I would like to congratulate Jose Villahermosa for being unanimously re-elected to the Latino Caucus Executive Board. Ginny Stevens reported that 10 people seconded his nomination. I also
received numerous compliments about Jose from other Caucus members.
We recently received the annual ranking of highest paid Transit workers in the United States.
Last year Pierce Transit Members were at 18. This year we moved up to 15!
Lobby improvements: Two years ago I wrote PT, encouraging that both the lobby clock and Radio dispatch have the correct time. It was annoying for an operator with the correct time, to be held to a standard of incorrect time. Jane Seymore committed to solve the problem with the lobby remodel. I thank her for honoring her commitment. Both clocks are now based on satellite time. Operators will soon forget that we used to have different times, when the expectation was “on time performance.”
Toni Chase requested protection from the cold winter air that blasted in through the lobby door. The ADA entrance will be moved to the rear door (by the smokers’ shelter), and the lobby door reconfigured to close quickly.
Is the glass half full or half empty? On Commerce, it can be full with either hot or cold water. We thank Jack Oakes for his suggestion, and Larry Cline and Ken Bailey for sticking with it until installation was complete.
For several years, I have encouraged PT to join a tax free Medical Retirement Plan. This is happening in January. When leaving PT, you may avoid taxes on vacation and sick leave, by rolling it into this tax free account. I am not happy with the plan’s lack of flexibility, which is constrained by IRS rulings, but hope as more join these types of plans, that changes in contributions will be allowed, as they have done in other retirement plans.
Sometimes I forget how long things can take, but the lesson was relearned on 4-10s for Operators. Management will be completing their last meeting, and then our joint meeting should occur, and if all goes well, the information will be given out to Operators to vote on whether they would like to try a pilot for 2 shakeups. After 4-10s, comes meetings on improving Relief Operator conditions.
Operators have been inquiring why it’s so difficult to get leave without pay? There has been no change in policy. The Agency will not grant LWs if it incurs OT elsewhere. Relief Operator have been maxed out on hours.
I am sorry to report that we lost retired mechanic Virgil Bolte to cancer. Virgil was a hard worker who served on our Executive Board. Many of our Operators may remember him as the tall man who drove our Tow Truck. Our sympathies go with his family.
The Social Security Vote happens the day after we go to press. Much work went into getting us this far. You asked for this choice and you were given it. If the vote was ‘Yes’, great difficulties lie ahead to pull this off. If the vote was ‘No’, we will work to improve our deferred income match.
PERS very recently announced a large contribution increase starting next July, 4% for employers and 2.5% for employees. On October 19th, Bob Wendt, Marnie Slakey, and I are going to the PERS Pension Committee in Olympia to testify on reducing penalties. Anyone willing to join us should contact me.
When Don Monroe announced his retirement, I wrote the Board of Commissioners, requesting that I be on the final interview panel, to send a clear message that the Board supports a collaborative approach with Labor. They responded immediately with a Yes. I was interviewed by the search consultants, who asked what I was looking for. I responded that we wanted the same thing PT wanted, a CEO who will listen and supports working as a team, that only with high morale can PT be #1 and deliver outstanding customer service. I was assured I will also be given an opportunity to check the background of finalists. Our participation in the final interview for CEO is the fruit born from a collaborative approach. To achieve great accomplishments, we must work together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vice President’s Desk
“Accessible Boarding (ADA)”
This comes directly from Joe Larson, Risk Manager and Tim Renfro, ADA Eligibility Coordinator.
Under the American Disabilities Act three and four wheeled devices designed for and used by individuals with mobility impairments whether operated manually or powered, are defined as a common wheelchair. Therefore, these electric scooters are treated as common wheelchairs. Consequently, under the procedures set forth in the Pierce Transit’s Operator’s Manual, these mobility devices require a four point restraint system and to use all four securement straps. In addition, the ADA allows Pierce Transit to establish such a policy to have these kinds of mobility devices secured in such a manner while aboard a transit vehicle. By having such a securement policy, under the ADA Pierce Transit may decline service to a rider who refuses to allow a three-wheel scooter to be secured with 4 straps or if the scooter cannot be secured with 4 straps.
Without the fourth strap the scooter is not properly secured and exposes the passenger to an unsafe condition.
If the passenger has issues with this policy or threatens to sue Pierce Transit for refusal of service. In the words of G.W Bush ‘Bring’em on’.
