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President’s Report
Do we benefit by working together? Should it be us and them, or all of us working for a common good?
Pierce Transit is opening further for input. This allows our voice to be heard before decisions are made.
This is where we want to be. For example: PT is self insured and has a Third Party Administrator (TPA) handling
On the Job Injuries (Oji’s). Our TPA is currently Johnson-Culberson/Sedgwick. We have not been happy with Sedgwick.
We have had numbers of demoralizing experiences with them during recovery. PT decided to search for a new TPA and
invited your Union President to participate in the final interviews. This was the first time the TPAs interviewed
with both a company and it’s Union President, which sent a strong message to the TPAs about PT’s concern over how
its employees were treated. After the interviews, we discussed the applicants together. We will see significant
improvement in respect and care given us with the new TPA, which should take over around June. PT also sought our
input before hiring our newest Service Supervisors (we wanted fair people we like and respect, which is what PT wanted
too). There’s more, but you get the idea. Working together helps us shape our working environment as it’s forming,
rather than dealing with it afterwards. This month our efforts were recognized by United Way, who presented PT and
ATU with an award for “Working Together.” (The real reason we won was because Barbara Strong-Nelson did such a fantastic
job of representing both ATU & PT as a loaned executive, nonetheless, it did reflect our efforts). Barb and PT helped
United Way raise over $10 million this year, which will be distributed within Pierce County to help people struggling to
survive. The people at Pierce Transit are an awesome group!
Val Knight, Sheryl Culver, Rick Dresser, Larry Dahlin, and others continue to work toward implementing our Spring Bash
(Operators take note: Both S&T and the body shop have requested that it is not a bus that we bash). More will follow.
The stars aligned for this month’s retirements at PT. Big fish going over the wall. Cleo and Maria in Payroll,
Jerry in Scheduling, and Tom in Dispatch. I’m surprised the company didn’t shut down in withdrawals. Tom’s life passion
has been Transit. For years, Tom owned and operated Lakewood Transit without any subsidy (PT is 90% subsidized).
When PT was created in 1980 it purchased his franchise (which provided Tom with enough money to work the rest of his life).
Tom has had a love affair with Streetcars and followed his destiny to operate Tacoma’s light rail.
[Rumor control- Tom’s job will remain Union and will be similar to what it is now].
Jerry has got to be the grandfather of Pierce Transit with 46 years of service! It took winning the lottery to blast
him out of his job (With his winnings, Jerry can afford to retire on Pers II). Filling his shoes has been a problem and
his job is still open. Transit realizes it going to take training and is very open to potential, rather than experience
(my words). Opportunity is knocking at someone’s door, probably in this Agency. Transit may be willing to look past
required qualifications for the right person who: Knows our system, Wants to learn, Is curious, Has an eye for detail,
Likes numbers, And can be friends with a computer. Step up to the plate, forget fear of rejection, and turn your
application in right away. We have the talent to fill this job!
Cleo has been synonymous with payroll forever, or close to it. All of us learned to trust her integrity and knew
honesty was guiding our paychecks. Maria was counting farebox revenue when were at 12th & Sprague!
We wish all Bona Fortuna.
Peter Altmann
ATU Local 758
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Vice President’s Desk
Isaac O. Tate
"Operators Manual"
Air Cushion – one cushion issued to each Operator “anally” on request
Coach Change – substitution of a “coach” with a minor repair for one you don’t like.
Dead Head – individual sitting on bus riding “around and around”
El Dorado – a curse word
Garage Coach – same as El Dorado
Headway - area where passengers bump heads on “overhead racks”
Hot – see Kiss-n-ride
Incident Report – fill out when “witnessing” running Hot at Kiss-n-ride
Late Board Report – see Breakdown
Layover Zone – see Load Check
Lost Time – see Deadhead
New Flyer – see Relief Transit Operator
Paddle – see Kiss-n-ride or Layover Zone
Recovery Time – see Layover Zone or Load Zone
Regular Operator – see Load Check
Lost Time – Timepoint
Tripper – see Dead Head
Park and Ride – see Kiss-n-ride, Paddle, Layover Zone, Recovery Time, Incident Report, OJI.
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Financial Secretary/Treasurer
Cathie Parker
Paychecks
It is important to review your pay stubs.
Pierce Transit's computer has been having a lot of “GLITCHES”,
resulting in improper payroll deductions such as Union Dues.
Some of these “GLITCHES” are, not enough deducted, not any deducted,
or too much deducted. If you notice a discrepancy in your payroll deductions,
please notify the Union office and/or H.R. at Pierce Transit to get it corrected.
The Union office has been working very hard to catch these “GLITCHES” and your help
would be very much appreciated.
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Grievances
Maintenance: Facility Custodian IIs - Overtime signup. Step I.
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