Happy New Year!
As we begin 2006 I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and wish the best to all in the coming year(s).
New Executive Board Officers
At the December 1, 2005 Executive Board meeting the following individuals/members were appointed and approved by their fellow Officers. Terms of office to begin January 1, 2006. Welcome Aboard!
Operator Position III– Barry Aiton
Facilities Maintenance– Joe Digiulio
Service Supervisor– Deborah Brown
Maintenance position I– Russ Lowe (JLM)
Thank you
The Officers, past and present of this local would like to thank Ken Vodrup our Paratransit Services Shop Steward for the service he has provided to this Union and his co-workers as well. Ken has contracted to COACH softball at lower Columbia College this Spring so along with his regular job duties and the busy softball schedule, he felt that he really could not or did not have the time to commit for contract negotiation meetings and his duties as a Steward. We wish you the best Ken and thanks again for your commitment to your members and the Union.
Shop Stewards
At our January Executive Board meeting we will make appointments to the position's of Shop Steward's. The Steward monitors collective-bargaining agreements, advise employees on contract provisions, confront employers over safety issues and represent employees in step I grievance proceedings. In addition the Steward protects jobs and welfare of your fellow employees/members and use their leadership skills to build the Union. The Steward is also a valuable conduit to the Union leadership.
Appointees will be notified and Pierce Transit Management made aware of appointees to the positions. Thank you for your interest and dedication to not only the Union but your co-workers as well.
Legislative Update
The Opening of the 2006 Legislative session is just around the corner.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Legislative Council (ATULC) of Washington State will hold it’s first legislative Council meeting of the year Thursday January 19, 2006 at the Red Lion Hotel 2300 Evergreen Parkway Dr SW, Olympia. The meeting will start at 1:00 pm and the annual Legislative reception will be held starting at 5:45 pm at the same location. The tentative agenda includes the following: PERS early retirement, State Operating Assistance, Labor Issues, Review of Legislative Agenda and any new business coming to the attention of the body.
The Officers of the ATULC are:
President Dennis Antonellis – 1015 Spokane,
V. President Rick Sepolen – 587 Seattle
Secretary/Treasurer Karen Stites – 1384 Olympia.
The ATULC represents all 10 Washington State ATU Locals and 18 represented properties. On Friday January 20, 2006 will be the ATULC lobby Day at the Capitol. If anyone is interested in meeting their Legislators please contact the Union Office at 588-3651 for any additional information you may want or need to make it happen Thanks
Grievance Update
Maintenance Mechanics- Pierce Transit violation of wages and overtime provisions. Article XV- presently at step II, Article VIII grievance procedure.
Rex Longen- Specialized Transportation Dispatcher demotion-Arbitration Wednesday, January 18, 2006.
Upcoming January Events
January 10th, 2006– Joint Labor Management meeting at Pierce Transit.
January 18th, 2006– Rex Longen Arbitration.
January 19th, 2006– ATULC Olympia/Capital Campus.
January 19th, 2006– Meet the “new” CEO candidates for Pierce Transit in the Rainier Room.
January 20th, 2006 CEO candidate interviews.
January 26th thru 29th, 2006– Northwest Executive Board in Phoenix, Arizona.
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Lane Chase, Vice President/A.B.A.
V.president@atu758.org
RIGHT TO WORK
This letter was written in response to a News Tribune article. It was not published in the op-ed section of the newspaper. After reading the article I could not sit by and not at least try to offer some counter points to Mr. Davis’s article. As union members one of the most important lessons you will ever learn is that silence, gives your tacit approval whether you wanted to or not!
December 9, 2005
The Editor
The Tacoma News Tribune
PO Box 11000
Tacoma, Wash. 98411
Re: “Workers lose right to choose when forced to join unions” (article dated: December, 07, 2005 by Richard S. Davis. At the end of his article it states that he is the President, of the “Washington Research Council.” While this is technically true, it is the Research Council in Washington D.C., not Washington State. The state managers and union representatives mentioned in his article negotiated a contract, after the majority of workers voted to be represented by the union. Mr. Davis’ article implies that only employees who join a union lose their rights. Any contract in which one enters be it an individual or union restricts one’s rights to some degree; the same contract also restricts management’s rights. That is the very purpose of entering a contract. The workers also have the right to choose whether or not to work there. The union shop is not necessarily anti-freedom; in fact it is at times indispensable to the preservation of freedoms. In our communities, we have diversity in character, personal beliefs, and privileges of individualism protected by law. Without opposition you have unrestricted power. Just as non-union labor checks oppression by the union, the union checks oppression by the employer. The union, while working for its members in limiting the powers of the employer, needs to occasionally restrict the freedom of its members. In order for you to secure the many benefits of our society, which include political and civil liberties, and protection of aggression by maintaining a military force, among a few we give up some of our rights and choices as citizens of this country. A union does not ask any more from its members. Mr. Davis refers to the “Right to Work”. This is the same tired rhetoric used by right to work supporters. By the very nature of the contract that was entered into by management, it restricts management’s future freedoms or other actions. Never do they say let’s stop management from forming associations, cartels, and more. You have to ask yourself, “Why are the pro right to work supporters so afraid of the ordinary worker having a collective voice, they have no problem with management having one?” The workers who did not want to become members still reap the benefits of the collective group. The same as Mr. Davis reaps the benefits of the United States, and the state he is a citizen and resident of, even if he doesn’t agree or even want to be a citizen, and yes he is still required to pay his dues, (taxes). The workers that Mr. Davis is referring to have the right to become fee objectors, entitling them to deduct the portion of their dues that are not used to represent them. This is more freedom than you get when you don’t agree with the President or Congress. You still have to pay all of your taxes to the IRS, whether you agree with the government or not. It has been shown over and over that union members enjoy better wages, benefits, and working conditions, (Women approximately +40%, African Americans +44%, and Latin Americans+53%, and 69% of union workers have a pension compared to 14% of non-union.)
