The Only Stupid Question Is The One You Don't Ask 0 Comments

In last months report I'm sure many of you remember that I stated that it looked as though we were in the clear for summer, citing that this was based on current information, and that from the time I wrote the article, to the time you received it, was a difference of 3 weeks. (for those of you who forget the Labor Press is written & printed in advance...DOAH!)

  Well it all changed overnight unfortunately and where as the bulk of the Districts layoffs were to occur in the fall, they have now been moved up to summer. This change by the Districts own admission was due to the fact that the planning department made a counting error regarding EmX drivers. So while I prefaced my statement (knowing how fast things change), the Union was as surprised as you were, and now have a shorter timeline and more numbers to work with the District in the effort to offset layoffs.

   Upon delivery of the news to the Union of the District's error, it was agreed that due to the increase in layoffs, that the number of retirement incentive packages that were initially offered would be nearly tripled and for summer bid the District would now offer 5 voluntary furlough packages. This is the current action being taken. Whatever else may be brought forth to avert layoffs is not in play but your union is working as hard to do what we can to preserve jobs.

   I know this is a stressful time. I know because I can see it on many of your faces. I know because I don't sleep well if at all myself lately. (and no that's not just because I drive the 79x). Some of you have expressed discontent that at the last Union meeting there was a lack of information regarding layoffs. I am not sure what else I can say.

No More Speculating

 Learning from my last report: even speculating , even when it all seems in the bag - is a mistake. Optimism is all most of us really have. Still, I think Chris Rock the comedian once said: "They always told us, there was a light at the end of the tunnel...They never told us...It was a train!" I don't want my message to be that, but I ask you all that are in the Layoff effected range, to hope for the best, and plan for the worst.

 Understand that it is a day to day thing when it comes to the numbers and that for me to tell you anything I don't know as fact during a union meeting would be unfair and irresponsible of me. But remember, you are the Union...If you got to a Union meeting and don't get the information you want - ask. If you don't like the answer- tell us. But don't leave the meeting and spread the message that the union isn't giving the answers, when you passed on the opportunity to ask the question.

 We have begun early talks regarding the pension plan and the Health Plan in an effort to lay the ground-work for negotiations. Many of you have expressed your concerns of the timeliness of the process and while this is only the first time I have been involved with a contract negotiation directly, I have played a part in another contract ratification in another union. The process is slow at times and fast at others.

"Hurry up and wait." 

 This is not by design but is more a byproduct of collective bargaining. But hurry up and wait is outweighed by the end result of collective bargaining. Many of you who have been here a short time need to realize that your pay and benefits are a result of battles of old fought by the people you work beside day to day. I ask that during this time you stay focused in your solidarity and continue to ban together. Your union officers, local and universal, are dedicated to the cause and will keep you in the know as soon as they are in the know on issues surrounding the membership.

In Solidarity,
Brian Pasquali
ATU 757 Executive Board Officer
Lane Transit

Summer Bid, Concepts and Solidarity 0 Comments

Looks like we will manage to pull it off for summer. As there is a three week delay from the time I write an article, to the time the Labor Press gets to your mailbox, I often take an educated guess as to how certain issues will work out. Given the fact(s), to date we have had 4 people committed to the retirement incentive package out of 8 turned in, and given that out of those 8 turned in we sent out roughly 40 offers, and given that this is just the first week of the offer period my semi-bold guess is that we will make it through the summer without layoffs. Now to focus on Fall.

Pro-EmX:  Debunking The Anti-EmX Concept

It was suggested to me by an individual that some of my recent comments/ criticism of the EmX were closed minded and that in expressing my dismay with the project as a whole, that it was meant (or more it was taken) as me being against the EmX Operators. Now, you all have the right to disagree with me. I encourage it. You have the right to take what I write and interpret it and respond to it as you wish because I am not your boss. But you can't question my dedication and devotion to this membership. I am not in this for me. I am in it for the good of our membership-AS IN-the ENTIRE membership. 

When I speak out against a District or a District project such as the EmX it is always for the reason of giving the membership a voice. Most of my articles come from a consensus of the memberships' views and feedback. 

When it comes to the EmX, my belief of the negative impact it has had and continues to have on the membership is a shared reality amongst the majority of the membership. So really my words are not just my own. SO TO BE CLEAR I am in no way against the EmX operators based on my position on the EmX.Though it sounds as though it is only one fellow member that took it this way - I feel clarification is needed.

As for the EmX  "concept" as a whole, I am not, and never have been, against it (again, in concept). After all I drove the thing myself for a year. Still, we all know "concepts" sometimes don't pan out or go sour, not by any fault of our own. When this happens, the owner of the "concept" is ultimately responsible to adapt, improvise, delay, and if necessary abort, if the concept runs into the for-mentioned troubles or otherwise becomes unsustainable. 

