Its all about hypocrisy and control and zero to do with safety. I never worked past my work shift during those emergencies for one simple reason. I was a career part timer and was prohibited from working more than 30 hours. But during emergencies those rules were suspended. Forget that mess! I'm not a puppet on a string to be told when I can and cannot work, screw you Trimet.
There's no question about it: TriMet's union contract needs to be reformed to prevent bus operators from working 20-plus hours in a 24-hour period. Common sense tells us it's unacceptable for any bus operator -- even the small number involved in the practice today -- to take only a few hours off between long shifts. The board of directors and TriMet management bring to the table a shared sense of urgency about the safety issues on which The Oregonian recently reported and editorialized ("TriMet waking to problem of driver fatigue," Jan. 6; "Driver fatigue, TriMet myopia,"editorial, Jan. 9).
Our hours-of-service policy is an outdated work rule that needs to be changed in our contract with the Amalgamated Transit Union. It needs to change now, and we need the ATU leadership to agree.
Over the past 2 1/2 years, and even last week, TriMet has reached out to the ATU to renegotiate this policy. While the ATU has resisted in the past, we know that the new union leadership shares our concern for rider and employee safety. We have exchanged proposals with the ATU and, hopefully, we can come to a quick agreement. Of the options available, a shared solution is best.
On the MAX side of our operation, the Oregon Department of Transportation mandates an hours-of-service policy that requires MAX operators to have at least seven hours off between shifts. To date, there is no such requirement on the bus side, but with new safety authority approved by Congress last year, the Federal Transit Administration is looking at this issue. Whether it's negotiated or regulated by the state or federal government, change is coming and we welcome it.
One of the roadblocks to contract reform has been the contentious relationship TriMet has had with the ATU. In the last round of negotiations (2009-2012), these struggles revolved around proposed changes to unsustainable health care benefits for active employees and retirees. ATU members enjoy the richest health care benefits in the transit industry. The cost of those benefits was the driving force behind last year's budget shortfalls and the necessary service cuts and fare increases. The most recent contract expired last November.
We agree with TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane that reforming hours of service will be on the same "A" list as health benefits reform for the next round of negotiations. There is far too much at stake to have a repeat of delay after delay that we witnessed for the last contract. In the past two months, the ATU has scheduled and then skipped several sessions of new contract negotiations. We've asked the state Employment Relations Board to require the ATU to come to the table to begin negotiations.
We need to negotiate this next contract quickly, not only to focus on the math and bring benefits in line with the market to prevent years of service cuts, but also to reform out-of-touch work rules, most notably the hours-of-service policy for bus operators
TriMet operators are trained professionals who deliver quality service every day, but more tools are needed to ensure that all operators are well-rested before they get behind the wheel. The best way to deliver on this promise is to renegotiate and reform our contract with the ATU -- today.
Bruce Warner is president of the TriMet board of directors.
1 comment:
One can argue that during emergencies is when people should be most rested and alert.
And in my view, the overtime issue is not a problem but a symptom. It should not exist in the first place, and the extra 50% of wages instead be used to hire, train and manage the extra employees needed and create jobs for more people.
Having health care not be a high per-person cost would help make this feasible, which Warner has not seemed to try to solve.
Also, I don't see how the "hours-of-service policy is an outdated work rule", as if it was ever good, or used to exist.
Lastly, someone should bring this up (in contrast to the appreciation letter) at the board meeting.
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