“Security Update ‘04”
Due to changing times and our changing world since September 11, 2001, Pierce Transit to address rising safety/security concerns has pumped thousands and thousands of dollars into its base & property security.
The latest addition a “bomb” sniffing dog… Bill!
Bill by the description noted in the memo, seems to be a pretty talented canine, who when detecting an explosive device becomes “passive alert”.
I’m really a “dog” lover (must be over 85 lbs. to be a real dog) so news of this caused me concern.
Poor Bill could be worked to death.
Being on the lot every morning, sniffing every bus before the first one pulls out (unless there’s a particular time someone would plant an explosive device), leaving the bus lot then sniffing every building at the base one by one, floor by floor. The only issue he may have could be the fueling station (explosive) he could freeze up there and never move, so that will be checked last because you can’t fool him. Truly a fine animal, with a monumental task.
But Bill has a litter mate named “Scruffy”. Scruffy is a Poodle/Blue Heeler hound mix (he has issues) and his specialty is detecting “Bums”. Scruffy is passive-aggressive. He has been hired by other agencies to ride-along with the Operator. He usually boards with someone and carries “Service animal” credentials. Scruffy’s aggressive side is usually triggered by phrases like ‘I don’t have any money, I need a longer transfer, How come you can’t make it on time, Stop that bus I need it, Driver someone’s running for the bus.” You wait and they don’t say Thank-you or you wait and they don’t have bus fare!” Scruffy gets really perturbed when someone rides from one end of the system to the other with an expired transfer (say TCC to Parkland to Graham- to Puyallup –to Federal Way and falls asleep and wants a return trip to TCC, without paying.)
Scruffy wakes them up with a foaming mouth, growls, hair raised on back and neck, (because he had to sleep on the floor) and backs them out the door. One of the worst things these shady individuals can do is to verbally or physically assault an Operator. Scruffy is like a “mad dog” in a meat house.
So if you’re driving some outlying route and there’s an individual on your bus and you’re feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, its dark out, and you see what appears to be a mutt scrounging in a garbage can or litter basket, open your door it could very well be Scruffy. (Scruffy does a lot of undercover work.) So until Operators are empowered to do their jobs in a professional manner without fear of complaints from customers or reprisals from their Managers, I’m thinking Pierce Transit should hire Scruffy too, and then the Operators could feel safe in their work environment.
In Solidarity
Isaac O. Tate V.P. /A.B.A.
V.president@atu758.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the second notice that October is nomination month for all Union Officer positions. If you can not attend the Thursday night charter meeting on October 14, 2004, then you must submit a letter of nomination and acceptance. That letter must be into the Union office on or before Thursday, October 14, 2004 or brought to the meeting by a member who is nominating you. Nominations for any office, per our bylaws can only be done at the Thursday night charter meeting. Any member in good standing may run for the positions of President BA, Vice President ABA, Financial Secretary/Treasurer and Recording Secretary. If you intend on running for an E-Board position, you must work in the work group you plan on representing. The Executive Board positions are as follows: Transit Operator position I, II and III, Mechanic position I and II, Facilities Maintenance Mechanic, Administrative Position I, Service Supervisor, Customer Service Rep (CSR) and a Longview Rep.
An Election Committee has been chosen and I thank the following members who are giving their time and knowledge to the committee. Operator Marcia Linville, Supervisor Deborah Brown, Retired Operator Lynne Proctor and Bus Custodian Wanda Cornwell. I will be the Election Committee chair person and my cell number is 253-224-8359. Following the nominations all candidates will receive a letter regarding rules and regulations.
All four Officer’s attended the International Convention, September 13th thru 17th, 2004. As the Recording Secretary, I took minutes. At the October cycle of meeting, my minutes, the daily proceedings, resolutions and the 54th Annual convention program will be available for any member to read.
Sonya Ogden
Recording Secretary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Election Notice
DAY: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2004
TIME: 5 P.M. TO 8 P.M.
PLACE: 627 14TH AVE, LONGVIEW, WA
(Union Hall)
AND
DAY: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2004
TIME: 5 A.M. TO 7 P.M.
PLACE: PIERCE TRANSIT, 3701 96TH ST,
LAKEWOOD, WA (Tent on the bus lot)
If needed, run off dates have been set for Tuesday, December 14, 2004 in Longview and Thursday, December 16, 2004 in Lakewood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Newsletter
If you would like to receive your Newsletter by email please click
here: and sign up.
Return to Home Page
