. He told me that, indeed,

they have been testing new signs and that I could get further information

from him and Public Relations Manager John Siqveland. We set up a

meeting a few days later and this is what I found out.

In late 2010, then Public Relations Manager Bob Gibbons headed up a

committee to examine our current use of bus stops signs and explore how

we could expand and progress our current system to be utilized by both our

riders and our operators. By count, there are around 14,000+ bus stops in the system, including ones at Park &

Rides and transit centers. The idea was to have a sign that would not only denote that this is a bus stop, but it

would include other items of transit information including Metro Transit’s number (612-373-3333) and the

website: (metrotransit.org). Because each bus stop has its own unique five-digit ID number, that was to be on the

sign as well.

Currently, with this bus stop ID number, a person can use it online, on our trip planner, or even use the

number when they call for NexTrip information over the phone. They can even call the Transit Information

Center and give their stop ID number for their location. The goal is to utilize it much more in the future,

especially with Smartphone technology. The unique stop IDs put on the bus stop signs along West 7th Street have

been used at a rate of about 16X that of regular bus stops for Nextrip. (A survey showed that approximately

94% of people waiting at bus stops currently have cell phones - and believe me, they are calling Metro Transit.)

Furthermore, they foresee using these ID numbers to provide other information to the customer such as bus

stop closures, detours, capacity at Park & Rides and service in the area.

In March of 2012, Metro Transit began testing a new sign at about 40 bus stops along St. Paul Routes 54 and

74. These bus stops are located between Highway 5 and the St. Paul Downtown Zone limit. The test ran through

2012. The feedback from operators was that the signs didn’t stand out. They seemed to “blend in” with their

surroundings and didn’t pop out to either to the rider or, even more so, to the operators.

As such, Creative Services, the Transit Information Center and John Siqveland got together, a reviewed the

feedback and made changes and adjustments to this sign; and, with Brian Lamb’s approval, are going to be

placing them in the garages at the end of January for about two weeks to give the operators and others an

opportunity to look it over and give feedback on this sign.

The goal then is to have them again placed at various locations, on W.

7th Street in St Paul, as well as downtown Minneapolis on Marquette and

2nd Avenues. Also included will be 3rd and 4th Avenues and 11th and

12th Streets in downtown. After a three-month period, they will again

review the feedback from both the riders and the operators. The goal would

be from there to change these new signs out with old ones. This would be

done in segments, and they would plan events and openings of new transit

centers or new bus routes to include these signs.

So be sure to look for them in your garage and let the people working on

this project know what you think.

Declining Unionization (II)Joseph Otoo-Essilfie #67312, LRT

In my first article (published in the last issue) I gave an overview of the continuing decline of union density

especially in the United States and other industrialized countries. In this issue I discuss the main factors experts

believe are responsible for this decline.

Many factors contribute

Many labor union experts suggest a broad range of reasons for the decline in unionization, particularly in the

United States: increased global competition; the attitude of conservative governments towards unions; domestic

deregulation; differential growth rates in employment between the union and non-union sectors; and changes in

the union organizing rate.

Other labor experts cite: growing employer opposition; a decline in worker “demand” for unions;

technological changes that undermine union control of working situations; and sophisticated human resource

management practices reducing the demand for unions.

It is also important to mention the growing globalization of the United States economy, increasing domestic

competition, and employers’ incentive pay schemes that subvert negotiated wage scales. Labor experts in

developed countries like Britain and Finland, in addition to all the above, give other reasons such as the age

effect; year effect; compositional changes in the nature of the labor force; and failure of unions to organize in

new workplaces.

Economic forces/ Increased global competition

One of the most commonly shared views of the reasons for the decline in unionism is the “globalization” of

the United States’ and other countries’ economies. Many are of the view that, even though the link between

union decline and globalization cannot be fully established, in general terms, the effect cannot be denied on

industries such as automotive, electronics, textile, or garment where many production facilities have been moved

to countries with lower labor costs.

Despite the lack of conclusive statistical evidence, the widely-held view is that “economic forces” such as

plant closures, layoffs and slower growth in the core manufacturing industries - the sites of the greater

concentrations of unionism - are primarily responsible for the decline.

Conservative governments’ attitudes towards unions

For many in society, a strong labor movement is the cornerstone of a fair, just and democratic society.

Conservative governments, on the other hand, perceive unions as obstructionists hindering the efficient functioning

of the capitalist markets.

Unions, especially in the United States, are not unfamiliar with direct or indirect government intervention. The

Reagan administration caused the most significant political and economic damage to labor unions in recent

memory. Only two of the most significant unions, the Teamsters and the Professional Air Traffic Controllers

Organization (PATCO), had supported Reagan in his electioneering campaign in 1980. Yet in response to a strike,

President Reagan took a hard line against PATCO, dismissing almost 12,000 employees.

One can argue that the defeat of the PATCO union by the federal administration commenced a domino effect

on private-sector unions. Some labor experts argue that the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations’ “tough” attitude

towards federal employees (unions) was seen as encouraging private employees to follow suit and to begin a

systematic dismantling of unions in the United States. Masquerading as good public policy to strengthen the

American economy and to improve efficiency, these two administrations’ policies on labor unions dealt a significant

blow to unions in the United States.

A critical look at the policies actually meant to shift federal employees under private-sector union laws that are

less effective in protecting union rights.

The effect of these policies, according to

many experts, led contractors of

federally-funded projects to oppose

unionization. The Reagan administration

also formed a commission to investigate

union corruption, which led to the brief

takeover of the Teamsters union. Many

people saw this as a dangerous and

unnecessary intrusion of the federal

government into union affairs. The

Reagan and the Bush Sr. administrations

consistently promoted policies that

targeted union contributions to political

campaigns, under the guise of campaign

finance reform.

