“It looks like the same MO is being followed by the same person,” says Amalgamated Transit Union president, Bruce Hansen. He’s talking about TriMet’s executive director of labor relations Randy Stedman and why the Union recently filed an unfair labor practice claim against TriMet.
Fashioned as a counterclaim to TriMet’s January complaint against the Union (UP-001-13), the ATU’s counterclaim details the delays in bargaining TriMet has caused since the Union’s April unconditional offer to begin negotiations without the public in attendance.
“There seems to be a pattern,” says union president, Bruce Hansen. “After we filed our counterclaim, it was brought to my attention that the faculty at Mt. Hood College had the exact same problem with Randy Stedman–what appears to be a deliberate attempt to run-out the parties’ 150-day bargaining window while making unreasonable proposals.”
The Union’s counterclaim indicates that Stedman offered dates that he already knew were unworkable. “He knew they wouldn’t work either because we told him we were scheduled to bargain with other employers or because there was an enormous gap between dates where nothing would happen except the waste of the 150-day bargaining window,” says Hansen who notes that the Union is currently in contract bargaining with at least ten other employers.
Hansen also said the Union is appealing the Multnomah Circuit Court summary decision that TriMet can close the parties’ bargaining sessions to the public. “We think this is an important issue for the public and our passengers. For that reason, we believe that an Oregon appellate court should make a final ruling on the issue,” says Hansen. “In the meantime, when it comes to TriMet negotiations, the Union will abide by the circuit court decision until and unless that decision is overturned,” said Hansen. 
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