“Metro Transit reinstated public-service ads on its buses Friday while continuing a 3-month-old ban on political advertising and ads connected to public-issues debates.”

“The King County-owned bus line rewrote its ad policy after first accepting a message in December that alleged Israeli war crimes, and then canceling the ad on grounds that it was likely to lead to disruptions of bus service.”

Read the entire article and respond online at:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014725562_busads09m.html

 -jw

In a SLOG post, Seattle Stranger writer Dominic Holden calls me a “limp dickbag” and a “flaccid pecker”.  Apparently obsessed with penile references and the relationship between erectile ability and legitimacy, “Stranger” writer Holden ran to the defense of fellow writer (and co-hottie to Lindy West) Cienna Madrid’s recent article on SPOG President Rich O’Neill in posting an attack on Yours Truly – without the advantage of course of a contact first by e-mail or phone (both accessible to Holden).

Madrid’s article’s premise is that O’Neil’s salary is paid entirely by Seattle taxpayers, and that he is (a central premise of the otherwise provocative and legitimate article) “a dick”.  I premised that union Presidents aren’t paid for by taxpayers - but by the members of the union they preside over.

This claim was responded to by many anti-SPD Stranger commenters (I have taken no position on claims of racism or malfeasance by SPD officers, but am generally sympathetic to the idea that review is appropriate and bad attitudes at SPD do exist), and motivated Holden to attack me on the SLOG – while disabling comments on his attack piece, preventing anyone from responding directly.  At least one claimed member of SPD – a female officer – claimed otherwise. But hey – lucky me, I’m the one that Stranger author Dominic Holden attacked with homoerotic penile references  (not that there’s anything wrong with that – wait, unless it’s complete bullshit) after the fact.

What can I say?  No attention whore I, but gee – it is nice to be recognized, especially by one of my favorite local publications.

Read the entire piece online (I’d say comment online, but Holden deliberately disabled comments on his post like the snivelling little penis-obsessed coward that he is) at:
http://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/04/08/yes-hes-paid-with-your-tax-money

-jw

From

“Larry Hanley, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, went right after Millar but took a more combative tone. Recent transit cuts – the deepest since World War Two – are “unconscionable” and further cuts would be “a criminal act against the people of our cities,” he said, threatening people’s ability to get to work in the midst of an economic crisis. Janitors sometimes have to stay in the buildings they clean for hours after their shifts end to wait for the next bus, he said.”

“The irony, though, is that “service has been cut and fares have been increased at a time when the federal government has spent more money in the last year on transit than any year in history,” he said. Hanley asked for more flexibility in the way transit dollars are spent, pointing out that New York was experiencing painful service cuts while at the same time continuing to build new projects that won’t be operational for years to come. If capital funds were available to help cover gaps in operational spending, he said, that wouldn’t happen.”

“ He also blamed recent bus accidents on deregulation. “More people are dying every month in America as a consequence of the federal government turning a blind eye to fierce unregulated competition in that industry,” he said, indicating that unionized professionals are safer drivers. He said union workers “have been told over and over again in the last 3 or 4 months that everything we have, everything we’ve bargained for, is unsustainable. And this comes at a time when Congress has approved over a trillion dollars to be spent on wars in foreign countries.”

Read the entire article and respond online at:
http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/01/more-on-the-ti-stakeholders-meetings-the-allies-and-advocates-edition/

-jw

Friends don’t let friends support Republican scum.

-jw

From TransportationNation:

“Speaking at a breakfast at the Transportation Equity Network’s annual conference, Amalgamated Transit Union president Larry Hanley ticked off a list of urban transit systems that slashed service during the first two years of Obama’s presidency: New York, Detroit, Chicago, Pittsburgh… “This administration was indistinguishable from the prior one with respect to transit operating aid,” said Hanley.  He said he was grateful for the new money budgeted for transit  — but wanted to know “what can we do…to get the president to recognize publicly that what’s happening to transit is a national crisis and we need collectively to elevate this on the national agenda?”

Read the entire article online at:
http://tinyurl.com/3ftnfa3

As I’ve got a fairly uneventful piece of work this shakeup, I thought I could get through this one without a customer complaint.  Alas – the peace was broken today.

I wasn’t entirely surprised to see the SEE ME, as your parting words when we last met were “YOU’RE IN TROUBLE NOW!”, shouted at my departing bus while you waved your fist at me from the middle of the street.  But – I’m getting ahead of myself.

What Happened

Me:  travelling south bound on Front Street (Issaquah) at rush hour.  Traffic was stop and go as it can bunch up there this time of day.  I was advancing slowly with about 5 remaining passengers on board, going maybe 2-3 miles an hour.

You:  got out of your car in front of my moving bus, stood and advanced across the street – again, directly in front of my moving bus. 