After September 11, President George

W. Bush made a conscious effort to

revoke the collective bargaining rights of

thousands of federal employees under

the banner of “homeland security”--an effort many saw as an attempt by that government to weaken unions.

In recent developments, the legislative victory by the Wisconsin State Governor Scott Walker, a Republican, in

slashing the bargaining rights of his state employees, was a watershed for public sector unions--and it suggests

another attempt by the conservative powers to further weaken labor unions in the country. In Michigan, the passage

of “Right to Work” legislation in a state dominated by the auto industry and the historically powerful United Auto

Workers was a surprising “smack in the face” to unions.

In waging these anti-labor campaigns, these politicians are ignoring one very simple fact: Unions were and still

are a major force in building and sustaining the great American middle class, and as they have declined, so has the

middle class.

Employer opposition

One of the major contributing factors to the decline of unionization in the United States is employer opposition

to union formation. Many labor union experts agree that employers have consistently used both legal and illegal

means to resist the formation of unions in their workplaces, and nearly universal management resistant to

unionization is undeniable. Virtually all other studies conclude that professional anti-union consultants and difficult

management behavior make it very difficult to organize workers to form unions. Richard B. Freeman, one of the

world’s renowned union experts, is of the opinion that the strongest reason for the decline of unions in the United

States especially can be attributed to employer opposition to unionization, and that approximately 40 percent of the

decline in union success in National Labor Relations Board elections is due to management opposition.

Coupled with, or related to, the employer opposition is the unfavorable legal framework for organized labor .

Changes in the Taft-Hartley Law of 1947 and the NLRB interpretations of this law have been negative for labor

unions since World War II. Labor experts, as well as political economists for the most part, agree that the passage

of the Taft-Hartley Law in 1947 had a great impact on union organizing. The law was an amendment to the Wagner

Act, giving States the power to amend the Wagner Act to outlaw the union shop requiring a new employee to join

a union and to pay dues. This particular law was passed as result of the rampant industrial actions organized by

labor unions in the period between 1935 and 1947 which had a significant impact on the economy. The law, also

known as the “Right-to-Work” law, also prohibits members of a union from requiring a new employee to become

a member.

As Union Membership Rates Decrease, Middle Class Share of

Income Shrinks and Top 1% Income Explodes

The NLRB has issued more than

thirty complaints in fourteen different

states against the retail giant Wal-Mart

for illegally preventing employees from

unionizing. According to the NLRB

(2001-2005), Alabama was the most

hostile state to union formation with

11.90 charges of unfair labor practices

for every one certification held. It was

followed by North Carolina, Texas,

Tennessee, Maine, Georgia, Indiana, and

Nevada.

It is an undeniable fact that poor

economic conditions weaken labor’s

market power to call for an increase in

pay and benefits--and at the same time it

increases employer resistance to unions.

The inverse is also true: that a good

economic environment improves labor’s collective action and decreases employer opposition.

Differential growth rate

Many labor scholars argue that one of the most important reasons for the sharp decline in private- sector

unionization is the differential growth rate between union and non-union sectors. The available data suggests that

employment in the union sector grows less rapidly than in the nonunion. In other words, the employment rate in

the nonunion sector has been consistently higher than the union sector and, as a result, successful union organizing

is required to maintain the union membership rate. If the two sectors grow at the same rate, then no new organizing

is needed to maintain union density. One of the most important findings by the experts was that the divergence in

employment growth rates between the union and the non-union sectors was as a result of changes in the structure

of the United States economy. According to their theory, employment has shifted away from jobs that were

fundamentally dominated by unions like communications, manufacturing, and transportation.

Freeman’s argument in 1998 was that,

in general, unions grow in “spurts” and

not through slow and steady additions to

membership, and that “spurts” originate

during periods of social unrest. In other

words, union membership rates increase

during civil strife; and the decline in

private sector unionization (especially

between 1980 and 1998) could be

explained by the absence of any

significant social unrest during the

period.

Changes in union organizing rate

The passage of the National Labor

Relations Board (NLRB) law in 1935

was perhaps one of the most important

legislative gains for labor in the United

States . The Act guarantees the right of

workers to organize and to bargain with

Source: NLRB organizing activities 1973-1998

their respective employers on almost all working conditions. When a proportion of workers (at least 30%) show

interest in union representation, they can petition the NLRB to conduct an election, which may be successful or

not. Between 1980 and 1998 there was a sharp decline in union organizing activities.

The chart on the bottom of the previous page represents the number of organizing activities by unions

between 1973 and 1998. As depicted by the figure, the number of elections fell by almost fifty (50) percent

from about 8,000 in 1980 to about 4400 in 1990, indicating a significant drop in new organizing activities

between those years.

Coupled with this problem was the difficulty of newly-organized unions to successfully negotiate their first

contract with their employers - a situation which often led to the demise of unions. Given the high employment

rate in the non-union sector, it presupposes that unions would have to organize a substantial number of new

unions in order to sustain their previous numbers, a situation that did not exist, especially in the 1980s.

One can argue that one of the most important reasons for the decline in unionization in the United States

has been the lack of organizing effort. Some experts are of the view that unions devote only a fraction of their

resources to organizing while the bulk of their resources go to servicing union contracts - a situation they argue

has led to their current predicament. Others also attribute 20 percent of the decline to the inability of unions to

organize new members to increase their membership especially in the United States.

Progressive human resource practices

One of the reasons given by many labor experts for the decline in union density in the United States and

other advanced countries has been the progressive human resource practices adopted by many employers over

the years. Despite hard evidence to support this claim, some experts have been able to prove that employee

satisfaction is negatively related to the desire to join a union.

Other experts support this idea in that “union substitution” occurs when employees feel no need for union

protection as a result of superior or pro-employee measures taken by employers that seek to advance and

protect employees. Some experts also are of the opinion that some union members view their union as a third

party--an external servicing bureaucracy.

