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| ATU757 President Bruce Hansen |
Attached is a letter I recently sent to Randy Stedman. This letter addresses the fact that TriMet management continues telling the media and the public that employee and retiree health insurance is to blame for TriMet's woes. We have come to believe that the dollar amount TriMet has assigned those benefits has been 1) inflated; 2) misstated; and 3) manipulated. We have said that repeatedly at the bargaining table. We will continue to state that opinion until we are given the opportunity to be educated differently by someone who has the expertise and knowledge to answer our questions.
Initially, Mr. Stedman promised our expert could discuss the numbers with the actuary who came up with them. Now Mr. Stedman is refusing to honor that promise. We can only surmise that there is something TriMet doesn't want the community, the workers or the union bargaining team to know. Certainly we've managed to identify some of the "hidden" information. . . such as 44 years without a single cent put aside for promised benefits and the decision to continue not to put money aside. And then there is the unusual and explicable decision management made to use a closed 30-year period for calculation instead of the commonly used "rolling" period. Of course, the one thing that "closed" choice did was to inflate the final number. We believe there are other "flaws" underlying TriMet oft repeated "scary" retiree benefit number.
We have also informed the TriMet bargaining team of our willingness to sit down with them and an actuary to reach agreement on the real cost of retiree benefits. And we have told the TriMet team that we want very much to work with them to determine how to reduce whatever liability may exist in a way that is fair and equitable. So far, Mr. Stedman has refused that offer as well.
In Solidarity,
Bruce
Bruce Hansen
President-Business Representative
Initially, Mr. Stedman promised our expert could discuss the numbers with the actuary who came up with them. Now Mr. Stedman is refusing to honor that promise. We can only surmise that there is something TriMet doesn't want the community, the workers or the union bargaining team to know. Certainly we've managed to identify some of the "hidden" information. . . such as 44 years without a single cent put aside for promised benefits and the decision to continue not to put money aside. And then there is the unusual and explicable decision management made to use a closed 30-year period for calculation instead of the commonly used "rolling" period. Of course, the one thing that "closed" choice did was to inflate the final number. We believe there are other "flaws" underlying TriMet oft repeated "scary" retiree benefit number.
We have also informed the TriMet bargaining team of our willingness to sit down with them and an actuary to reach agreement on the real cost of retiree benefits. And we have told the TriMet team that we want very much to work with them to determine how to reduce whatever liability may exist in a way that is fair and equitable. So far, Mr. Stedman has refused that offer as well.
In Solidarity,
Bruce
Bruce Hansen
President-Business Representative
4 comments:
I am so discussed with TM managers. They think that they can change the SOP's when ever they want to with no reguard to our current work and wage agreement.
I say fire them all and let union employees run the race.
You should be discussed with the tri-met board of directors and you should be sending the board letters stating so and that McFarline and Randy Stedman need to go work somewhere else here is the address you need to send your letters to Tri-Met Executive Board 1800 SW.1st suite 300 97201
Sorry Sam, but you've forgotten the one notch above the Board. A Governor who's currently seeking re-election. What we as Union members need to do is find a qualified Democrat to run against Kitzhauber, win the election, get rid of the Board entirely, let us elect them. Their first order of business is to clean house. Top Executives go first. Garage and rail Management go last. A thorough cleaning the first six months. Then you might have a Transit Company worthy of bragging rights.
God this is such an easy answer, one that was tried before, but can be done again.... any guess'?
HB
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