This interview is presented as historical reference.
This interview first appeared on the now defunct PORTLAND A-FOOT
Why are you running for union president?
I hate talking about myself. But you know, the bottom line is,
when you have members coming up and saying, Bruce, you fought for me,
you need to run for this position – and it’s not just one person, it’s
numerous people, and you’re hearing about it hundreds of times
throughout the day – you know, then you recognize that you may be that
person. I didn’t think that I was the right person. I thought we had
more qualified people out there. But when you start looking at the
people who are self-serving for their own interest, then you have to
reevaluate what is best for the entire union.
And when did you first start thinking about becoming active in the union?
Six and a half, seven years ago. I’ve always continued to be
involved, but my involvement got more and more. And then when I was
elected a union officer from Merlo transportation, I found out the lack
of training that we received, the lack of support from our union
leadership, and I felt that I could change that.
What was the lack of training?
Well, the first phone call I got was, ‘You have a meeting tomorrow.’
‘And what was that about?’ ‘Well, we’re not quite sure.’ ‘Well, if
you’re not quite sure, then I don’t have a meeting.’ I can’t defend an
issue if I don’t know what it’s about.
So this was representing an employee?
Right.
And management had been briefed, right?
Of course, and they’re up to date on it. The issue was, were they going
to implement a policy. We didn’t have even have all the policies in our
hands. So thankfully, (outgoing ATU vice president) Sam Schwartz was
able to provide me with a lot of the policies and then show me the
resources for to find the policies, so we don’t just rely on what TriMet
says. They’re not always true – not to us or to the public. It’s
irritating.
What’s an example of the district being untrue to the public?
I think right now they’re crying wolf with the financial
status. I compiled a three-year wage increase for management showing
where they have taken increase in wages of upwards of a million dollars.
They are hiring nonunion members of upwards of $100,000 a year, but yet
they’re saying they’re broke.
Well, management will tell you these are very important
positions. We need to keep on having the website be accessible, and have
people find out when the bus is coming.
If we don’t have a bus fill in that route, how is that
important? Since I’ve been here our extra boards have been shortened, we
have less drivers, we have less routes.
What is it about serving on TriMet has appealed to you personally?
I like the daily change. I worked the extra board for probably the first
nine and a half years, where my job changed every day. Different route,
different people on my bus. You know, you’re out there, you’re your own
person. You’re dealing with sometimes difficult people, but the
majority of the time you’re dealing with good people.
You can’t come in with a bad attitude. Our management – they’re our
first influence when we come in. We get something bad in our mailbox –
an SIP, which is a service improvement program, that’s not true, then
that disrupts my whole attitude out on the bus.
And that happens?
Every day.
Every day?
Every day there’s an inaccurate SIP come in on operators. Numerous.
Really? What’s the cause of that?
Lack of investigation. The latest one that I was served with
was driving a 57, I pulled in Beaverton at 12:23. The SIP said I left at
12:03 on the 57 and I left a mentally challenged person on the
platform. And I’m like, if they rode my bus, it wasn’t, but then I
looked at the time, and I don’t even get there until 12:23 and I don’t
relieve until 12:45. So I took it back, and he said, well, who is that?
And I said, that’s not my job to tell you. And that’s exactly what I
told them. I’m not going to do their job for them.
We are held accountable as employees. TriMet management is not held
accountable. Not for their spending, not for their lack of
investigation, not for numerous things.
Except hopefully by the union and the public.
Milwaukie light rail is the perfect example. How many of the
public that we’re interrupting down there don’t want light rail to go
through the district that it’s going through? The historic district, and
TriMet is going through it anyway. They’re holding a public meeting.
Are they listening? Obviously not.
Well, there’s some folks who are very excited about it.
True, but the folks who live in the immediate area that we’re disrupting are not going to be fond of it.
And TriMet is taking money out of the general fund to pay for the whole thing.
Right. Take their taxpaying dollars and use them against them. I mean, that’s my opinion.
So in terms of light rail expansion, you think they should be
slowing that down, they should not be doing as much of it, or is it
just this line in particular?
I think they need to reevaluate their light rail to see if it’s
cost-effective right now in the time that we are, if the expansions are
needed or can we warrant putting a new bus out there.
What has the current administration done that you’d want to change?
Battle the media. Put our voice in public. Let the public know
our stance. Let them know why we make the wage we make. Why we suffer
from high health costs. Why we deserve what we get. There’s not one
person that rides our bus that would tell you they would love to do our
job. We’re like a 911 call every day. Our adrenaline – we’re always
anticipating what’s going to happen. Is that car going to pull out in
front of us? Are we going to react?
What about Heintzman, the past president? He’s done an excellent job getting benefits for the union.
You have to agree that. Do we agree on the tactics that he’s used against our members? I don’t.
Like what?
I’ve been in union meetings where people have been told to “shut the
hell up,” “you’re out of order,” “point of order.” If he doesn’t agree
with you, he’s going to shut you down. If you don’t let me speak, how do
you know where I stand and maybe convince you that your way is not
going to be the right way? It’s not a dictatorship, which is the way we
have been led in the past. And to me, for Ron to come in and associate
himself with Jon – you
have to wonder if he condones the behavior that has been done and acted
by Jonathan. I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for his family. But I
don’t condone it.
You don’t condone what behavior of Jon’s in particular?
His DUI.
How does that affect his presidency?
We are out there to represent members 24/7 and he’s driving on a
restricted license 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. I’ve been called a drunken
sonofabitch driving my bus. I’ve had accusations that we’re operating
drunk.
You think that’s because the union president was in the newspaper for the DUI?
There’s no doubt about it. When you’re proven guilty we hold
you to a high standard, and the contracts you negotiate have a clause in
there for termination with a DUI. Why does he feel that he’s better
than everybody else?
You don’t think it’d be a good idea to break up the local
union into separate units, as Tom Horton does. But is there a breaking
point? Would you want to be the same union that represents Seattle?
First off, do you understand why ATU is spread out to 23 different units?
No.
Ron Heintzman was president of the time. So he negotiated these outlying
properties when he started losing the power within TriMet. So he
started losing the votes within TriMet, so he went out and negotiated
contracts for the smaller properties. So he built his empire to surround
him and engulf the larger entity, which was TriMet.
And you view that as deliberate?
I do.
That’s pretty smart! That’s pretty ruthless.
No one says Ron’s a dumb man.
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