There is no doubt that employee benefits over the years have become a very important part of total

compensation, and as result employee support for union representation has dwindled. It is also a known fact

that, prior to World War II, non-wage benefits were negligible; but the period after the War saw the

institutionalization of the improvements sought by organized labor--hence the decline of the density of unions.

Most of the most important workplace benefits labor unions fought for during those periods were promulgated

into federal and state laws, or governmental mandates, and as a result unions were less needed.

In the next issue, I discuss the economic importance of unions.

Morton Saves the Day(Westbound bus stop on the 23-line at 38th Street and

Grand Avenue South)

On a recent Monday morning, when tons

of salt were being applied to streets and roads

that resembled skating rinks, multiple west-

bound vehicles (including buses) slid right

through the intersection. A helpful passenger

or friendly passerby observed and tried to

help. By midday, the container was empty.

27th Annual ATU International Womens Caucus June 20-June 23 !Deborah Sievers

Local 1005 will be hosting this year’s ATU International Women’s Caucus at the Radisson Hotel in

downtown Minneapolis June 21st thru 23rd. ATU women from all over the United States and Canada will meet

to discuss women’s issues in the workforce and in the union.

So what can you do? You can volunteer to help. We will need a lot of people (both women and men) to

make this a very big success. So if you would like to join in helping, please contact Dorothy Maki at the Union

office or Deborah Sievers at 612-695-0238.

Hernandez Hill retired on November 16 after 13 years. He had proudly served in the military for over 20

years. Hernandez was hired as a part-time operator on September 27, 1999, was promoted to full-time on August

19, 2000 and retired from East Metro on November 11, 2011.

Hernandez Hill #6972 Retires

On Saturday,

January 26th, 2013,

the St. Paul Regional

Labor Federation

hosted a labor spot

in the parade. The

theme was 'Snow

Place Like Home'.

Dino Grotto, Labor Local

#132,was the Scarecrow, and Brian

Beetle, with St. Croix Valley Labor

Assembly was the Tin Man.

The Lollipop Guild members

were Mary, Vicki, Terri, Dorothy

and Lynn.

It was a very cold day outside.

Labor Marches

in St. Paul

Winter Carnival

Parade

TRANSIT SAFETY/SECURITY COMMITTEE

(TSSC) MEETING MINUTES

December 6, 2012 Members of the Committee

Present: Kermit Wallace, Committee Chair

Monica Kruger, Acting Management Advisor

Dave Rogers, LRT

Cornelious Sykes, South

Deb Sievers, Heywood

Shenghai Ly, East

Jerry Langer, MJR

Others in attendance:

Don Davis, Maintenance

Mike McNamera, LRT

Eric Isakson, TCC

Christy Bailly, Bus Operations

Brenda Himrich, Safety

Deb Downing, Street Operations

Bridget Loser, Risk

John Cook, FTH Garage

Mike LaVine, Police

Dorothy Maki, ATU

Mark Lawson, ATU

CALL TO ORDER

Kermit Wallace called the meeting to order.

REVIEW OF MINUTES

Minutes were approved.

TSSC Assessment – We decided not to extend this

meeting to discuss the results. Kermit and Monica will

meet with Ellen and Christy to fi gure out the best way

to present the information. Will update.

- 5 items that are key issues.

- A lot of agreement about the committee

- How concerns are identifi ed

- How concerns are solved.

- Capacity of members to be productive

- Capacity of management to be productive

SOUTH OPERATOR REPORT

Cornelius Sykes:

• Drivers are concerned with passengers that are using

LRT downtown-only transfer. - He wasn’t aware that

this transfer existed and would like to see it eliminated.

Action item: Cornelius will check in with garage

coordinator and email Pam Steffen to get information

about the LRT downtown-only transfer.

LRT OPERATOR REPORT

David Rogers:

• Disappointed that LRT management and safety are

not present at the meeting. - Monica: In the TSSC

assessment we are looking at who should attend this

meeting We have asked LRT to attend.

Brenda represents both Rail and Bus Safety.

Monica has discussed these issues with LRT

management and had an understanding that the issues

were cleared up, but she will follow up on the concerns.

John Cook: The original intention of this committee

was so everyone could be involved in helping others

solve their problems.

• Signals – we are working under two signal systems -

One is similar to traffi c signals – red, yellow, green

- When will the signals be on the same system?

Tunnel incident: On Thanksgiving at 2 a.m. is an

example of the situation

Action item: Brenda will research the signal system

situation and send her response to Monica to share with

the group.

- These issues might be addressed at the LRT AWAIR

safety committee meeting.

- The traffi c lights at 46th St. Station were discussed.

The City is upgrading the timing of lights and has

added detector loops on Hiawatha. This project is not

completed and will likely not change the issue of east

bound buses getting caught as they make the safety

stop and the signals going to yellow then red rapidly.

Brenda Himrich advises bus operators to always

make their safety stop, even if the light might change

TRANSIT SAFETY/SECURITY

COMMITTEE (TSSC) MEETING MINUTES

Disclaimer:

Due to format changes, these columns are not exact replicas of TSSC minutes. We

cannot assure the accuracy of all data. The exact minutes are posted after each meet-

ing at the operating garages.

and leave them blocking traffi c on Hiawatha. Deb

Downing: We have talked to the city about the light

timing. They are aware of the issue.

• Can we increase the speed for trains at 4th and

Chicago? - The current speed for LRVs of 10 mph is

causing traffi c issues because the train stops and blocks

the intersection. Brenda Himrich will ask when it is

anticipated that the speed limit will be returned to 20

mph. This likely will not occur until the construction is

over.

