Dan Christensen
Few
things are as secretly dangerous for a bus operator as dehydration and
heat stroke. Both Judgment and motor skills are impaired. I would like
to blow hard about who's job it is to do what but that job has been done
here already so lets
look at reality for
a moment, the bottom line is this, If Trimet is real about creating a
"Culture of Safety" then there should be more "Team Work" then "Sink or
swim" or in our case "Burn and Turn" When there is exceptional
conditions that is when we and Trimet management are tested. Rather then
pointing fingers or pretending to be superior we should be pulling
together and looking out for one another. Safety means more then the
"Sink or swim your on your own" solution it means that during
exceptional times, we make a little more effort.
7 comments:
On saturday,the water main was shut off at center street garage due to max construction.The ice machine was not functional, so we all left with warm water in our refillable mugs.At least someone should have filled coolers with bulk ice cubes and taken them to the various transit centers where the center drivers layover.Even with A/C, it was awful without cold water to drink for 10 hours.
It's so odd. Do the Garage managers still work weekends and evenings? They didn't go back to Mon-Fri did they?
Wait until this winter. Max MOW crews are a skeleton crew on days and midnights now. 2 inches of snow will bring Max to it's knees. All track, signal and laborers are all working out of Ruby now. Many of the crews live in Washington County or beyond. They used to work at Elmonica but no more! They are expected to join the destruction derby on 26 and 84 to get to Ruby so they can turn around and go back to keep switches clear at Elmo and Gov Center. Yeah sure. Sylvan Hill will be a parking lot. All the in ground switches will be fouled with gravel and ice downtown. Switch heaters?, they don't melt gravel in the switch points. Good Luck with that. Anymore, I get a headache when I see snowflakes and have to call in sick.
So much for teamwork from a member of the frontline. Sad.
You can blame the present team owner for the lack of teamwork. The front line players are so beat down and overplayed, especially anybody that has had to play during snow events. Team work my ass. If you wanted to be a team player, you would soon find out your team only had two or three players on it. You got your ass kicked by having to play many hours on the field (18+) without even meal breaks in past snow storms. Yeah.. blame the team.
Not blaming the team. Blaming you. When you were in the field 18 hours during a snow event, your wages were at a premium rate. You accepted the work.
Whether a frontline team has 3, 10, or 50 people, it matters not. If you are on a team, it's no longer about you.
If you are angry at your management, don't harm the team with your "headache" when the first snow falls. What does that act accomplish?
If you think you are accomplishing any change by your anger, think again. Your actions do nothing to help the frontline workers. Remember, it's not about you. It is about ATU, unity, courage, strength, and the ability to articulate changes needed that help the ATU workforce.
You obviously don't understand it's not just about the money. It used to be about providing service to our customers and keeping the system running at all costs for the benefit of all those counting on us. We USED to feel an obligation to do that.That is why we all worked long hours in the rain and snow or hot sun regardless of our jobs. Not just because of the money! The present regime doesn't seem to care about the customer or it's employees anymore. Just expanding without regard to how it's going to be maintained. Attitude starts with management, not the other way around. Lip service doesn't cut it. The prevailing attitude is "we care as much as they care." The union can do only so much when the company ignores rulings and the rule of law. By the way, I have a nearly full sick bank.
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