Saturday, December 31, 2016

TOP TRIMET STORIES 2016


These are the top Trimet stories for 2016

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Trimet treachery re:class action



Trimet INTENTIONALLY sent out those pay stubs and emails to create confusion. Trimet operates on a fiscal year calendar so there was no other purpose to send out pay stubs BEFORE the pay other than messing with its union employees minds.


That is HOW THEY ROLL

UNETHICALLY, ILLEGALLY, AND WITHOUT REGARD FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES

Trimet rail compliance audit

Board of directors December 2016 meeting

Full report is HERE!

Line 99 info not fully updated correctly

Near the beginning of this month, TriMet Line 99 began using its new route, traveling over the Sellwood Bridge and on Macadam Ave. However, not all information on trimet.org was updated correctly.

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Warning!

From Facebook

Friendly reminder watch what you post on social media (especially twitter and facebook) (put the disclaimer like s.o.p says)  I overheard management today talking with a trainer about 2 drivers looking at discipline for what they posted.also don't do anything on trimet computers or wifi they can see every key stroke and site you do...no joke I seen it first hand from it dept and trimet has their own social media people looking for posts to get drivers in trouble

Monday, December 26, 2016

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Is this anyway to run a "transit" agency?

20 buses short? 
20? 
That's incompetence

Thursday, December 22, 2016

FUNNY!

Id be lying if I said I wasn't getting a tremendous amount of satisfaction seeing my name plastered all over Trimet and on  Trimet employees pay slips.

I haven't had this much fun since the Lane Jensen days.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Oh the Hypocrisy never ends at Trimet

Neil Mcfarlane and the Trimet "board of directors" (sock puppets) apparently sent Christmas cards out to Trimet employees.

We have just witnessed the  Trimet directors defending the honor of union buster Randy Stedmen and they have the nerve to send Christmas cards to Trimet union employees.

They must think we are all stupid.

VICTORY!

Trimet union employees are getting some nice hefty checks!

Monday, December 19, 2016

Trimet director Prosser worries about Randy Stedmen's "feelings"

At the last  Trimet board meeting there was a presentation to Trimet union buster Randy Stedmen for being one of Portland Jobs with Justices Grinch of the year! 

Interestingly, the Trimet board once again showed how disconnected they are from reality.
 They  showed their "disgust"  for the first amendment by attempting to link civil disobedience with "bullying".

Prosser then went on to be upset that  their union busting executive Randy Stedmen was being "singled out". 
This is a man that has created a hostile workplace at Trimet and has disregarded laws and ethical standards in his anti union activities. 

This is your Trimet board, defending the honor of a man that has inflicted pain and suffering on many union employees and the union in general.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Trimet changes road relief pay policy

This change of policy is the result of the class action

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

I've been blogging Trimet for a long time but I have NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS

Its gotta be all the rookies on the road. They don't know how to drive in snow.

Here is the union buster at Today's meeting getting his union buster award!




Randy Stedmen, known union buster, a man with little of no ethics who is capable of the worst atrocities against Trimet union employees

Millions and millions of dollars spent by Trimet technocrats on useless capital projects

These technocrats are literally robbing the Trimet treasury by committing 100's of millions of dollars to all sorts of capital projects like light rail to tigard, Powell whatever it is, and the one in the tweet.

How can they get away with this?

Audit of Trimet light rail troubling

A manager overseeing TriMet's rail operations is on administrative leave after an audit found safety violations by MAX light-rail operators are on the rise, largely without notice or regular investigation.
Violations have typically been relatively minor, and safety measures like automatic braking mean there's been little chance of the collisions or derailments the rules are intended to prevent.

But the agency has concluded operators are too reliant on the backup measures, while managers have failed to follow up on violations after the fact.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

KOIN on Trimetgeddon


Cowardly Trimet execs refused to go on camera!

Monday, December 12, 2016

Trimetgeddon VIII wraps up

Light rail killer
I had another fun three days and spent maybe 10 hours listening to dispatch/control.
 Its the same thing I've heard multiple times.
 Ice shut down  the Portland light rail, and as we know the light rail IS the major connection between Portland central  and the outlaying areas. 

This was the worst I have ever heard though because people were stuck in a marooned light rail vehicle in the gateway area for FOUR HOURS. 

Sunday, December 11, 2016

New Trimet operator assault bill pending in Oregon State house

Frederick Casey
 My proposals. First, I wanted to remove you completely from ORS 163.165. I then wanted the language in ORS 166.116 (Interferring with public transit) which states "Offensive Physical Contact" either removed or have Offensive Physical Contact defined by a new ORS. (having that in there leaves a large loophole because this ORS is only a misdemeanor) My next step was to add you to ORS 163.208 Assaulting a Public Safety Officer which, when added, would be worded so that no matter who you are; operator, maintenance, supervisor and even facilities, would be protected while you were working. that includes waiting for a road relief or walking to the bathroom. It would be a felony.