I stopped (not too hard as  I wasn’t going very fast) as I tapped my horn to let you know I was there.  You turned to give me a dirty look and walked to my open driver’s side window.

You:  “Were you trying to hit me?”

Me:  “No – and I didn’t.  But (pointing) there *is* a crosswalk right there (indicating crosswalk 20 feet away).”

You:  “So what?  It’s RAINING!”

Me:  Rolls eyes, shakes head and accellerates away as traffic has begun moving again.

You:  (shouting and waving as I move away) “YOU’RE IN TROUBLE NOW!”

Those last words and the fact that I could see you looking at my bus numbers as I drove away made today’s “See Me” not much of a surprise.  Your general beligerence and abject stupidity at not only walking into the path of a moving bus and then getting pissed off at the driver for daring tap the horn and suggest you might avail yourself of a crosswalk sealed the deal.  Well – that and this weird idea that jaywalking somehow becomes both legal and safe when it’s raining.

I also wasn’t surprised not only that you called in a complaint – but that you lied your ass off when you did it.

Here’s your take on what happened:

Complaint Category:  Careless Driving
Reality:  I was driving legally and safely and was able to both avoid hitting a jaywalking pedestrian and any injuries to passengers onboard by stopping too suddenly.

Q:  Were you on the bus, in another vehicle, or a pedestrian?
A:  Pedestrian walking his kid across the street.

Reality:  there was no kid.  You were jaywalking – alone, some distance from the nearest crosswalk.

Q:  What did the driver do to make you feel the bus was being driven in a careless or reckless manner?
A:  Caller was crossing from east to west across Front St.  Traffic was mostly stopped but bus was still moving towards stopped cars in a gap of about 2 car lengths.  Caller with his kids was slightly out of crosswalk since cars were parked in it.  Bus came towards them as if the driver was going to hit them.  Caller went up to the bus and said “were you going to hit me?”  Driver said “You weren’t in the crosswalk you fucking asshole!”

Reality:  You had no kids with you.  You were jaywalking – alone.  The crosswalk was free, clear, and about 20 feet away.  I did not accellerate towards you – I decelerated.  That’s why you weren’t hit by a bus.  I did point out the crosswalk to you – only as a point of information, but never called you a fucking asshole or anything else. 

So not only did you invent non-existent children, you had me attempting to murder you (and them) deliberately, and shouting obscenities at you and these invisible children.  All to cover up your own stupid, ignorant, pig-headed belligerent behavior.

I didn’t call you any names that day.  I didn’t try and run you down.  Adding the kids was a nice touch though.

So I had the prerequisite talk with my base chief, who called up another CAO from last August where a cyclist who wrongfully claimed that I had cut him off also claimed that I shouted the f-word at him, implying an emerging pattern.  I agreed that there was a pattern – of lying hotheads using a common phrase to try and spice up a complaint against bus drivers, people with whom they clearly have a pet-peeve. 

Nevertheless, she reminded me (as one would any 5 year-old) that sometimes people don’t use crosswalks, and sometimes people don’t like being told what to do.  She told me that we have a responsibility to look out for people not using crosswalks (of course that is exactly what happened in this case as no injury resulted), and that safety is very important.

As my other passengers left the bus the day this lying customer stepped in front of my bus, each and every one of them shook their heads and talked about what an idiot he was, particularly at his comment that he was jaywalking because “it’s raining”.

-jw

From the Seattle Times:

“Paul Bachtel, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, said in the current U.S. political climate, transit operators might see a wave of union-busting, though no such threat is imminent in Seattle. “Take away our collective-bargaining rights, our right to binding arbitration, and we’ll go on strike. Don’t screw with transit,” he told the crowd.”

Read the entire article and comment online at:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014685426_king05m.html

-jw

Democracy + Participation = Legitimacy

One of my first experiences with moving from a relatively uninvolved member of ATU 587, the union representing Operators, Vehicle Maintenance Workers, and other classifications at King County Metro was a desire to participate in the public relations aspect of the union and the profession.  I came into contact with some active members who had been pivotal in the very creation of the Public Relations Committee – but who were subsequently largely shut out of its functions.

I attended my first couple of charter meetings, and at the second, presented a motion:  open all meetings of the Public Relations Committee to all interested members.   This is the way that committees in other democratic bodies work:  unless they are in Executive Session, committee meetings are usually open-door, allowing observers to both watch and participate within reasonable boundaries.  In this way – in local bodies from the King County Developmental Disabilities Division to the various regional transportation planning boards – could both tap the local talent pool/brain trust and ensure an ongoing process of openness and accountability to those impacted by decisions at the policy-making (or influencing) level.

