Heintzman's Back!
Probably a very good idea. Love or Hate Ron Heintzman he was integral to obtaining the previous contracts and from what I have heard is very good at this particular function. ATU is indeed in for some big fights ahead, no reason to not bring in everybody that has experience. I would hope that ATU International president Hanley will play a role in this negotiation.
The tsunami that is overwhelming unions worldwide is against ATU757.
By all appearances Trimet is playing hard ball and it doesn't look like they are willing to compromise.
The big question is, how much are they paying Heintznman? Anybody have any ideas?
Oh, brother...
ReplyDeleteHB
I'm feeling a bit double-crossed by this.
ReplyDeleteWith due respect to Heintzman's ability to negotiate terms, it was his union that marginalized the TriMet members influence on the majority when he began acquiring more and more remote properties. It was his leadership that left us all in the dark about the "No Strike" law, and his culture of secrecy, cigar-smoke-filled back bedroom deals that amounted to earlier giveaways enumerated in countless Side Letters, and it was under his watch that Tom Wallace absconded with hundred's of thousands of hard-earned union member dollars.
I won't even get into what I've learned about his tenure at the International level.
So, evidently International cannot spare an expert VP to come here and assist us for our $43,000/mo dues? No? We have to go back to the man with his hand in the till? What are we going to be paying him this time? Under Jon Hunt, you and I were paying Heintzman $10,000/mo. Is this how our supplemental assessment is being spent? And what are the terms of Ron's involvement now? Will he be "consulting" on other matters as well as TriMet? What will our union look like IF/when he finally leaves? And now, that's become a BIG "IF".
I'm feeling more than a little betrayed by this. I could have easily beaten the drunk driver, I hadn't even begun to roll out my strategy for him. Nobody knew SS was even considering the race, and that left me to beat Bruce and his BBQ.
Then RH and JH pulled their little switch-a-roo at the Nominations meeting. Ron Heintzman came from supposedly washing buses in Canby to toss his hat in the ring for President once again. Could I have beaten Heintzman with his record? Well I'm no fool. I no longer felt I had a strong chance to win, but rather would split votes from both Hansen and Heintzman, and surely come in 3rd.
I decided then that Bruce was the more ethical of the three other candidates racing for my lead. I decided then that I needed to do what I could to ensure that he had every possible chance to win. I chose to suspend my ground campaign, cancel my posters and mailings, and forget about spending my vacation week visiting other properties. Anyone who saw my website knows that if I had had both posters and mailings pointing other members to my work, I would have, at the very least, paired off hundreds of votes from the other candidates. And when you consider the fact that there were only 242 votes between Bruce and Ron, those might have been my votes, and Bruce might have lost his second bid for President.
Do you think anyone has offered me a gracious thanks for my sacrifice? Not one. You would think President Hansen would have the courtesy to acknowledge the letter of concession I wrote to him on election eve, but instead he hasn't ever. Nor has he acknowledged the suspension of my campaign helped him sew up his victory over Ron Heintzman. So, yeah, I'm a little bitter having heard through the grapevine that Hansen and his "Team" have welcomed that crooked bastard back into the fold!
You might be right after all, Al. Ye reap what ye sow. Maybe these people deserve exactly what they neglect.
I'm DONE...for now...
Time to turn loose the ATU pitbull. No more Mr. Nice Nice. We have all seen what the TM Mercenaries are trying to do.They don't want a contract, they want total capitulation.
ReplyDeleteTurn Loose Heintzman on them, he's been tied up in the yard long enough.He will make Stedman his **tch!
I gotta tell ya, its starting to look to me like this arbitration thing was the right move after all.
ReplyDeleteHeintzman has been here before, that is something that is needed right now.
@ all the responders, the "only" thing that was of use, is the arbitration rule, period, nothing else is of use, do we need any of these people, I say no we don't. The real teeth is us, not any paid individuels. Keep in mind that "our" rookies (all 4) are playing against a veteren, I can explain till I'm blue in the face, and I have, I have called out every move they have made, thus far, it gets tiring, even for me. Lastly, and hope to put this to rest, WE ARE THE PITBULLS!
ReplyDeleteHB