EAST OPERATOR REPORT

Shenghai Ly:

• St. Paul bus stop where a large group of people were

holding up the bus. The operator tried to fl ag down a

cop, but they didn’t help. Other cops showed up and

pepper sprayed the group. Group broke up and operator

called the TCC.

Action item: Provided details to Mike LaVine and Eric

Isakson and they will respond to the concern.

- Dorothy Maki: Operator discussed issue with the

ATU as well. Operator was upset that the Metro Transit

Police didn’t help him right away and that the St. Paul

police came later and helped him. Operator needed to

communicate more clearly with the TCC.

- Mike LaVine will research the call. Steve McLaird

will provide Mike with the tapes and the timeline.

FTH OPERATOR REPORT

Deb Sievers:

• Operators appreciate Maintenance fi xing the seat

issue - They can now move the seats back further.

• Can people recently released from jail or the

workhouse request a courtesy ride? - No

• Routes 19, 5, 22, 14 - Can police put details on all the

problem routes, not just one, because people are just

moving from route to route?

- Mike LaVine: We are doing our best to put details on

more buses.

• Route 19, 11/30/12 - TCC called asking if she had

someone matching the description of a runaway. They

said a squad would meet her, if a squad doesn’t meet

her, then she needs to wait at Penn with the doors

closed. MT Police fi nally showed up 20 minutes later

and found out that it wasn’t the runaway that they were

looking for. The passengers were getting upset and she

is concerned they could have turned on her. TCC didn’t

fi ll her work.

Action item: Eric Isakson will look into it Deb Sievers’

description of runaway incident.

MJR OPERATOR REPORT

Jerry Langer:

• Northtown P&R issues: - Poor lighting

- Passengers are trying to catch buses on the other side.

Cars aren’t stopping for them. Pedestrians aren’t given

the right of way.

- Can we put a stop sign to help the peds?

Action item: Details were provided and Deb Downing

will bring it to Northtown’s attention.

NICOLLET OPERATOR REPORT

Kermit Wallace:

• Customer Service has been telling customers to

come to Nicollet Garage to pick up lost and found

items. During the summer months, people are entering

through the open bay doors. There is a female

dispatcher who is alone at night and there are people

coming to the drivers’ room. Kermit is concerned for

our employee’s safety. - Steve McLaird: Yes, they are

doing that for items that are personal or of high value.

- For the safety of the operators Kermit would like to

see the doors closed.

- Options: Chain doors. Lock the doors to the drivers’

room.

Action item: Steve McLaird will talk to Fritz Coulter

about his plans for security at Nicollet Garage.

• At the Gateway there used to be four mirrors, but

during changes they made, the mirrors were taken

down and he would like them back.

Action item: Monica fi lled out an OCR about it and

will look into the progress on it. Monica will give

information to Deb Downing and Brenda Himrich.

SAFETY REPORT

Brenda Himrich:

• MN DWI Map

- Extra hwy. patrol during holiday season

• LRT Report See handout

• Accidents report See handout

• Starting with the next class we will train operators

using the low fl oor buses instead of the older highfl oor

buses. The low fl oor buses have differences in the

mirrors and front overhang. It is easier to adjust from a

low fl oor bus to high fl oor bus then vice versa.

POLICE REPORT

Mike LaVine:

• There is a perception that due to the Northside details

the route 14 is experiencing problems. Mike Lavine has

put offi cers on the 14 now.

• The 64 is getting better, but there are still issues. -

Friday nights are getting better, but still having issues

on Saturdays.

- We will increase police presence.

• Kids are using social media to organize themselves in

different areas.

• Hired fi ve new offi cers and in the process of hiring 50

part-time offi cers.

• Police Service Requests: Please encourage operators

to ask managers to fi ll out a Police Service Request for

issues that reoccur.

• 7th and Nicollet issues were discussed.

• LRT problems with students in the afternoon. - We

have cops at the stations and on the train to help.

• Problems with students from Edison - We closed a

bus stop and put the stop at the school for kids to board

the bus.

- Problems were discussed.

• How would you like operators to handle a fi ght at the

LRT station? - Leave the doors open. Let people get

off.

- Make an announcement.

- Talk to RCC for direction.

LRT REPORT

Mike McNamera:

• Nothing to report.

MAINTENANCE

Don Davis:

• Bus Maintenance will investigate the lights on the

3300 series buses at South Garage

Action item: Fleet support supervisor will investigate

the light issue to see if the windshield glare can be

reduced.

STREET OPERATIONS

Deb Downing:

• Cabs on Nicollet - 2010 removed the cap on cab

licenses: 250-300 in 2007 to over 800 in 2012

- Cabs have been trained on the Nicollet Mall

procedures.

- 81 tickets in the last two years from MT police

- There are only two cab inspectors, so it is hard

for them to monitor all the cabs.

- PM rush is the most problematic

- Here is the link to report cabs. http://www.

minneapolismn.gov/licensing/taxi/business-

licensing_taxi_taxi-complaint

• 76th and 35W issue should be resolved.

• Roosevelt High School staff has been notifi ed that

students have been walking in front of the buses to get

to the high school. - Staff will monitor and educate

students.

- Going to increase the size of the stop to get more

buses in the stop.

• Cornelious Sykes mentioned that the construction

trailer on the side at Hennepin and Washington is into

the street and could be a hazard. - This issue has been

turned over to the city and it is their decision to move it

or not. No indication that there have been incidents at

this location.

TCC

Erik Isakson:

• Supervisors have the cab link. If you see a cab on

Nicollet, call TCC.

• Saturday 8th starts the canned massages trial on

Routes 10, 17, 18 - Operators should call with any

concerns, comments, and suggestions.

ACTION ITEMS

• Action item: Cornelius will check in with your

garage coordinator and email Pam Steffen to get

information about the LRT downtown only transfer.

