Trimess

Sunday, February 5, 2012

UNION MEETING SYNOPSIS

A retiree got up and addressed the group about social security.  He wanted all of us to contact our legislators and demand they handle the issue of social security to our benefit. He also wanted us to convey to our legislators should be paying into various charities if they don’t pay into social security.
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Jon kept referring to information that has “got out”. He has never been specific as to what actually got out and how that actually caused any sort of problem. He continues to state that “management” is getting a hold of information that is hurting the union effort. (It’s interesting that Jon makes this contention since so much of what he does is never presented to the members.  Many of us think his argument is completely faulty and is basically just his personal paranoia)
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There was a third party analysis completed about the lift services. The third party (unaligned to Trimet) found that 7 million dollars could be saved by bringing the lift in house. Obviously Macfarlane says this is not true for those of us that watch the board meetings. He says it will cost $8 million more. (I believe the third party)
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Trimet is attempting to move work from the union lift drivers to the non union lift drivers, which is an unfair labor practice.
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The SIP program is highly flawed (as many of us already know) and is causing distress for operators as they are harassed by these SIP’s mercilessly. The main program is that these complaints come to operators for an incident that happened in the past. COVER YOURSELF, MAKE NOTES WHEN AN INCIDENT OCCURS, or find more creative ways to cover yourself while you are exposed publicly  to anybody’s wild complaints.
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Janet Talbot gave a very entertaining oratory about the SIP’s process.
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People should not be bad mouthing the union during work hours, all issues should be addressed at the union meetings.
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Trimet’s actions against its operators are completely illegal and Trimet has already lost one challenge in court.
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Trimet is lying when they say the whole process is being tied up by the union.
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The union cannot sanction any sort of organized action but members cannot be controlled by the union.
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Part of the failure is that union members do not show up at the demonstrations and have submitted to being charged up to $200 a month for their benefits.
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After the arbitration is decided, our contract will once again be up November 2012.
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Sam Swartz has compiled a list of wages and benefits for transit districts in the West. He said it will be released to the arbitrator. When asked why he won’t release it to the media, his answer was vague.
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A member made a rude remark to Dee Williams “hurry it up” while Dee was speaking.
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Financial report was given, things not going so well there.

PART 1 HERE! 

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