But, when ego is coupled with the "concept" by the owner. It makes it very hard to adapt. When deception is used to promote the concept to the users, the need for improvisation is easily ignored. When heavy obligations are put forth to guarantee the concept to delay or to abort becomes litigious. This is the basic formula associated with the EmX that is troubling to me.

 All Together Now!

Our last two union meetings have been huge! I guess people have had enough of the bullying management tactics. And what better way to fight back than to show up in solidarity. The message of "enough is enough" that came out of those meetings was conveyed to management through your Officers and it made an immediate difference. And that's how it all works people. 

Now, lets keep the pressure on! Management knows we are uniting and that is their worst nightmare. So join me - Guido the Boogie man! If you didn't show up for the last meetings - maybe its time. It it your union. If you were one of the many who showed up thank you, and see you next month.

In Solidarity,

Brian Pasquali

Executive Board Officer

ATU 757 of Lane County

No More Doom & Gloom - Stand Together - Stand Tall! 0 Comments

  Hello Brothers and Sisters. While the District continues to talk doomsday scenarios with the public and the operators who will listen, we have begun doing what we can do in the union to at least lighten the blow.

  In all essence it is a similar model to what we put together last year with the idea being we try to create incentive to retire for those that are wanting to go. In addition we will be asking for a furlough option for the summer for those who want to go just not forever.

  Remember, while stimulus money helped some last year, your union opened the last set of parachutes to save the four to five jobs remaining unprotected. We all came together last time around and I hope we can stand together once again but were not off to a good start. 

 District PR & The Hope Crushing Machine

   Since the District began their PR campaign mid February I noticed a change in many of your mindsets. The majority of you "get it" and see through the propaganda machine. After all, we have been down this road many times now and many senior drivers have seen this scenario more than they care to remember.

   But a few of you reacted the way the district wanted to you to react and believe what the district wanted you to believe this time around. While most didn't bother going to our GM's employee "info" meetings, some of you did and came out somewhat troubled.

The thing to remember about The Districts "meetings":

• When they show you numbers, remember, numbers can be made to lie and in this case, the books are cooked "well done." Because, they want you to to panic, to loose hope, and to turn on your union brothers and sisters. 
• They want you to believe that the primary issues surrounding the shortfall are YOUR wages and YOUR benefits being too high in this crippled economy. 
• They want you to feel as though its YOUR fault. 
• They tell you that this silo of money is for this and that pile of money is for that...Its all baloney.

   But The District never tells you what is truly relevant:

• What are the department heads making? 
• How much is the average administrative employee' s salary and is that above or below what the market is paying? 
• What is the administration to hourly wage employee ratio and how does that compare to other transit agencies? 
• How much did the required  funds matching for the EmX project(s) impact our general operating fund?
• Why are we buying new buses and why are we continuing to buy articulated buses when we we won't have anyone to drive them and artics are proven to be less efficient due to the excessive time lost in and out of service stops?

Why in all of this has the District not even talked about laying off administrative employees??
     

    So many of these questions will be asked and answered by your union before the next press release so that you will know the truth.

   In the mean time don't fall for the evasive maneuvers the District makes. This is all standard procedure on every property before a contract comes up. It may be true we are heading toward layoffs of some degree, but we cant just let them off the hook because they say they are victims of a faltering economy.


  They have run this same story in good economic conditions (its true!).  Make no mistake our District Leadership is responsible for this mess and the campaign they have put out there trying to divert the blame elsewhere proves it. They have (to date) spent more money and more resources getting the message out to the public and to the employees that 'the sky is falling' then they have actually trying to fix the problem.

   Remember, the only way we are going to get through this one way or the other, is by maintaining solidarity.We must stand together for we are only as strong as our weakest link

Brian Pasquali

Executive Board Officer

ATU 757 of Lane County

Here is the latest flier handout reminding you about Your Meetings & Your Union - if you missed it please take a look: Rally Cry

 

Four Take Leave - Four Releaved 0 Comments

As Four Operators Take The Furlough - It Allowed Four Other Operators Jobs to Be Saved

Without a doubt the Furlough program was a success. There was a minor problem that can be corrected I will mention later in this post. The first three were gone before day one of the bid was complete and the 4th closed the offer after a handful of people bid on the second day. Those that bid the summer furlough seemed very happy to be able to do so while keeping benefits and seniority rank while the 4 that in turn were able to keep employment at least until we cross the next bridge are somewhat relieved they do not have to search for a Job in this unforgiving Lane County job market.