• Action item: Brenda will research the signal system

situation and send her response to Monica to share with

the group.

Action item: Provided details to Mike LaVine and

Eric Isakson (on St. Paul bus stop incident) and they

will respond to the concern.

• Action item: Eric Isakson will look into it Deb

Sievers’ description of runaway incident.

• Action item: Details were provided and Deb

Downing will bring it to Northtown’s attention.

• Action item: Steve McLaird will talk to Fritz Coulter

about his plans for security at Nicollet Garage.

• Action item: Monica fi lled out an OCR about it and

will look into the progress on it. Monica will give

information to Deb Downing and Brenda Himrich.

• Action item: Fleet support supervisor will investigate

the light issue to see if the windshield glare can be

reduced.

Interview with Metro Transit Police Chief John Harringtonor

Hey, is there a Police Officer in the House?Faye Brown #6331

This article is to present to some and introduce to others the new police chief of Metro Transit, John

Harrington. I will be more pleasant since I will be writing what he said and not my opinion on the services we

have received in the past. So read and evaluate for yourself the answers, and then we will keep our eyes open to

see the truth of his words. But let’s not forget we’ve been sold a bill of goods before, with inferior goods. Chief

Harrington said that speaking out will hold him accountable.

Because of my relationship with the police in past articles, people felt obliged to come and give me their

opinion of what a great man Harrington is, including management, a union board member and drivers. I had

thought he was a little forceful with an attitude of superiority, which later showed up as confidence and belief in

what he’s trying to do. I enjoyed our conversation and I guess you’re saying OMG (oh my god) she has sold out,

singing the praises of the police. No I haven’t. If you know me, I’m nothing if not fair, so he gets a shot.

We sat in an interview where we talked about a lot of subjects and then I put them into question and answer

form for you to read. Here we go.

FAYE: What is your background?

CHIEF: I worked on Metro Transit buses as a beat cop, working with drivers to help make the bus a safe ride

and getting to know the drivers. It helps to know who you are working with. I had a part in implementing the

Safety and Security Committee. I also served as police chief of St. Paul’s department and a state representative of

the Minnesota legislature.

FAYE: And now full circle back with transit. Where are the cops? It seems we are very short- staffed in that

department. What are your plans?

CHIEF: Well, I have been working with Brian Lamb, and he has found a way to approve funds to hire 85 more

staff in the form of part and full-time officers to be used as beat and bus patrol cops for a more effective rapid

response unit. Community Service Officers (CSOs) will monitor cameras in the community to help report where

the officers need to be. A lot of those hired will come from a more diverse pool of inner-city knowledgeable

cops.

FAYE: Will they help with the late-night line-up?

CHIEF: That’s the plan.

FAYE: So is this extra hiring of cops also going to help with the hot spot?

CHIEF: What hot spot?

FAYE: Everyone knows the hot spot (7th & Nicollet). It’s not new news and really I believe that the cops are

afraid to tackle that area.

CHIEF: Fear is not what is happening, it’s the lack of enough manpower, and the lack of cameras. If the City

Council and some of the businesses could come together and raise the funds like Target did on their corner, that

could help. In the past, the City Council asked for the dispersal of cops to certain areas. Now we work in

conjunction with city cops in covering these areas to insure a safer corner. There has been 45% drop in crime

because of this partnership. Metro Transit has devised a plan to alleviate the congestion which brings loitering,

crime and violence to that corner by moving some of the high-profile routes to different areas of downtown. This

is a plan that is in the works and could show some signs of being implemented as soon as March. So we have

been analyzing the problem to be more effective in taking action.

FAYE: Well, that will be a very welcome plan. What can we, as drivers, do to help?

CHIEF: We need drivers to not engage in unnecessary confrontation with passengers, and to report.

Crypto Answer

I GET GOOSEBUMPS THINKING ABOUT MY RIGHT TO "BARE" ARMS

BUT IT IS SO COLD OUTSIDE.

FAYE: That brings up a question: Why do the cops who are riding the buses seem to ignore what’s happening?

And leave so soon?

CHIEF: Because they are there only for the support of the drivers - not seemingly to be the controlling force

(which leaves the driver less in control), unless they see some very obvious issue that are not just perceived

issue. Everyone perceives a situation differently, so drivers need to make the cop aware of their need for help.

And as to them leaving to soon, we will be devising a kind of logging-in procedure that will hold the officers

accountable for their whereabouts and time.

FAYE: And is there a way to report on officers?

CHIEF: Yes, we will be putting into place an Internal Affairs Department, a formal system in which operators

can call and make complaints. This department will be headed by Sgt. Troy Smith.

Well, that’s the end of the interview. Hope you enjoyed it. I’ll be back.

Catching up with Retirees!

Barry Palmquist #9056 (retired March 8, 2011) and

his wife Kathy #2342 (retired September 30, 2010) are

enjoying themselves in their Robbinsdale home.

They have a son who lives in Texas and look forward

to a road trip soon. Barry enjoys collecting and build-

ing trains. Kathy enjoys visiting at the Barnacle Bill’s

retiree breakfasts. She loves cats and , although she

only has one, she wishes for fi ve more!

Recognition Program

On December 6th, the Electronic

Department held their employee recogni-

tion event. The great food came from

Famous Dave's Restaurant. Julie Johan-

son, Deputy Chief of Operations, stopped

by to convey the company's gratitude for

the fi ne job they are doing while facing

daunting tasks (shortage of manpower and

overwhelming duties).

Chad LeVasseur, Manager of Com-

munication Systems and Scott McDonald,

Supervisor of Electronic Maintenance,

added their gratitude.

2013 Tour De CureDeborah Sievers #64222

The Metro Transit Cycling Team is once again defending its title as

Top Corporate Team riding in the Twin Cities Tour de Cure! This will

be our third year, and we expect huge things from our team for 2013.

