Trimess

Friday, June 12, 2015

Shirley Block on the recent revelations about Dan Martin



Candidates for Union office:  lies, lies and more lies


When are the lies going to stop?  For the past month or so, Dan Martin who is a TriMet bus operator and  Bruce Hansen’s running mate for Union office, has been pointing his fingers at others while denying that he was a convicted sex offender and that he had plead guilty of defrauding the federal government for three years while he was working for TriMet.   The Oregonian and the Willamette Week recently broke the stories about Martin’s criminal background.

Criminal records confirmed that Martin, who was going by the name Daniel Overby at the time, was charged with Rape in the 3rd degree and convicted of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd degree, a felony,  in 1986.  He was also arrested for assault IV and Harassment in 1988 which was later resolved through a civil compromise agreement.  Then in 2006 he was convicted of theft of government property and received a sentence of six month home detention, three years probation and agreed to pay back $78,000.  He changed his name to Daniel Martin before applying at TriMet in 1999.

Martin for the past month or so denied that he was Daniel Overby.  “It’s a big coincidence” Martin claimed.  “I don’t know who that person is.  It’s someone else” claimed Martin.  In fact Martin claims to have a concealed weapons permit in Oregon and asked “Do you think they would give me one of those if I had a criminal background?”  Martin claims that TriMet officials have long been aware of his criminal history.  In fact TriMet officials have avoided any questions about Martin for more than a month, and dismissed questions about Martin as part of a “union dispute.”

Why is TriMet appearing to protect Martin.  Is it because he and his running mate, Bruce Hansen, conspired with TriMet to implement the  “block runs”  experiment that was not presented to or approved  by the members?  Is it because Martin had been marked off from his job as bus operator to promote “block runs” and paid by TriMet?  Knowing about the allegations against Martin for months now, why has TriMet failed to take any action?  Is TriMet trying to cover up the fact that a sex offender is driving bus?

And then there is Martin’s running mate for Union office, Bruce Hansen.  Martin and Hansen are long time buddies.  Hansen claims he did not know anything about the federal fraud conviction, but another ex-wife of Martin says that is not true.   She claims that she personally told Hansen about the fraud conviction three years ago.  Is it a case of amnesia or is Hansen lying? 

Since the media exposed Martin’s criminal background, Hansen is now saying that Martin had been lying, claiming that “he asked to talk to me last night and told me a lot of things I didn’t know about his past.  Is this another lie?  When will the lies stop?  Is this reminiscent of Hansen telling members that he would take a 20% pay cut in pay if elected in 2012, and then didn’t take the pay cut for a year and then only after members began calling him out on it?

Members have been asking how to obtain a new ballot.  Call the Union office and request the Election Committee send them a new ballot.  The members original ballot will not be counted.



18 comments:

megaton said...

I know why Dan changed his name
If you survived what he went through as a young man.you would change your name also.The interesting fact is that the BlH team including you Al haven't gave this revelation any thought we who live in glass houses should not throw stones.also Bruce has never parterned with anyone in this race The lack of support from the eboard and Shirley's constant sabotage of Bruce's presidency is a clear dissed of the members who voted him into office.

Al M said...

Look Jeff, all of this mess was created by Dan himself. I had nothing to do with it. Read the Willamette Week and Oregonian articles. Dan lied! How can you defend him at this point?

And Bruce sold out my retirement without a fight. I can't support Bruce. Believe me I wish I could. You know that I fought hard to get him elected last time around.

megaton said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
megaton said...

I disagree the forces at work will do everything to retain power.you had every opportunity to memorialize your retirement.please the gaba decision,binding arbitration and trimets mismanagement of there post retirement benefits,are the issues that are causing you to blame Bruce for all your woes.

Anonymous said...

You have John and his people to hate for the lack of strike. This is simple fact. You can be upset for the events that made this so, blame bruce, blame whomever you want. Bitching, get no shit done. Chris, oh shit, don't get me started, has HE EVER suggested anything to unite us? He files charges all the time, I don't care the reason. Fix your shit. talk to the person, or let it go. Dan may be a person of history. But I will take a man ashamed of his past over a person who whines. Provide things that bring us together or you are a place holder.

Anonymous said...

Bruce has never adequately explained why after 2 1/2 years of saying he was going to fight for our rights he made a u-turn and gave Mcfarlane everything he wanted in the first place. His argument 'it's the best we can get' is a complete and total surrender. That is not how a union with no right to strike deals with an intractable company like Trimet. Bruce forfeits his right to be president since he decided that convorting with the enemy is acceptable behavior.

As far as Dan Martin is concerned, I don't believe for even one second he is 'ashamed' of his past. He would have kept the fraudulent money had he not been caught and he tried to cover it up when the press backed him into a corner.

Dan's a goddamn sociopath, people are too stupid to see it.

Anonymous said...

Sex offense, assult, theft, what else don't we know about Dan Martin-Overby that will surface later? What does Tri Met know about Dan Martin that they may use to black mail him to keeping his position if he scratches their back for them.
Look he already has a desk on the second floor at Center St. with his name on the door. He walks through the lot with his yellow Tri Met vest like he is promissed some management position already.
Sure people make mistaks and pay for them but Dan went out of his way to change his name but only to commit another crime under the name of Martin. He had ample opportunity to come clean and stay clean but he didn't.
Dan Martin is a liability to my future and I believe he would screw me over to get what he thinks will benifit him. I just won't take that chance to be drug down with him.
I do think Dan would make a good canidate for the Democratic Party to run for governor of this state because he shares the same narsitic values and background as Goldshmidt and Kithaber.

Al M said...

Jeff you know that I supported Bruce in the last election. You also know that I am not prone to be 'swayed' by any group of people. I see things from a historical point of view.

