SP Red Electric | OregonLive.com
Oregon_Guy
May 13, 2012 at 11:24AM
Using TriMet's and the Union's agreed base labor rate, ($26.40 - $54,912.00) and your 160% (all labor costs estimates are usually figured at 130% to cover payroll taxes, FUTA, SUTA, FICA), that comes to $87,859.20.
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BuckWill
May 12, 2012 at 6:29PM
"it's not like a bunch of bus drivers are irreplaceable, there's a lot of people out there with no jobs who could easily learn to drive a bus!"
TriMet is hiring drivers right now and has been all year. People from all walks of life apply and work there. Regular people. Your family, friends, and neighbors all work there. They were looking a stable job with good health benefits. What's wrong with that? It is a tough job and not everyone can do it. People can learn to drive a bus but the job entails so much more. You or someone you know should apply and see why those health benefits come in handy.
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funelcloud
May 12, 2012 at 7:04PM
The reality is that a lot of new hires could not pass a drug test while in training. Average of 1 or 2 out of 12 pass and continues on to be a bus driver. So what do you recommend that they fire the bus drivers and hire some drug addict. No body wants to do this job and you want treat bus drivers like crap. It takes a toll on the body. A lot of bus drivers die shortly after they retire. I have countless people say they would not want my job for any amount of money. That's why we did not take a raise, instead we kept our health benefits. That's the reality of it all. It is a high stress job, especially how crime and violence are ever increasing. Just think of that drug addict behind the wheel of a 40 foot, 20 ton bus next time your on the road!!!
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SP Red Electric
May 12, 2012 at 7:02PM
That's fine and dandy - but what about TriMet's other promises that it can't afford:
$6 million a year for WES, a promise to hold WES fares at bus fares (unlike any other commuter rail agency in the nation which typically charge a high premium for commuter rail fares), and ultimately a failed system that has yet to meet it's "first year ridership" estimate after three years.
$6 million a year - increasing to over $9 million - for the City of Portland Streetcar - a system that directly competes with TriMet's own services, while providing a much enhanced service unlike any other in the region, and on top of it largely does not charge a fare to ride - while similar distance bus riders are forced to pay a fare.
Or Fred Hansen's great legacy - a policy of bus disinvestment, intentionally withholding regularly programmed bus replacements based upon federal research and testing, resulting in a bus fleet that costs more to operate, more to fuel, more to maintain - than most transit agencies.
Or the "gold-plating" of the light rail system - landscaping and art installations that cost millions to maintain but don't produce a single cent in revenue.
Yes, the union benefits are an issue - but they are far, far, far from the only issue. Just eliminating the Streetcar and WES subsidies alone would balance TriMet's budget for several years. But TriMet refuses to acknowledge or accept it, claiming that they have made promises.
Just like - they promised their employees better benefits in lieu of pay raises.
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SP Red Electric
May 13, 2012 at 8:23AM
It's no different than the endless vomit of spew that the union is the sole reason TriMet is in the hole.
Look at TriMet's budget:
A half million dollar's in the General Manager's budget for "Diversity and Transit Equity" (one Director position) and "Internal Audit" (whose work is questionable and non-public)
$8.3 million for "Public Affairs Division"...what do they do?
$13.4 million for "Safety, Security and Environmental Services" - again what do they do?
$7.2 million for "Information Technology" - for what?
$2.6 million for "grant administration" - basically paying people to try and get money for light rail projects
$6.4 million for "Commuter Rail"
$9.3 million for "Streetcar"
$15 million for "Capital Projects" just in the General Fund alone
and the whopper...$35 million for Debt Service - paying off TriMet's light rail credit card bill.
Nearly $100 million flew out of the General Fund and into the capital or light rail budgets.
All of those employees that do questionable work also get healthcare benefits from TriMet - yet they provide virtually no service to the public. Why nothing about that? Why not asking why TriMet has such a huge I.T. department that would make some computer software businesses blush for programmer staffing - they don't work without benefits.