Last year, with the help of ATU Local 1005, we raised more than

$37,000.00 dollars! Team Captain Mike Dalbec has set the goal at

$50,000.00 and feels a team of this size should have no problem meeting

and exceeding this goal! So join us this year and raise money for a

great cause. Go to the website and sign up today!!!!

http://main.diabetes.org/goto/metrotransit

Register today to Take the Ride of Your Life! The Tour de Cure features routes of different lengths for riders

of all skill levels: 7, 18, 27, up to 100 miles. All Tour de Cure routes are well-marked, safe and fully supported

with route marshals, SAG vehicles, mechanical support, and rest stops stocked with hydration and a variety of

snacks to keep you fueled. At the finish, you will be welcomed with cheering volunteers, great food and more.

Tour de Cure is marking its 21st Anniversary this year, so help us make an even bigger impact. In twenty-one

years the Tour de Cure has raised millions of dollars to fund research, provide services, and give voice to those

denied their rights because of diabetes. They have accomplished much, but as the number of Americans

diagnosed with diabetes continues to rise, thier mission becomes even more critical. Every dollar you raise and

every mile you ride helps the American Diabetes Association in the effort to Stop Diabetes.

One Team Metro Transit member is Timmy Webber, Sr., 43, who has been with Metro Transit for more than

11 years. Timmy is a delegate for ATU Local 1005 at the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation. He is

married to wife Lisa and has five kids (ranging from 20 years old to five years old) and a daughter-in-law.

Timmy has Cerebral Palsy and was diagnosed with Type 2

diabetes, which he controls with pills and exercise. (Type 1

diabetes is controlled by insulin.) Raising five kids, he has an

active life and is also very athletic. He does not look at his CP

and diabetes as handicaps, but as part of his way of life.

Timmy rode last year’s Tour de Cure as a Red Rider (someone

in the Tour de Cure riding with diabetes) with daughter Elisia,

who was 12 years old. They rode the 27-mile part of the Tour de

Cure, crossing the finish line together, all smiles and pride for

being able to do something so meaningful as father and daughter.

If you are interested in a last year’s team jersey like Elisia is

wearing, Team Captain Mike Dalbec says he has select sizes left

over and is selling them for $25 per jersey.

Date:

Start: Saturday, June 1, 2013 at

6:00 a.m.

Address:

Minnehaha Falls

4801 South Minnehaha Park Dr.

Minneapolis, MN

Fees:

$15 Plus

Material Management Recognition

As we did last year, we had a contest about

our success and accomplishments in the Material

Management Department. There were three

teams, each led by a coordinator. Like the show

Jeopardy, a team would select a category and a

point value of a question (from 10 to 50, 50 being

the most diffi cult).

Prizes were awarded for the largest total of

points. On the last question of the game, you had

to decide how many points to wager before the

question was read. You had to wager enough to

beat your opponent (win or lose all).

The teams (in order of place) were:

Frank Launderville’s Ferocious Fiddlers:

Steve Babcock, Bob Buck, Jack Cota, Kellee

Hunkapi, Stephanie Armstead, Rick Rolfson,

Rich Kasprzak, Kent Hardy, Doug Rose, Dave

Butts, David Hopwood, Michelle Bellfi eld

Chris Kuefl er’s Carnivorous Capitalists: Anthony Mills,

Bruce Biddick, Andy Tappin, Paul Cruz, Mike Anderson, DJ,

Brent Van Lith, Dave Steen, Mike McGinley, Virak Hing

Trinity Jensen’s Tyrannosaurus Tempests: Dennis Bolter,

Lynn Chebanyuk, Bill Neuenfeldt, Mark Jessee, Fred Eshleman,

Steve Tangen, Tom Durand, Don Madison, Chi Kang, Roy

Ellsworth, Melonie Bunner.

Some Material Management Department Statistics

Currently our department has 41 employees

1 - Manager

2 - Supervisor/Planner

1 – Inventory Analyst

3 – Coordinators

8 - Head Stockkeepers

9 - Lead Stockkeepers

14 – Stockkeepers

1 - Clerk

Bob Buck, MJR Head Stockkeeper, makes it

to the "Rule of 90."

Material Management will be adding a lead

and regular stockkeeper in 2013 and another

regular stockkeeper in 2014.

Retirements

Congratulations to November Retirees11/10/12 Margarita Scott, EM Gar. Op. 9307

11/24/12 John Soutor, EM Gar. Op. 9620

11/20/12 Henry Baltes, So. Gar. Op. 9421

Congratulations to December Retiree12/08/12 Joe Oakley, So.Gar. Op. 2265

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 a.m. the 2nd Tuesday of each month

at Barnacle Bill’s, Shingle Creek Parkway and

Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center.

Southside Breakfast Club

Meets 8:00 a.m. the 1st Wednesday and the 4th

Thursday of each month at the VFW Post, 67th

Street 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. Con-

cord St., South St. Paul 55075

If you want to join the St. Paul Retiree Club, con-

tact one of the following:

President Howard Osterkamp (651) 731-2428

Vice-President Jay Kerkvliet (651) 489-8281

Treasurer Paul Huber (651) 698-6551

Secretary Mary Huber (651) 698-5771

Union Dues After

Retirement

When you retire, make sure you maintain your membership dues. Those who retire today pay

$49.80/yr. The “Death Benefi t” is $1,000 from the International, and $100 from the local ($1,100

total). You will also be able to vote on election of offi cers and stay connected by attending monthly

membership meetings. If you have been a member for 50 years, you no longer have to pay dues, and

are a Lifetime Member.

The 1005 Line

Remember, you can always access past and present

issues online at www.atu1005.com on the Education

page. You can also see the results of arbitration votes

and other meeting results.