The entire contract ‘deal’ came from out of the blue after union members had been fighting for their hard earned benefits for 5 ½ years which included a dues surcharge to help in that fight.

It was never explained to me why this deal was necessary other than ‘it’s the best we can get’. That’s a defeatist statement and I don’t want someone who makes a comment like that as president of our union.

There were other points of view regarding the contract but all those views were not allowed to be expressed to the membership. As far as I am concerned that in itself is a form of tyrannical totalitarianism.

It is unprecedented in recent labor history that a local would actually vote yes to cut their own benefits.

I’ve been watching transit labor disputes all around the country and have never seen till this Trimet contract a membership willing to throw their benefits away without a fight.

The Gabba decision may have been inevitable, future arbitration decisions are not.
One thing I do know about the ‘old guard’, they are not afraid of a fight. That’s the kind of people I want representing me going forward.

Bruce may be the ‘nicest guy’ going forward but a ‘nice guy’ doesn’t win contract disputes

megaton said...

The journeyman mechanics received a increase in pay,along with the retired and active employees.first raises in current history The choices for health care actually decreased in costs to active employees.with a increase in our dental benefit.the first time in recent history.our uniform allowance increased. The costs of doing grievances was reduced.the financial burden which was a result of the gaba decision.then the estimated costs of arbitration.historically the only time we had leverage is when we could strike.a benefit the old guard relinqueashed

megaton said...

Al,why haven't you published Mr feist endorcment of Bruce
I would also like to see your views of our legal team in the last contract negotiations

Al M said...

Jeff:

“”The journeyman mechanics received a increase in pay””

~~>That was the $1/hr raise for the mechanics? Most of the mechanics I know did not support this contract.

“”along with the retired and active employees.first raises in current history””
~~>The 3% that actives got is that what you’re referring to? The only reason they got that was because the 6 figure execs wanted a 3% raise so this is how they justified it. Nobody bothered to mention that Trimet union employees didn’t get their COLA’s for the last 3 years. What ‘retired’ raise? I didn’t get shit so I am not sure what you mean by that.

“”The choices for health care actually decreased in costs to active employees.with a increase in our dental benefit.the first time in recent history.our uniform allowance increased.””
~~~>Uhm, no, for the last 5 years everyone has been paying out of their paychecks for health because Mcfarlane imposed that on everyone. At the present time it may be true that out of paycheck costs may have decreased but if you actually have to use those medical benefits your out of pocket expenses will be more than ever. The dental benefit is a double, from 1000-2000, I guess that’s something but given the price of dental care it will always dwarf out of pocket expenses. OK Trimet gave active employees more script to buy more uniforms. Big freaking deal.

“”The costs of doing grievances was reduced.the financial burden which was a result of the gaba decision.then the estimated costs of arbitration””
~~~>OK, I’ll concede on that point. That’s good for the union overall but is that good for individual members? Will Trimet end its practice of ‘holding hostage’ union members when engaging in disagreements with the union? I doubt it.

“”istorically the only time we had leverage is when we could strike.a benefit the old guard relinqueashed””
----------No argument there. That was a huge blow to members and that was Jon Hunt that did that. The only defense for them is AT THE TIME those in power thought they had achieved a decent contract. They were unaware that Trimet was about to stab them in the back. Our union was on very good terms with Fred Hansen. They were conned, it’s true. But Bruce was also conned. I think the experience of Heintzman team should not be trivialized. I’m seriously worried that Bruce is over his head with these Trimet sharks.

“””Al,why haven't you published Mr feist endorcment of Bruce
I would also like to see your views of our legal team in the last contract negotiations””
~~~>Bruce has plenty of support. I’d say from my observations that Bruce is definitely the front runner. The legal team in the last contract negotiations made mistakes, true. I think the die was cast in the last arbitration. We couldn’t win. I know one thing for sure, Heinztman, Hunt and Block did not support the current contract. I wanted this to go to arbitration. If Trimet had overreached this time around they had an excellent chance of losing since they had already won the first arbitration.
I actually like Henry Beasley as union president. He could come in without baggage and is smart enough to get the job done. Will he actually be elected? Doubtful because people always say “he doesn’t have union experience” and refuse to vote for ‘outsiders’.

Shirley Block on the other hand has been the most outspoken off all the executive board members. She has the guts to get the job done. She’ll have the right people behind her to advise her how to do that.
I would also be happy to see ATU757 to elect a black woman as its president.

Anonymous said...

I vote for Shirley because I think managemnet fears her the most.

megaton said...

fear,not smart when you have no leverage.

megaton said...

I liked our legal team.ask around they are the most respected in the industry.

Al M said...

If Bruce wins, and it's a strong possibility that he will, then we will all get to see how it will play out

Speakerofthepeople1 said...

I am voting for Shirley because I have been in grievance meetings where she knew the contract, quoted the contract, and backed Jay Jackson into a corner and he just gave up. Shirley was right and she knew it, and so did Jay Jackson, she didn't back down unlike the current president.

And our legal team sucked, they took our members money and then when the TriMet fund was under a hundred thousand they decided they didn't want to fight any longer. There were ULP's on the table that ATU had a good chance of losing and Susan, Tedesco, and Bruce didn't want them to be heard.

I'm assuming that megaton is saying that the people in power now will do anything to stay in power? I am assuming he means Bruce since supposedly he is in power? I think TriMet is in power, Shelly Lomax, Randy Stedman. I'm so sick of Bruce bringing donuts for his meeting with Shelly, makes me sick.

Jason McHuff said...

Shirley did speak up at a board meeting and I have heard that she willingly went back to being a road supervisor from a coordinator over issues with Jay or whatever.

Anonymous said...

All of the above gave the company 80% of what they wanted.