My motion was influenced by my experiences in the nonprofit sector, which had included a lot of grassroots lobbying and community participation.  It was odd for me to be encountering a democratically run organization that kept information so “close to the vest”, particularly one so obviously in need of new ideas about communications, public relations – especially as we were approaching a contract year where the support of the public would be sorely needed.  It was based on my experience with how democratic organizations (particularly government) are run.  When legislation is proposed; when policies are being considered; proposals are made public, committee hearings are held that permit public comment, decisions are made openly and those elected can be held accountable for their votes and support (or lack of same) of said legislation or policy issue.

Not so with ATU 587 and perhaps other labor unions.  As this is the only union I’ve ever belonged to – I truly couldn’t say.  I can only say that the culture of my union does not follow the traditional (in America anyway) structure of governmental bodies.  Secrecy is preferred to openness.  Member participation is not welcomed from all quarters – but preferred to take the form of long-term, entrenched, hand-picked individuals both elected and unelected in union processes.

I was recently told by a management representative:  “. . .your elected representatives. . .speak for you on any labor issues.”  As my “elected representatives” frequently meet in secret, without my feedback, involvement or knowledge of their views arguments or votes on matters that directly impact me – as with many totalitarian regimes that have “elections” – THEY DAMN WELL DO NOT.  I hereby and officially reserve both the right and responsibility to speak for myself, and nobody – NOBODY – is going to stop me or any other member unhappy with the status quo in this organization.

Secrecy = Security?  Or Just Freedom from Accountability?

The prevailing argument from ATU 587 Board members was that opening the PR Committee meetings to others was a bad idea – main argument appearing to be “just because”.  The prevailing attitude (my perception) was that “open” had a frightening connotation to many entrenched in our Local’s culture; a connotation that screamed “DANGER!”  I had a similar experience when I later proposed that the salaries of full-time Board members be published in the ATU 587 newsletter, being roundly dismissed (and outside my earshot ridiculed) for the mere suggestion.  One candidate for an open Board position said that their fear was that “people are already down on unions – they could mis-use this information”.  My view:  the way to deal with those who mis-use information (such as the Washington Policy Center) is to confront them and correct them – not to create more barriers to information.

This Board candidate helped summarize the attitude that I have repeatedly encountered at ATU 587:  the idea that access to  information is dangerous.  Whether it is information about the activities, strategies and plans of our own Public Relations Committee or the compensation levels of our own Board members and now proposals to create a potentially beneficial new classification of driver that in my view would be win-win for both workforce and County  – our union leadership (at least a voting majority of the Executive Board) would prefer that such discussions, votes and decisions be conducted outside the view not only of the public, but of the very membership this union claims to serve and represent.

Nothing About Me Without Me

In the local disability community there is a saying – often hand-written on signs at pickets and other demonstrations:  “Nothing About Me Without Me”.  The history of that phrase has been the vast amount of legislation, policymaking, funding decisions, and other matters decided by some that affect others – without so much as consulting those impacted.  People with disabilities (particularly mental illness, developmental disabilities and others considered “incapacitated”) was that there is a group of elected and unelected officials who have the best interests of a group in mind, and can be fully trusted to represent those interests in all cases. 

As our mishmash of public policy and human service boondoggles should aptly demonstrate – formulating policy in an environment of well-meaning bureaucrats but in a vacuum of direct participation by those affected doesn’t nearly approach anything that could be considered best practice.  Deciding matters of funding, approach, and end-user service delivery winds up meaningless – and illegitimate – unless those end users (or more directly in line with the focus of this article UNION MEMBERS) being allowed open access and input during all steps of those processes.  Our union doesn’t even come close to that ideal – and that’s a damn shame.  So much wasted brainpower, so many members so poorly served by the limited ability of human beings to consider themselves truly informed without a process to allow for the free-flow of information.

A Recent Example

As reported on here, there was a backroom deal in the works to create (temporarily) a new classification of Operator the Temporary Full Time Operator, working title “GEO” or Grand Experiment Operator.  As nearly as I can piece it together from various statements at union meetings and unspecified private communications, President Paul Bachtel in conjunction with members of Metro management and others formulated a proposal to experiment with a new interim classification of bus driver.  This new classification would have been a somewhat subjugated but otherwise full-fledged full time job opportunity for hundreds of bus drivers seeking such.

This proposal would have allowed for a one-shakeup (approximately 4-months) experiment with moving 300 Operators to full-time status with a lesser weekly guarantee, different rules for overtime, and a few other restrictions.  This would have permitted the bulk of those currently waiting (hoping, sweating, praying) for full-time work as a driver at Metro to be able to experience the challenges – and reap most of the benefits – of full-time work.  President Bachtel has often at Charter meetings extolled the virtues of such experiements.  If they work out for the workforce, great.  If not – no real harm done by giving it a shot.  At any rate, he has also expressed concern about the somewhat knee-jerk resistance of the majority membership (read:  FTO’s) to such changes, much less such experimentation.  Without knowing full details, I believe that this proposal has his fingerprints on it – something the man should be lauded and recognized for.  I equally believe that as with any Executive, he does not have absolute power and he was likely overruled by other members on the Executive Board. 