About the ATU

The Amalgamated Transit Union is the largest labor

organization representing transit workers in the United

States and Canada. Founded in 1892, the ATU today

is comprised of over 190,000 members in 264 local

unions spread across 44 states and nine provinces, in-

cluding 3,000 workers at Greyhound Lines, Inc. Com-

posed of bus drivers, light rail operators, maintenance

and clerical personnel and other transit and municipal

employees, the ATU works to promote transit issues

and fi ghts for the interests of its hard-working mem-

bers.

A new member, Abdirahman Mohamoud, Operator

#71014 from Heywood Garage, starts out his em-

ployment by attending the December membership

meeting. Welcome! We are glad to have your input

and participation.

Annual Aerosol Training

Scheduled in April

The Instruction Center will host annual aerosol training and certification courses in April.

Any operator who wants to carry aerosol for self-defense purposes must attend one of the courses. The

course will cover conflict management skills and de-escalation techniques. Those who attend may choose not to

get certified to carry aerosol.

Attendance is voluntary and must be done on an employee’s own time. The courses are held only in April of

each year.

Following is the schedule:• Tuesday April 2, 2013 at 10:30am to 1:00pm

• Saturday April 13, 2013 at 09:00am to 11:30am

• Wednesday April 17, 2013 at 11:00am to 1:30pm

• Thursday April 25, 2013 at 7:00pm to 9:30pm

• Tuesday April 30, 2013 at 12:30pm to 3:00pm

Bus operators should contact their garage coordinators to register. Rail operators should contact their rail

instructors.

2-year Re-certification: Those certified in 2011 to carry aerosol are due for recertification. Starting in April,

see your manager to apply for a new certificate. If you are not recertified by April 30, 2013 you cannot carry or

use aerosol while on duty.

Posters will be hung at all garage facilities, in the Instruction Center, and Light Rail with more information.

feel is gone.

We must make sure we all understand that our actions can and do affect others. Although we cannot control another person’s response, we can control ourselves. If you fi nd yourself in a position where you may have lost control or been disrespectful with a co-worker, please apologize and learn from it.

We must all realize that a message has been sent. We can disagree on what that message is, but it’s clear that a message was sent. Let’s not let that message get lost.

Offi cer's Corner continued from p . 2

Geneva Sykes Retires

Geneva Sykes #3582 was hired January

22, 1996 as a cleaner and worked at Nicol-

let, Heywood and East Metro. She retired

with a combination of 32 years of service

on February 1, 2013.

Geneva and her longtime signifi cant

companion Steve plan on enjoying a vari-

ety of road trips in their retirement.

Many employees from around the com-

pany came to say farewell to Geneva. A

fabulous potluck of food and gifts sent her

off with much love.

Michael Humphreys #5154 Retires

On January 4, 2013 at Nicollet Garage, Employee #5154,

Michael Humphreys, retired from Metro Transit with 33

years of service. Mike was hired August 30, 1979.

Coworkers and managers helped Michael celebrate in the

Nicollet maintenance lunchroom at 9:00 a.m.

Michael Humphreys #5154 is assisted in displaying his

cake by Sy Sharp, Nicollet Maintenance Department Man-

ager.

Peter Moscatelli #9098 Retirement

Peter was hired as a part-time

driver on May 5, 1990 and be-

came a full-time driver on April

22, 1992.

Peter retired from East Metro

on January 25, 2013. Many

family members attended his

retirement party, where he was

praised by management and co-

workers alike for his work ethic

and friendly, helpful attitude.

Dispatch Dispensary

Drivers overheard talking to the dispatcher early one morning

at Nicollet Garage:

Driver #1: Howard, can I have a couple of aspirin? (Aspirin

delivered.)

Driver #2: (surprised, but sporting a scratch): Howard, do you

have a Band-Aid? (He did.)

Driver #3: Can I have a blood-pressure pill?

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 612-695-

0238. I would love to write

about the talented people at

Metro Transit!

Edward A. Ebert #6365, 54, passed away at Regions Hospital after being injured

in a single-vehicle accident in St. Paul. Ed was hired January, 6, 1996 and was

an operator at East Metro at the time of his death. 'Eddie' was loved by his co-

workers. Always with a chuckle and commentary on something he observed, his

presence will be missed by many Operators and passengers.

Martin Berde, 79, of St. Paul, passed away around the Thanksgiving holiday. He

was preceded in death by his parents, Archie and Ann Berde and wife, Bernita.

He is survived by his daughters Marni Matthews, Sherry (Charlie Townsend)

Berde-Townsend and Carol (Janae Berg) Berde; and their mother, Maxine (Bill)

Vanderhoff; brothers, Stan Berde and Steve (Louise) Berde; sister, Bobbi (Morrie)

Ettinger-Wilf; granddaughter, Melissa (Tom) Sax and great-grandson, Logan Sax.

Marty #284 worked at Metro Transit from February 19, 1979 – October 19,

2009, taking a brief hiatus from his original retirement on February 7, 1998 to

return as retiree part-time Driver #7006 from June 14, 1999, until his second retire-

ment on October 19, 2009. Most of his career was spent at South Garage.

Mickelson, Walter, age 92, of Minneapolis, passed away December 13th,

2012. He was preceded in death by grandson, James; parents, Gertrude

and Alfred; sisters, Lorraine Demann and Josephine Olson; brothers,

Mayor, Howard, Palmer and Ervin. He is survived by his loving wife of 66

years, Catherine "Kay"; sons, Byron (Carol), Bruce (Kathy) and Steven;

daughter, Sheila (Larry) Bergquest; grandchildren, Jeanette, Marcy, Tina,

Kelly, Lukas and Troy; great-grandchildren, Aaron, Brandon, Michael,

Abby, Katie, Carson and Gwen; sister, Ginny Hahn; brothers, Lawrence,

Orlando, Adolph, Earl and Herbert; many nieces, nephews and extended

family. Walter was once the Recording Secretary of ATU Local 1005.