Unions include what is typically considered disadvantaged work groups, I for one have to ask my self, “As difficult as it is to make ends meet and have a decent standard of living, why would Mr. Davis advocate for lower wages and the loss of pensions, by weakening the very institution that has fought for those benefits?” Mr. Davis also tries to make the case of pay for performance. This amounts to the proverbial, “Carrot on a String.” Typically this form of payment is favored by management because they can set the rules and deny payment to workers that should rightly get some performance award, and select their favorites or special groups. The last point Mr. Davis tries to make is that you have to “Pay to Play in the Union.” Mr. Davis
a dvocates letting everyone do their own thing. What happened to majority rule? The workers that are upset are bound by majority rule, just like Mr. Davis is bound by the same majority rule in our country, its called the democratic process, unless of course he is advocating the downfall of our democratic society, and reverting the law of the wild and survival of the fittest!
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Surplus Equipment
The Union office has some equipment available to members only. The first member to call and to actually come by and pick up the equipment is yours for the taking. Available are: one fax machine, two monitors and one eMachine that has a bad mother board and power supply. Please call ahead at 253-588-3651 to check with your Office Secretary Pattie to see if these items are still available. These items are for members to use, they are not to be sold to an out side party. Thank you.
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Union Holiday Party
I wanted to take the time to thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout the past year. When I became a full-time Supervisor, I lost my position on the E-Board as Operator Representative III. My replacement, Barry Aiton will do a great job for you. He is a superb listener, and is very passionate about learning. It is exciting to see a full E-Board again. Secondly, I wanted to recognize those who helped me during the holiday party on Dec. 17th. Sonya Ogden and my husband, Bryan helped all day decorating, preparing food and going to Costco. If it weren't for them, it would not have been completed in time. Juanita Hoheusle showed up early and assisted with food prep as well. In addition, the E-Board and their families helped with clean-up at the end of the evening. Without these people, I would not have been able to pull it off.
Of course there were snags along the way. The DJ's equipment kept unplugging because of a faulty, worn-out electrical outlet. Three or four times the music just stopped, and he did not let me know what was going on until the end of the evening. Also, apparently our members need liquid courage to dance, or lights that turn out completely to get them on the dance floor. Two of about 25 lights stayed on, even when the switches were off. Even with these small obstacles, I feel the party was a huge success. Eventually peoples' inhibitions melted away and they were out shaking their booties.
Putting this party together was a huge task. It was extremely rewarding seeing people having a good time, and spending an evening with fellow Union brothers and sisters. I am sure whoever is in charge of the party next year would welcome suggestions to make it even better. Again, thanks for all the support and encouragement. I wish all of you a Happy New Year.
Trina Skirko, Union Member
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Executive Board Report
Update: Family Leave Activities in Washington:
2006 Legislative Plans - Two important bills will be introduced in the 2006 Washington State Legislature, sponsored by Senator Karen Keiser and Representative Mary Lou Dickerson.
State-level Family and Medical Leave Act to protect rights to unpaid leave.
- Incorporate protections workers and employers now enjoy.
- Extend FMLA protections to companies with 25 or more employees, as in Oregon. This change will cover 330,000 additional Washington workers (12.5% of employees), and 11,000 additional firms (5.4% of firms).
- Include domestic partners as covered family members. Along with children, spouses, and parents.
Minimum Paid Sick Days Standard for all workers, similar to the minimum wage.
- Minimum standard of 10 days or 80 hours of paid sick leave annually
- Pro-rated for part-time workers
- Available for worker illness, doctor visits, and family illness
- Employers meeting or exceeding the standards would not need to change their policies
- Employers could require medical certification of health conditions 940,000 workers in Washington state now have no sick leave
State Family and Medical Leave Act- Currently, the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides for up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off to care for a newborn or newly placed adoptive or foster child; a child, spouse , or parent with a medically certified serious health condition; or the worker’s own serious health condition. To be eligible, workers must work for a public employer or company of 50 or more employees, have been with the employer a full year, and worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous year. Despite its limitations, since 1993 the FMLA has helped millions of Americans balance work and family during critical times.
The vast majority of employers have found that the law is easy to administer and that the benefits easily outweigh the costs. The U.S. Department of Labor is considering revising the definition of “serious medical condition” from a standard of 3 days of incapacity and medical treatment to 10 days. They may also eliminate the ability to take intermittent leave for less than half a day. If the federal rules change, Washington workers will lose rights and protections they now have. We may be forced to go to work while sick with the flu or other highly contagious diseases, endangering public health. We could lose the ability to manage a child’s asthma or take a spouse to chemotherapy. Other states have passed their own versions of FMLA and extended protections to more workers. Oregon’s law has covered workers in companies of 25 or more since 1995, and includes parents-in-law and same-sex domestic partners as covered family members. Maine, Vermont and Utah protect workers in companies or 15 or more.
Upcoming Dates/Events:
- Jan 4-8 Tacoma RV Show (253) 756-2121 www.oloughlintradeshows.com
- Jan 6-14 Seattle Boat Show (206) 634-0911 www.seattleboatshow.com
- Jan 16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Jan 25-29 Washington Sportsman’s show (253) 756-2121 www.oloughlintradeshows.com
- Jan 26-28 Clark College Jazz Festival (360) 992-2188 www.clark.edu/special/jazz_festival
Lamarr Bond, E-Board Officer/Shop Steward Operations Position I
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