Trimet union employees eat shit

I've listened to Chris Day.
 I've read posts from Dan Christensen, Tom Horton and Evette Farra, all people that I have tremendous respect for. 
I've spent additional time thinking about the issue.
And I've come to a different conclusion as to why we union members are in the mess we are in now.

IT IS US. WE ARE THE ENEMY OF OURSELVES.

People are complaining and whining "we can't get heard" "our voices are silenced" "we need a new union".

It's all bullshit. 
The union employees of Trimet, primarily the bus drivers have no interest in acting together as a group. 
When it comes to sacrificing even the smallest thing people that talk the talk refuse to walk the walk.
They are chicken-hawks.

When we were going through our first contract dispute the union asked drivers to stop working RDO's. 
Did they do that? Hell no! 
That would hurt their paychecks and no way were any of those people going to sacrifice their paychecks for the good of the group.

Did drivers "work to the rules" to slow down service in an act of solidarity?
HELL NO!

When I filed my suit for road relief pay, I couldn't get anybody to be a plaintiff along with me except my little circle of activists. 
Everybody else was scared. 
"We're gonna get fired" they all said.

Then when the settlement was reached this bunch chicken hawks had the gall to complain.

Sorry Dan, Chris, and Evette, you're all wrong. 
Changing the union leadership or union structure is not going to do a  damn thing. 
The Trimet union employees, primarily the bus operators, are only in it for themselves.
 They couldn't care less about the group as a whole.

Stop blaming the union leadership for the chicken hawks that make up the Trimet membership. Y'all only have yourselves to blame for the mess we are in. 
Not Jon, Not Shirley, Not Ron, Not Bruce, nope

BLAME YOURSELVES because in this case its true.

MBTA has same lawsuit going as we do

we won't be seeing our payments till the beginning of the new year according to attorney Paul Breed

http://www.masstransitmag.com/news/12286190/t-drivers-suing-for-bus-money

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Dan Christensen supports the ATU757 division

This is the type of intellectual debate I really relish. Thanks to Dan for taking the time to articulate his point of view.

Jay Frye not fired

In the end the Trimet fascists decided not to fire Jay  completely, they let him go back to being a bus driver. Which of course should have been the "punishment" all along but we know how these people operate. They do like to use fear against their employees.

Beware new hires!

Always found it sorta funny that Trimet has always used the "bus driver" as a punishment for its white shirted class of employees.

Jay's statement about it all below the page break

Sunday, December 4, 2016

To split or not to split? THAT is the question



I've done my homework before writing this final post on where we should go regarding our union and its future.

 I've followed this material on a daily basis for over ten years now so I think I have a pretty good understanding of the topic. 
I am not aligned to any factions, I operate completely independently from Trimet and ATU757.

 I have nothing to gain by supporting one point of view over the other. This post is from my point of view as a Trimet retiree and only from that point of view.

The first thing I want to do here is examine the current leadership.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Chris Day gives his thoughts on starting a new local

I happen to have a great deal of respect for Chris Day so I called him up and got his opinion on this issue.

Tom Hortons argument in favor of splitting with the union


I have no dog in this show, I am basically neutral but I have been very disheartened by the never ending bickering that has been going on at ATU757 for the 20 years I have been involved with it.

I can't remember one instance where there was actual solidarity at this local. 
 
With that said, Tom makes some excellent points.
Tom Horton is a superior writer , if only it was a simple as he puts forth.
 The complications of forming a new unit would be HUGE! 
He makes it sound so easy. 

Vote for a new union and everything will be fine. 
His entire argument is basically "our current leadership is 100% corrupt so we need to do this." What he totally leaves out of his piece is that the leadership WAS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED! And not once, but twice. 
I know there are a lot of things at the union that are not helpful to the members.
The lack of transparency and the iron fisted rule is contemptible.
BUT, I do not believe that making a brand new union, at this time, a Time where the Republicans have control of the federal government is a good idea.
Unions are on their last gasp right now, this would only hasten the demise of our union if a Federal "right to work" rule comes into existence, which is what the Republicans want.
A shitty union is better than no union.
I have posted his piece in total but I have made notes with my comments 

Friday, December 2, 2016

Don't forget vacation hold back

operators have till December 25th to file the request

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Stop dragging all of us down! End the internal bickering!

I gave considerable thought on this issue and cannot see even one advantage of breaking up the union right now. 
We have a democratically elected leadership who was elected not once but twice.
This never ending internal bickering is literally killing us.