Lance Baumann #2465 passed away in December of 2012. Lance was hired as a

part-time operator on January 12, 2002. He was promoted to full-time operator on

December 6, 2003 and worked at South Garage. He enjoyed working the extra board

and his Red Corvette.

In Memoriam

Ron Fontaine, Light Rail Operator #1268, died February 11th, 2013. Ron was a big

fan of baseball and trips to his cabin in Big Lake. He was friendly and well-liked by

his co-workers.

His family will hold a private ceremony and have asked that cards be sent to the

following address:

Nokomis Chapel,

1838 E. Minnehaha Parkway

Minneapolis, MN 55407

In Memoriam

Warren N. Bergman, 89, “moved from his home in Bloomington

to his home in heaven on Thursday, October 25, 2012."

Ross “Rick” Findorff #390, age 60, of Richfi eld,

passed away December 5, 2012. He was preceded

in death by his parents, Arthur and Valeria and

sister, Roberta. Rick is survived by siblings Richard

(Joyce), Roxey and Ronald; niece and nephews, Bill,

Mike, Pam, Rob and Russ; great-nephew, Riley, and

also many special friends. A longtime bus driver

for the MTC, Ross was hired January 26, 1987 as a

part-time driver, went full-time on May 16, 1988 and

retired from South Garage on May 10, 2012.

Anthony Franklin #39002 was hired April 1, 2002 by Metro Transit and worked

for almost eleven years as a cleaner, most recently at the East Metro Garage, al-

though he also worked at MJR and Heywood. 'Tony' was born in Hot Springs Ark.,

moved to St Paul, joined the Navy for 3 years. He came to MT in 2002 and worked

as a cleaner. He was a Deacon of his church, enjoyed spending time with his 4 sons,

loved sports, fi shing,and helping others. He was loved by his co-workers and will

be missed by all.

Charles "Chuck" Lauren #1674, passed away January 24, 2013 at the age of

77. He was preceded in death by parents Andrew and Marion Leko; sister Gloria

(Leko) Royce; brother Richard Leko; and son Stephen James Leko. He is survived

by his beloved wife Lorraine; daughters Carolyn Lauren-Schmidt (Harold Schmidt),

Yvonne Lauren and Barbara King; sons Kenneth Lauren (Jeannie), Raymond Lauren

(Diane) and Victor Lauren (Shari); 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Chuck was hired by Metro Transit as a part-time driver on September10, 1984,

promoted to full-time on September 18, 1985 and retired April 1, 2005 from East

Metro. Chuck also worked at St. Paul Transit Services, worked for years at Jerry's

TV Repair on Grand Ave. in St. Paul and was the owner and operator of Chuck's TV

& Repair on St. Clair Avenue in St. Paul.

Junior O.Sunsdahl, age 74, of Blaine, passed away on Friday, January 25, 2013 at

Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother,

Orvin; and sisters, Delores and Junes. He is survived by his loving wife of 53

years, Maxine; daughters, Kathy Gobel and Mary (Steve) Foyt; son, Bob (Jennifer)

Sunsdahl; grandkids, Corey, Misty, Keshia, Tanner, and Nathan; sister, Diane; and

many other relatives and friends. Junior was a loving husband, dad and grandpa

and taught us by example and loved us unconditionally.

Junior was a long-time driver and trainer, and one of the fi rst Safety Supervisors

at the MTC. He has left behind a long legacy that continues to this day.

2013 ATU Local 1005

Scholarship Award

This scholarship is open each year to the children of active and retired members

of ATU Local 1005.

The Scholarship Selection

Scholarships to aid in the attainment of a bachelor's degree or a two-year

vocational/technical/associate degree are determined by a lottery among eligible

applicants. Names will be drawn at the a.m. membership meeting on

May 28th, 2013.

Amount of Awards

Awards to applicants are $1,250 per academic year paid directly to the accredited college or vocational/techni-

cal school. Each award is given for a specifi c period of two (2) years, for a total of $2,500 per award. There will

be four (4) awards given per year to eligible applicants.

Eligibility Requirements

Any applicant must be: The son, daughter, stepchild or legally adopted child of an ATU 1005 member. Only

one scholarship per applicant will be awarded. If an applicant's name is not chosen, the applicant may reapply

prior to their fi rst, second, or third year of post-secondary education.

The Applicant

Must have one parent with two years of continuous service since the date of hire and be in good-standing

membership in ATU 1005, up to and including the application deadline of May 17th, 2013.

The ATU 1005 member (parent) must maintain continuous good standing throughout the life of the award. In

the event that the parent loses "good-standing," the son or daughter shall lose eligibility based on a per-year basis.

Eligibility will be retained if the parent dies after the son or daughter is awarded a scholarship, provided the parent

had two years of "continuous good-standing membership" at the time of death.

The applicant must also have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Applicants are eligible up to and including age 21 at application deadline.

Applicants already enrolled in a two or four-year program must have held a minimum "C" average for

the previous full-time post-secondary education completed.

Must plan to take a regular college or vocational/technical/associate program on a full-time basis, maintaining

qualifying grades (minimum "C" average)

Ineligible Applicants Include

-Applicants who do not intend to work, without interruption, for a bachelor's degree or completion of a voca-

tional/technical certifi cation/associate degree.

- Graduate Students

- Applicants who do not plan to enroll in an accredited college or vocational/technical school

How to apply

To be valid, an application must be submitted on the appropriate form. Applications for the 2013 competition

may be obtained from your Executive Board Member, Union Offi cer, or at www.atu1005.com. Requests for ap-

plications should be made as early as possible.

2013 Jan/Feb

Documents

Transcript of 2013 Jan/Feb