Were ATU 587 run like most other democratic bodies – this conversation, proposal, and debate wouldn’t have been so limited to so few.  Were ATU 587 run like most other democratic bodies, members would have been able to provide direct feedback into the process, been able to lobby their elected Officers to vote on their behalf, and would be able to hold those who voted the “wrong way” accountable for their vote.

Regrettably, our union’s culture of secrecy – which does a disservice not only the membership but to the entire process and concept of democracy – has let us down.  Who knows how many other times it has done the same?

-jw

Metro management was until recently proposing an experiment with a new type of interim full-time Operator, the “Temporary Full Time Operator”, a potential new classification that could have become permanent in the Summer of 2012.

Apparently acting in relative secrecy (no information has been made public), union leaders have been in discussion with Transit Manager Jim O’Rourke and Kevin Desmond regarding this new classification, which would have created a “second tier” of full-time Operator as an interim step to offer PTO’s income advancement in a shorter term (the current wait to advance to full-time is 3-5 years), and provide potential savings to the County by “spreading benefits over more hours”.  Many on the part-to full-time list already qualify for full benefits as they are able to work the minimum number of hours (an average of 4 hours or more per day over the term of a shakeup) either through picking longer pieces of work or by working additional shifts via the Additional Tripper List or vacation reliefs for other drivers.

Cost to Families

While there were and are doubtless questions, technicalities, and contract modifications (sunsetted or not) to consider, there are already over 300 Part Time Operators waiting to go full-time, most or all of whom would have jumped at the chance to work full time (with some restrictions not applicable to regular full time Operators), if even only for the Summer.  Many more junior PTO’s would also have shaved 4 months off of their wait to go to the next pay step.

As a personal example, this failure of leadership to act in the best interests of its part time members will cost me and my family thousands of dollars, and I would have been able to advance to the next step in the pay scale in January instead of May.

Par for the Course

ATU 587 membership is dominated – ideologically, numerically and politically – by Full Time bus drivers. As a result, leadership usually bends to their concerns or perceived concerns.  Without direct comment from full time union officers beyond “the issue is dead in the water”, one can only speculate as to why the offer was benched.  Historically (even recently with the lifting of the 7:59 daily limit for PTO’s), full time Operators flinch – or worse – at the idea of improving working conditions for PTO’s over concerns that helping one group will somehow hurt another.  Some express open contempt for the very existence of PTO’s as part of the Metro workforce, without regard to the fact that PTO’s – like FTO’s – are full dues paying members of the same union.

In allowing the “GEO/TFTO” matter to be delayed or worse – permanently killed, ATU 587 leadership has done the workforce a great disservice; denied both FTO and PTO drivers a potential opportunity to enhance working conditions for all, and cost at leat 300 families a LOT of money.

-jw

One of my earliest memories as a Transit Operator is from my first year.  My 2nd and 3rd shakeup were at East Base, at the time a bit hurting for short-route Operators.  It was winter.  It was cold. 

Living in Ballard, East Base was not my first choice for work, but that indeed was where the work was – just over 3 hours a day.  I signed up for the ATL, but so many other Operators (most senior) wer also on the list, my ability to get additional work this way was nonexistant.  I did pull a couple of vacation reliefs  on the 266 and the 216, but they were only teasing me with promises of a real income.

At any rate, each morning I would park (wonderfully close to the base itself),sign in, and get my bus – a DE60LF for my 254 run. 

What I remember though was not the base.  Was not the customers.  Was not the run itself (although it was nice).  It was the smell of baking bread.

Eastern Yeast

East Base (as is Bellevue Base) is near the Eastern bakery for the local Safeway, particularly those that don’t have internal bakeries.  They prepared breads, croissants, donuts, and other baked goods for distribution to area Safeways around King County that were smaller and even larger stores that needed an infusion to keep up with bread demand.

This bakery was in full-force, certainly by the time I returned to base at around 8am, after my run from eastside locations into the CBD (Seattle).

I miss this.

Olfactory Memories

The smell of sweet yeast and rising bread bring to mind other images – particularly for those of us with depression-era ancestors.  Black-eyed-peas.  Fried green tomatoes (or just hothouse tomatoes with sugar on them).  Fried chicken (not the kind you get at QFC or Sam’s).  Hugs from a Grandmother overworked but still having time to demonstrate her affection for children of her progeny.

East Base mornings reminded me of all that, even as I schlepped out past the garage in the cold to my waiting bus.

Central base does that too, although the memory is a bit diminished.

The Franz Bakery is about a mile South of Central/Atlantic/Ryerson base.  The smell of yeast (though not as much of seasonings) can and does waft