TriMet has repeatedly cried that it's cut to the bone and all that's left is service and represented workers. They are wrong. There is a LOT of meat left, and Neil McFarlane is so enamored with his light rail empire building that he's willing to sacrifice anything before he gives up his baby (trains)...and he's even suckered The Oregonian into his version of the story. Of course he'll gladly go on record about how horrible the union is...but will he actually admit that he is part of the problem - when has he stood up and said "We don't have the financial means to build this line and operate it for ten years"? Never. He was the chief backer of WES, and he's defending it - even over proven, successful bus routes and services.
Fine, cut the union bennies 25%. 50%. TriMet still will be in a financial hole. I pay TriMet to run a transit service, not employ a bunch of "dreamers" and "planners" while bailing out AIG (who is the chief holder of TriMet's notes) and other banks.
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SP Red Electric
May 13, 2012 at 8:28AM
And...if you look at page 37 of TriMet's approved budget:
http://www.trimet.org/pdfs/publications/fy13-approved-budget.pdf
You'll see that OPEB/Pension is $48 million - yes, a huge number, but the transfers to light rail is $445 million; "pass through" is $11.4 million, capital of $15 million, "contingency" of $20 million (which TriMet inflated 200% this year!), Debt Service of $35 million, "General & Administrative" of $46.6 million and Capital Programs (I thought this wasn't funded in the "general funds" bucket, as Neil McFarlane proudly proclaims but his budget proves him a liar) of $86.7 million.
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pdxdriver
May 12, 2012 at 9:00PM
TriMet is hiring. Come on down and do this easy job. Been spit on lately? I have. Very enjoyable. Been cussed lately? Me too! Did you enjoy it? Worked over six hours straight with no more than a 7 minute break because of the loads and traffic? Me too!!! Just last Thursday. Heck, I don't need any rest. Have to work 9 to 11 hour shifts (and longer for many)? Me too! I don't need to be around my family and home as I am sure you do not need to be.
Come on down and put your app in. It really is truly amazing that since, as you say, this job is so easy that TriMet can't get the open positions filled but I am certain you could do the job.
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Viking96
May 13, 2012 at 7:54AM
Great research there Mr. Rose. ".....our years later, he remained neutral as the union successfully lobbied legislators to gain the right to binding arbitration, which critics say hands labor disputes and, ultimately, control of tax dollars to a third-party arbitrator. The process, critics say, is rigged to favor unions" A totally slanted statement and you provided no supporting information to back up that statement or even explain it at all. Nice. Sounds just like the Oregonian's coverage of the Frashour case. Arbitrators must be MUTUALLY agreed upon. Those arbitrators, like the arbitrator in the Frashour case, are very experienced lawyers. So how is the process "rigged"? Way to feed in to the anti-union slant of the article by including a completely unsubstantiated claim and not even putting one sentence about why these unnamed " critics" claim it's rigged. I think one can read critics of the process as those people who have lost arbitration awards. "I lost so it must be a rigged process" If I was a reporter and someone said a process was rigged I would at least ask "How so?' and dig around to find out if it was in fact rigged. Most unions will not take a case to arbitration if they think they might lose because the losing party pays for the arbitration. They can't afford to take it to arbitration if it looks like they might lose so they usually settle before arbitration in favor of the company. With that factor many arbitration awards are found in favor of the union. It is not a rigged process. Work harder next time.
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steavis
May 13, 2012 at 1:17PM
Mr Rose - I don't know the fare, but TriMet is saying they get 6.6% recovery (per TriMet's ridership stats). This means for each $1 in they spend $15 roughly. I thought WES was like a $1.50, which would imply something around a $20 subsidy for each ride.
At $18, I was generous.
Maybe instead of pooh-poohing things you should actually find some factual basis in your comments. Blaming the deficit on union negotiations (albeit a major factor) isn't very objective either.
The "don't worry things are getting better" refrainyou re-gurgitate is getting tiring since TriMets been using it to dig themselves a deeper hole.
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