I have heard from many of you that it would be nice if this was a regular offer and that many more of you would have accepted the leave had it made it to your seniority level. I agree, and I will be working with the District to explore our options in the future-layoffs or not. It may be something we look to get added either before or during Contract talks. I will keep the membership informed but I see this as a possible way the District can save some money and the Membership can take a few months off

One flaw was detected on the last day of bid week that was brought o my attention by someone that had bid vacation board and was waiting to select which weeks to sign for. Basically those who took furloughs also had bid vacation weeks for the summer back in March. Because these operators had the took the furlough, the days off were undetermined but it was reasonable to assume that as the 4 nearly always bid Sat and Suns as their days off-it would stay that way. So their names were posted as taking the furlough, but, days off were not posted as with other bidders at the time the vacation board operators signed up for the VACO board. Those considering bidding the Vacation Board have a very good idea how many weekends are to be available due to the fact that the operators scheduled for vacation that week have already picked a run showing their days off or have routinely pick the same days off in the past. So when any operator signs for the VACO board they sort of gauge what they see other operators s have taken for vacation during that bid and sign up, or don't sign up accordingly. If the four furlough takers listed normally take Sat and Sun off for their normal week it would be a reasonable assumption that that those days off would remain constant even during a furlough. When the District designated bid room personnel made the choice to change those consistent days off from Sat and Sun to other combinations of Days off they did so after the bid began and after the vacation board operators signed up for the Vacation board. While they have the right to do this they needed to notify all operators considering to sign for the vacation board so to ensure proper warning. Instead it became an unfair practice and because it made what vacation board bidders use as a long standing practice for making their choice of work it the ATU will likely request a Vacation Board rebid. I will be asking we restart the process of selection of VACO weeks based on this. The process should take only 8 hours but those hours will be broken up over the course of 4 or 5 days. I will conduct the sign up personally in an effort to save the District the cost. In addition I will try to do so in the without mark off by catching up with drivers before and after their scheduled run. So with this section of the bid being conducted by the ATU at almost no cost tot he district, the request for VACO Board rebid with the appropriate days off reset, shouldn't be denied.

What I will say about this oversight is that being the Furlough program was a ground breaking, one these types of anomalies are inevitable. But as the District bid personnel deliberately changed the days off and failed to properly notify the Operators or the Union before operators had signed up-the request to rebid is based on the principle of unfair notice. While I check over the run cut thoroughly before the bid is posted and before it begins, it makes it harder to stop the train after the bid is underway. Lets hope the District does the right thing here.

union bloggers, ATU 757, furlough, vacation bid, unfair notice

Furloughs - Not Just For Criminals... Anymore! 3 Comments

Oh FURLOUGH where out thou?

Out comes the sun finally. So I realize the first post was somewhat negative and I want to make it known that is not why we began the site. However, shortly after the first post we made some progress if not a breakthrough in averting the 4 layoffs.

4 furlough packages will be offered to operators wishing to take the summer bid off while retaining all health dental and vision benefits at no cost to them. Seniority will remain intact and vacations will still be paid out as they would have. This leave without pay furlough will be offered by seniority during the summer bid this week. Basically you have another choice besides a run. Not too shabby. This may be all we need to keep the 4. We shall see.

Furloughs - Not Just For Criminals., Anymore!


How did we get to this point?

Early this year and in late 2008 when the number was at its high point at 26 layoffs as opposed to the 4 now, your ATU leadership (Jon, Sam and myself) began to brainstorm for ways to keep people here. After suggesting many of these idea's at the LMC (labor management committee) the initial strategy the District and the ATU came up with was the retirement incentive packages.

OF course, shortly after getting this project underway, news of President Obama's stimulus package passing was a game changer. Where initially the District had entertained a higher dollar value for each package with the number of of layoffs being lowered there would be less need for incentive. The packages stayed but the buyout figure was less than what most operators felt would be a fair.

So bottom line at the last L.M.C meeting on April 23rd, the District informed us that there were no buyout takers on the Operators side. AS a result, Management informed us 4 layoffs would be likely made but set no time line. We had assumed as the initial threat of 26 layoffs was set for Fall, then that would be the time they would notify us. Also at that LMC the union was still suggesting alternatives. The furlough was brought up as well as a re-offer of the incentive packages. We left under the reasonable assumption more of an effort would be taken by all before layoffs were announced. Unfortunately this was not the case and Operations Directors made the announcement to each employee while the Union leadership was out of town on a business trip.

REMEMBER TO VOTE IN OUR UNION ELECTIONS. BALLOTS ARE ON THE WAY TO YOU IN THE MAIL.

ATU 757, Union Bloggers, Obama, transit operations, furlough, stimulus, driver lay-offs