Trimess

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Just ran into Mcfarlane!

At gate c4 in PDX coming out of the men's room! He had just returned from a trip. We had a cordial 5 min chat during which he assured me that he has genuine concern for employees! 
He seems like the nicest guy in informal situations I assured him that my attacks are just business (sic). He would not voluntarily allow me to shoot a pic of him so I honored is wishes. I asked 'maybe we can sit down together and chat'.  

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

That says something about the character of the man if he can cordially have what seems to have been an amicable and pleasant conversation with somebody who calls him a dickhead and other unflattering names in a public setting. To have one of TriMet's most scathing critics walk away from that 5-minute conversation wanting to sit down for a chat is encouraging to say the least.

With that said, I highly doubt if any future relationship you may have with McFarlane will help to stop the "deterioration" of your pension. Even if the two of you were to become best of friends, TriMet is bound and determined to correct the financial strain created by the underfunded liabilities for pensions and health benefits.

With their continued effort to show the public that their union workforce is getting benefits that exceed not only those of other transit agencies but other large public and private employers as well, it's an uphill battle for the union workers for sure.

Al M said...

Well the 'best benefits' is debateable especially when compared with PERS. I never had any real animosity with Mcfarlane on a personal level. I know these decisions aren't his. But since he is in charge he gets the brunt of my rhetorical abuse.

Unknown said...

Batman also has a mask....
HB

Al M said...

Neils is a career technocrat that made it to the top at the exact wrong time.

I was probably the only guy in the airport that recognized him!

Al M said...

Really, of all the people to run into that was funny! Haha and he knew who i was immediately. Funnnnnnny!

Anonymous said...

You're talking about the same guy who used a contingency fund to secretly give bonuses to himself and other high paid execs? The same guy who did this while slashing service and blaming it on the front line workforce? The same guy who is the first Trimet GM without enough respect for the union to personally attend the contract negotiations but instead hired an infamous union buster to "handle" the negotiations? And you're saying he's really just a nice guy who's doing what he's told? Well who's telling him to do all this then or are you just easily charmed? Inquiring minds want to know!

Al M said...

I expect McFarlane to continue ignoring me as she always has

Al M said...

I think McFarlane is doing exactly what the world's elite has been doing to working people since Clinton past NAFTA

Anonymous said...

Why is it that "Exec's" are immune from pay and benefit cuts all the while pleading poverty and dire straits ahead?

If " Leadership" were willing to take the same cuts as those they propose for everyone else... it would be a little easier to accept. But when the attitude is: " I got mine, too bad for you!"

The rules need to be the same for all workers of the same agency.

Anonymous said...

There is a class war raging, its the elites, using their executive class, waging war on working class stiffs.

Mcfarlane is just a stooge for the elite, the only difference is they are stuffing his pockets full of the money they steal from us.

The more the can break the spirit of the working class the more control the elite has over the world.

This war is all about breaking people. Look around you, Al maybe a 'ranting crazy fool' but he is one of the only people putting up any resistance.

The union employees of Trimet are a broken bunch and they deserve no benefits because they all gave them away willingly

Jason Barbour said...

First of all, hello all from Seattle!

A new ridership report was released by APTA today, that public transit use last calendar year was the highest it's been since 1956. But what's buried in the report is that TriMess is DOWN 3.81%, and below 100 million rides during the calendar year! And in 2013 New York ridership was up by over 120 million; the major systems in Seattle are up, too! This report is being picked up by the major media outlets and on the front page of apta.com.

Guess it's time for TriMess to ready another press release that ridership is down due to Union employee benefits, bridgeplates, the fact that TriMess is more concerned with fiscal year ridership numbers, and unsustainable transfer time length proposals.

Anonymous said...

Schmuck