ATU AND TRIMET DECLARE IMPASSE

And so now paid technocrats will decide the fate of Trimet union employees because our union leadership was conned by the cunning Trimet executives into agreeing to forced arbitration when an impasse is declared. 

Trimet executives are operating in an environment where the executive class gets away with almost anything at the expense of the working class.


Arbitration's have almost always gone against the union workforce in this country.  In the case of the  Oregon's idiotic  arbitration law its a WINNER TAKE ALL,  the arbitrator can't take pieces from each sides proposal to craft a fair agreement.

This ridiculous structure allowed Trimet in the last arbitration to include clearly illegal items such as forcing employees to 'pay back' health care payments. It was thrown out in another court ruling.

In charge of Trimet is a clearly unethical bunch of characters. These are the type of people that hide raises for themselves while cutting employees benefits, raising fares for the public, and cutting service.

The governor of Oregon is the real authority of Trimet. Unfortunately our governor is part of the same gang as those who control Trimet  (called by many the GOLDSCHMIDT GANG) 
The governor actually supports Trimet style corruption.

The entire governmental structure of Portland Oregon is dominated by single party rule which has brought an  incestuous component to all levels of local government including the courts.

While all of this is going on our union officers are collecting nice hefty six figure salaries with bonus expense accounts. Trimet executives   get rich off the tax payers and retire with absurd pensions for life.
None of the people in charge have anything to lose by declaring an impasse.

The only losers are the Trimet union employees, and boy are they gonna lose.
Vested employees will be receiving the 80/20 health care plan with a 6% premium per month charge and much larger deductibles.

This will be the same coverage that Trimet office workers get, workers  who work nine to five in air conditioned enclosed environments.
Union employees were promised that health care costs would be covered for their old age after working in hostile, open environments at all hours of the day and nights but that turned out to be a lie. A retired union employee with health issues could conceivably  be wiped completely out under the new coverage.

New employees get no kind of health care coverage at all until medicare. The defined pensions are already gone so they have to put part of their paychecks into a retirement account. New employees will basically be slaves to Trimet for the entire careers unless they jump to other employers with better benefits packages, which actually will not be too hard to do. Even Burgerville offers the same level of benefits as Trimet will be offering.

All the while Trimet drivers keep coming through for a company that is cutting their throats.
It's said that 'people get the government they deserve', 
 Trimet union employees  will be  getting the contract they deserve.