JULY NEWSLETTER
Union Membership Meeting Notice

Thursday, July 10, 2003, at 7:30PM in Union Hall,

3049 South 36TH ST (rear of Bldg)

Friday, July 11, 2003, at 10:00AM in the Union Office,

10828 Gravelly Lake DR. SW, #202

Tuesday, July 15, 2003, at 7:30PM

Longshoreman’s Hall, 627 14TH AVE (Longview)

Executive Board

Thursday, July 3, 2003, at 3:00PM (Union Office)

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

ATU 758 would like to say THANK YOU for your voluntary support of COPE. ATU- COPE represents your interest at every level of government. The more members that contribute to COPE, the bigger impact workers will have on protecting our jobs and our wages. ATU-COPE will be able to support more pro-labor, pro transit candidates Democrat or Republican, who will fight to preserve transit worker collective bargaining rights, to preserve health and safety laws, to ensure the security of transit workers in the workplace by mandating federal requirements for transit security plans and to increase transit funding. In addition, by pooling our money, we have the strength to fend off attempts toward privatization of transit services, as well as attacks on 13(c) and transit funding. We look forward to your continued support, and once again Thank You! If you are not contributing at this time but wish to, or if you have any questions, please feel free to call (253) 588-3651.

Fraternally yours,

Cathie A. Parker Financial Secretary/Treasurer

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President’s Report

Peter Altmann

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Social Security (SS) at Pierce Transit. For years, Members have been interested in getting back in. The cost is 6.5% to PT and to each employee (It must be all employees, not just Union Members). The Board of Commissioners must call for a referendum vote, which would indicate their willingness to pay their 6.5%, then, a simple majority vote by all employees would forever put us into SS.

Disclaimer: There are few subjects more complex than a discussion on joining Social Security. I’ve asked a number of people if they would like to write on it and they declined. To keep this simple, things are greatly approximated and undoubtedly, I missed some important points. Call, write, or Email and we’ll see if we can include it or the point in the next newsletter. Social Security can be reached on line at or by phone at 800-772-1213.

The Problem: After 25 years of service with PERS 2, your retirement check will be less than ½ of your current paycheck.

The Question: Is joining Social Security (SS) a good solution? There is one key piece of information you must understand if you already have some SS credits. Because PT is a government agency with a government pension, your SS benefit is subject to SS’s “Windfall Provision”, which means your benefit payment will be reduced by a modified formula which comes out to about a 1/3 reduction of normal payment. If PT joins SS, the Windfall Provision is phased out over 10 years of SS taxes at PT.

Some Positives of SS: SS will provide retirement payment of about 35% of your paycheck (After being in SS at PT over 10 years). After 10 years at PT and in SS, previous SS earnings would not be reduced by the Windfall provision. There is a narrow disability Insurance (after 5 current years in SS). SS goes with you if you change jobs. Your SS benefit can be passed on to your surviving spouse. If you are married and both are independently eligible for SS, you each receive SS payments. SS forces you to save for retirement.

Some Negatives of SS: Payroll taxes are currently 6.5% and will probably rise. SS benefits are eroding (67 to retire instead of 65, etc). It will be difficult to induce PT to join SS It will be difficult to get 50% of the work force to vote into SS. If PT does join, wage negotiations will be affected.

Conclusion:

Before final research on this article, I felt getting back into SS was an expensive, losing proposition (which it probably is), however, in the interests of the Membership as a whole, in the long run, I think that we would probably be better off with Social Security, because about 75% of our Members are not saving enough for retirement (only 25% of our Members are in PT’s 457 matching deferred program). Social Security is a forced savings for retirement, and when combined with PERS 2, 10 years from now, would provide almost 80% of one’s current paycheck. With only PERS, one would get about 40%. My concern is that most people will need most of their paycheck, but are not saving enough on their own for this to happen. SS forces saving for retirement. Attached is an important survey to give us direction. If this survey indicates that you clearly want us to attempt to bring Social Security to the workplace, we will proceed in that direction.

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 Rumor’s make the job interesting, right? How about if the rumor is about you? If you’re not willing to tell the person involved, please consider not spreading it. Rumors can be hurtful and violate Anti-harassment policies.
Petitioners gathering signatures for initiatives frequently are paid by the number of signatures. Some have been unethical, either by giving misleading facts or copying signatures onto other petitions. In turn, some of these initiatives have hurt Labor and/or Transit.

The Voter Education Project (VEP) toll free: 866-628-2500, sends out volunteers to verify that signature gathers are doing the job correctly. If you see a petitioner, please either call VEP or your Union, so we can call VEP. If you know what the petition is for, it is helpful, but not necessary. Thank you.

When jobs leave the USA and go overseas, it’s not healthy for workers or our economy. This has been Labor’s unhappiness with NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Similar agreements are in the offing with Chile and Singapore. More are expected to follow. Our country has wages and benefits, and environmental protections far greater than these other countries. If you open the doors and windows of your house, can you keep it warm in the winter? I fear these agreements threaten middle class America, which includes us. Are you willing to make a phone call or Email your legislator? To be a strong Union, we must be vocal. Please think about it.

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Lamarr Bond
Executive Board Officer

From all of your union officers and office secretary we would like to wish all of you a safe 4th of July weekend: Peter Altmann, Isaac Tate, Cathie Parker, Sonya Ogden, Lane Chase, Barbara Strong-Nelson, Mike Cochran, Joe DiGiulio, Lenny Mykland, Ginny Stevens, Catherine Jones and Patricia Clark.

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Union Picnic, July 20, 2003
ATU Annual Picnic It is that time of the year again to start planning for the annual picnic. Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 20, 2003 at the Sportsmen's Club, 164th & Canyon Rd, starting at 11:30am. There will be camping available for Saturday night, July 19, 2003. If you have questions and or want to volunteer please see Larry Dahlin, Peter Altmann or Isaac Tate. Larry Dahlin again has stepped up to the plate to volunteer his time to help coordinate and plan the volunteers and the food.

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Survey (Place in Union Drop box or send to Union)

_____ Yes, I’d like to see Pierce Transit join Social Security.

______ No, I do not want to see Pierce Transit join Social Security.

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LATINO CAUCUS MEETING!! Attention all Latino caucus Members, guests, and all that would like to become new members. Our next meeting will be held on Sunday, July 13 at noon (12:00). The meeting will be held at 7627 E. D. St. The mission of the Latino Caucus is to develop and enhance all ATU Members with emphasis on Latinos. Recognizing our Latino heritage, we seek to contribute to the community, growth, and achievement of the ATU. With this statement in mind, I would like to personally invite any ATU Member, Latino or not, to attend this quarterly meeting. For further information contact: Jose Villahermosa, Chairman (253)686-3395 or Val Knight, Recording Secretary/ Treasurer (253)383-1880 Remember: Without your Voice there is no Latino Caucus. Join Us!

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GRIEVANCES:

Dave Moe: Step 1 grievance July 18, 2003, conduct unbecoming.
Sheryl Culver: Arbitration date is September 19, 2003.
Dave Larson: Grievance has been withdrawn per Attorney’s recommendation.

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