Dear Ms. Block,
Thank you for your recent e-mail, as well as your thirty-two years of service to TriMet and to Amalgamated Transit Union. I appreciated hearing your concerns regarding management, safety, and working conditions at TriMet.
When my auditors conducted the recent top-to-bottom review of TriMet, we spoke to over 80 individual frontline employees, and our audit looked at some of the issues you mentioned. For example, we found that low morale and employee mistrust of management, which you highlighted, are barriers to communication and problem-solving. My auditors also found that over the last 10 years, the percentage of signals maintenance completed on time dropped from 100% to about 72%, and on-time track maintenance declined from 92% to about 53%. Fortunately, we also determined that three to four TriMet apprentices were on track to graduate with the qualifications to tackle some of the track maintenance work, likely helping to improve performance in this area. Yet, this small, positive step forward should be only one of many.
We provided concrete recommendations to TriMet for addressing the deficiencies identified in the audit. Although TriMet agreed with each and every one of our recommendations, the public should put pressure on TriMet to respond with significant improvements. I encourage you to contact your state legislators—Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson and Representative Chris Gorsek—to express your concerns regarding TriMet’s operations. Below, you will find your legislators’ contact information:
Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson: District: 25
Phone: 503-986-1725
Address: 900 Court St NE,
S-413, Salem, OR, 97301 Sen.LaurieMonnesAnderson@
S-413, Salem, OR, 97301 Sen.LaurieMonnesAnderson@
Representative Chris Gorsek
District: 49
Phone: 503-986-1449
Address: 900 Court St NE, H-486, Salem, OR, 97301
Rep.ChrisGorsek@state.or.us
http://www.leg.state.or.us/
Finally, I encourage you to continue to work with your union to find more opportunities to communicate with TriMet. Outside of contract negotiations, there is little formal communication between ATU and TriMet management. In the audit, we provided some best practices from other transit agencies to help open the lines of communication. I know this may be a frustrating process; however, TriMet must improve its contentious labor-management relationship in order to solve its challenges and continue to provide critical services to Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas County residents.
I am glad that you felt comfortable reaching out to me. Thank you for sharing this information with me.
Sincerely,
Kate Brown
Secretary of State
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