Trimess

Monday, May 12, 2014

Henry Beasley

Ode to the Powell driver

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I am writing this just to say that I truly commend our Brothers and Sisters over at the Powell garage on having to deal with a great many things that we at Center Street garage don’t have to on a regular basis.
The first thing that needs to be said is that pile of garbage 3000 series buses.  Just last week I drove one for the first time and I must say, I do not see how you people cope with it.  Normally, I would tell you that the 3100 series bus was a pile of pure safety issues (last I counted was there were over 14 issues), but the 3000 series blows that “out of the water” by a country mile.  The most disturbing thing about the bus is the front end, specifically the side windows.  The side windows are more curved then that of a 3100 series bus, it gives off and illusion of being in a “fish bowl.”  The bus feel like the drivers’ area is small and “scrunched in,” while the side windows reflect objects from the opposite side (i.e. lines in the street or cars); which completely destroys your peripheral vision and mesmerizes you as well.  The worst part was the left side entirely, the area is small and making left turns are very risky because, “rocking back and forth” you still can’t  get the “big picture;” I feel really bad for those who are 5’4 or shorter, because both series busses are height discriminatory. Then there are the flaws with the drivers’ cabin, two things in particular (amongst many), the seat and the steering wheel.  The seat on both series busses are “HORRORABLE,” they both cause injuries to the operators (mostly right hip injuries); yet, while I was in the 3000 series bus my right hip was hurting (as it does in the 3100) as usual, but my left leg around the hamstring started to go numb, no matter if I had the seat completely flat; it is a major distraction to drive while in pain. The wheel is way too big for this bus and is not the easiest wheel to turn (on both series bus) thus, causing injuries to the shoulders and elbow and you might as well throw in the wrist as well (it is a major distraction to drive while in pain); I feel really bad for those who are 5’4 or shorter, because both series busses are height discriminatory.
Well, what to do about this, currently to company is clearly turning a blind eye to this obvious problem, instead is trying to place more medical premium costs unto the front line worker, while ignoring the old saying, “an ounce of prevention, goes a long way.” Well, what is our representation currently doing about this obvious problem, the answer to that is “I don’t know,” my question is, how many injuries are too many,  1, 10, 30, 50 or 1000?  What number is acceptable in order to do something?  These things are a clear workplace hazard, yet we have had these busses for a few years and they are injuring members left and right.  Is OSHA needed to correct these issues (our union has been very skittish on raising any issue with them (OSHA), instead waiting on the company to do something in their own time frame)?  In case we forgotten what OSHA stands for here is the definition: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal organization (part of the Department of Labor) that ensures safe and healthy working conditions for Americans by enforcing standards and providing workplace safety training. Created in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA’s main goal is to protect the rights and safety of workers by preventing workplace injuries and deaths and holding employers accountable for safe workplaces. OSHA provides workers and employers with information about hazardous working conditions and they offer free assessment for workplace dangers.
One more thing about these buses (3000 and the 3100), the old “left turns.”  Now, let’s be serious for a moment; does anyone think that placing an auto announcement on a bus will make the general public safer?  Right now the general public has become numb to the whole thing and ignores the noise; while operators “try” to rock back and forth in order to see the whole picture (I feel really bad for those who are 5’4 or shorter, because both series busses are height discriminatory), while being tired (more on that later) and mesmerized.  There are just too many things that can go wrong with added vision barriers.  I guess both sides (Union and Management) have forgotten this date:  April 24, 2010, when tragedy struck, forever altering the Sale, Hammel, Gittings, and Day families forever. Have we become so forgetful in our day to day lives that we go about our days without taking into consideration that this could indeed happen on these types of busses?  Let me tell you, that I miss my Union Sister allot; her smile, her candor or her jovial mood and that darn laugh of hers, that made those that know her love her.  The pain that she holds is indeed something that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.  To Mr. Sale who fights to keep the memory of his beloved daughter Danielle’s memory alive and prevent this type of tragedy from happening to other families due to bus accidents; but what has the company really changed since the accident, they added blind spots and fatigue to this equation (http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/01/fired_trimet_driver_sandi_day.html).
When the Hours of Service (slavery) was introduced (not by the membership), into the equation it was supposed to handle the fatigue problem, our representation promised that the talks of fatigue were on-going (wasn’t in writing, so it was a lot of “hot air”).  Question after question I ask about this HOS…thing I get the same answer, “it’s on-going.” Which to me, means “there are no talks,” we are at the companies beck and call (their time frame) on when they decide to resolve this issue.  I guess this policy that was implemented by those who do not have front line members’ safety in mind, and forgot one basic thing, THIS INCREASES FATIGUE DRAMATICALLY!!!!  Who in their right (wrong) mind would think that reducing front liners time, “OFF” is a good thing?  Ten and nine hours off, while the working day consists of 13 ½ to 17 hours in uniform (including some minis), not including travel time and sleep time (barely 4-5 hours); is that safe, “NO!”  According to the company’s own information, new members during this time have received more Preventable Accidents than other experience groups (1-5 years vs everyone else).  There are more accidents occurring at Powell Garage than any other site; is it because of H.O.S(lavery) or the 3000 series busses, that has a lot of culpability in it, but there is something that ALSO needs to be discussed more that is the “TURN AND BURN.”
In case some of you are newer to our Union and don’t understand the term I’ll give you a, “what it sounds like” in real time: Turn and burn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYWEw44awiY .  If you noticed that the Sister did not know that she was entitled to her scheduled break.  The dispatcher did not informer that she had the right to take her break (I’m not blaming the dispatcher, due to the fact that our Sister Block has told us time and again, it is their manager pulling the strings), there was no action taken to help the operator in the future if she has the same problem, other than inferring, “if you must” take a break.  When we as a Union fail to see the problems of the past we are bound to repeat them, take for instance, going back to that fateful day in April 2010, that no. 9 bus’ schedule had a “recovery” time of just 5 minutes in

 
Downtown Portland.  Sister Day probably had 2 trips to downtown that day, during a 9 hour run; if she did not make it downtown “on-time,” she never got out of the seat, then doing a “TURN AND BURN” all the way back to Gresham; thus setting the table for what happened later, fatigue kills.
Lastly, I want to end by saying that both sides (Union and Management) have failed the front line worker in this case. Management giving operators the yearly speech, “Why are your late,” literally freaking out the probationary members into doing the “turn and burn” for fear of being disciplined (creating dangerous fatigue along with 3000 or 3100 with blind spots, a recipe for disaster).  Management also mandates yearly re-certification classes which add more and more movements, yet the simplest fact remains, “you cannot train out, fatigue.”  12 hours should be the minimum time off for an operator; this allows an operator the “proper” recovery time needed to be sharp throughout their shift.  The Union thus far (since the contract expired) had done nothing of note on this.  Agreeing to “reduce time off” will not reduce preventable accidents, it will increase it; a Union is there to protect workplace environments, not agree to destroy it.  The Union has failed to re-enforce operators need to take their breaks, it is not good enough to just give the impression that “the operators should know better.”  We can do better!  We should campaign for the elimination of preventable accident not help create them.  We can also take note of our brethren up north that took a stand: Promoting safety and putting an end to preventable accidents is paramount to the ATU’s cause - See more at: http://www.ottawalife.com/2013/11/bus-driver-fatigue-a-fatal-threat/#sthash.IziJX44e.dpuf.
If you want changes to HOS or anything else, let our representation know, if notratification is your right, let your vote be your voice.
 
“Insanity”: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
We need change!
Henry.
Your Brother on the front lines.
Union Strong  

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