TriMet's Randy Stedman Hard at Work Earning Those Big Bucks By Sowing Confusion

Amalgamated Transit Union -Local 757

• Stedman was hired to be a union buster. Other people applied for Stedman's position who have a history of working well with union employees. They didn't get the job, instead, TriMet's "management team" gave the job to Stedman. Probably because he brags on his resume that he was able to get a pro-union election overturned in the State of Washington. (See his resume, pages two and three.)
• Mt. Hood Community College hired Stedman and found itself on the brink of a strike. Only after Stedman left the college did labor relations return to normal and a strike was averted.
• Stedman played absolutely no role in bargaining for the TriMet contract so he hasn't a clue what happened or what has been proposed. Who is he really the mouthpiece for?
• The Union has asked TriMet to clarify, in writing, its confusing unprofessional proposal language regarding pensions on numerous occasions and TriMet failed and refused to do so. Now Stedman has produced his letter. Since he has no role in the TriMet bargaining, is TriMet bound by his statements about the pension proposals? We're still waiting to hear from the authorized TriMet negotiators.
• The figures on the Union's health insurance table were TriMet's own figures. For example, we used the numbers in TriMet's mailing to the employees for employee cost and the total premium charged the Union for health insurance as the total premium number since we have not been able to get consistently clear figures from TriMet. It appears Stedman is confused and must have rolled dental dental and other benefits into his figures - the parties bargained ONLY about health insurance premiums - not the other benefits. (See TriMet's mailing to employees and TriMet's billing to the Union.
• As stated in the document, the current pension plan is $75+ per month for each year of service. TriMet's proposal is that all new hires will be put in a new 401(k) stock market-based plan probably of TriMet's choosing.
• Stedman apparently failed to read the case the Union won since the $1000 was already in an offer made by the Union and that offer is in the evidence that went before ERB.

Bottom line: TriMet generates a confusing, unprofessional proposal, will not provide clear, accurate information, refuses to provide written clarification and then has its hired union-buster use company resources to complain. TriMet management's professionalism is at a new low...