September 2024 Newsletter

New ATU 1576 Executive Board Officer

We are very excited to announce the addition of Gretchen Palmer, a driver at Transdev Everett, to our Executive Board. Executive Board Officer (EBO) Steve Becker said she is very dedicated to the union. She truly enjoys talking to the people at base and has worked with management very well when representing members. Vice President Perkins says she asks the right questions and has expressed wanting to help EBO Becker and the membership. Gretchen’s appointment was the result of an open call for nominations at Transdev Everett by way of an August 30th posting at the property. We previously posted the opening on July 8th, but no one came forward. Gretchen was the sole nominee at the September Charter meetings and will be appointed by President Dani Julien. Gretchen brings a background in web design and experience as a Shop Steward. She has been employed at Transdev since 2019.

Transit Assaults:

• According to reports, a Security Guard for Island Transit was punched in the eye on September 10th by a homeless individual suffering from mental distress. EBO Susan Lien said that the Security Guard provides excellent, above and beyond support for the Drivers at Harbor Station. Island Transit is currently looking into getting more hours covered at the Harbor Point location in Oak Harbor.
• A CT Coach Operator was assaulted on September 23rd by a woman who was trying to take control of his coach while he was driving. Our ATU Emergency Response Advocates made contact with him immediately to offer our support.

Transdev DART Sick Accrual

Washington State law requires that all workers are provided with how many sick days they have accrued, how many days they have used and what their current balance is at least monthly. There has been an issue with the corporate app not working properly, nor calculating days correctly. It finally took an L&I complaint to get the ball rolling. There is a new HR person (Isamar Castellanos) who is now tracking this manually and all members should have received a letter in their mailboxes. If not, please let the union know.

Transdev DART Bid

New management at Transdev DART, who are new to our processes for bidding work, were tasked with putting together a bid that ultimately had to be redone due to our EBO Erik Handy not being available to assist with creating the bid. Thankfully we have Sharon Parker watching out for our members. She immediately contacted President Julien outlining the issues and the Bid was stopped and redone. After a joint meeting with management and ATU, the Bid process will again be discussed in December in preparation for the January Bid which goes into effect in February 2025. Data from the current bid will be reviewed and discussed concerning the process and lessons learned from the current bid times/routes. Casual employees were talked to individually about the new requirement to bid work and a follow-up letter is to be sent to each casual employee affected.

CT Contract Negotiations

President Julien has contacted our attorneys and requested to have them at the table for the entire contract. We are gearing up to go into contract negotiations and working to get dates with our attorneys locked in. We will begin reaching out to the membership and more news to come soon.

CT to Bring Transdev Everett Jobs In-House

On August 14th President Julien, Vice-President Perkins and Financial Secretary Thompson were at the Transdev Everett property to listen to member concerns, talk about what we know so far, and share the many advantages of the CT contract with them. We took specific note of the many questions members at Transdev brought forward. 

On September 17th, ATU Officers attended a CT hosted Town Hall meeting at Community Transit where CT stated that a hiring event was to take place at TDE focusing on Journey Mechanics. The message to ATU members was that the union is carefully working through the process with the ATU International and our Labor Attorneys to advocate for everyone’s interests. We have specific language in the contract that outlines seniority, and any proposed changes to that language would be brought to a vote by the members at CT.

On September 19th, CT hosted another Town Hall meeting at Transdev Everett for Journey Mechanics that Financial Secretary Thompson and our Executive Board Officers at Transdev attended. ATU shared that as a much larger group, the issues surrounding the transition for Coach Operators are much more complex than for the IAM, and ATU is working quickly to negotiate a process for a smooth transition. 

ATU and CT are meeting with our respective counsel to finalize details this week and more information will be coming out soon.

Island Transit Bonus

A joint letter from ATU 1576 President Dani Julien and Island Transit’s acting Executive Director Craig Cyr was distributed to ATU members at Island Transit on September 24th.

This update is a joint message from Island Transit and ATU 1576 regarding the status of negotiations for the Operator sign-on bonuses. First, we want to begin with recognition of the hard work and dedication all Island Transit employees have shown providing safe and reliable service to the community and affirm our commitment to work together to finalize these negotiations as quickly as possible.

Background

In January 2023, Island Transit’s Board of Directors approved a sign-on bonus of up to $5,000 for hard to fill positions, allowing the agency to determine the actual amount disbursed. The positions identified were Journeyman Mechanic, Operator and Dispatcher. The Operator sign-on bonus was implemented in May 2023 in the amount of $2,000. After the leadership transition that occurred at the end of May 2024, Craig Cyr, Acting Executive Director approved increasing the Operator sign-on bonus to $5,000 for Operators hired August 1, 2024, forward and with the intention of retroactively paying the bonus to all Operators hired from May 2023 to August 1, 2024. Island Transit provided notification regarding the increase to the sign-on bonus to the Union on July 31, 2024, and communicated the new bonus structure to all impacted Operators on August 1, 2024. On August 6, 2024, Danielle Julien, President ATU 1576, sent an email notifying Island Transit that compensation is a mandatory subject of bargaining, and demanded to convene impact bargaining as it relates to all represented members. On August 14, 2024, Island Transit provided a memo to all those employees scheduled to receive the bonus that there would be a pause in disbursement while we negotiate.

On August 29, 2024, the ATU submitted a three-part proposal to Island Transit with a request to negotiate the three items as a single proposal. Included in the proposal was the sign-on bonus, an equal retention bonus for all current ATU represented employees, and a request for a wage re-opener to bargain a general wage increase. The ATU proposal was provided to the Island Transit Board of Directors on September 6, 2024. The Board’s decision was not to move forward with negotiations on the proposal until a new Executive Director has been hired. The ATU was notified of the Board’s decision on September 11, 2024, and that same day requested to meet to discuss the

Board’s decision. Island Transit and the ATU met via Zoom on September 13, 2024. During that meeting Island Transit communicated that the Board’s direction was that any wage re-opener would be tied to opening the

contract for full bargaining and indicated the potential for opening bargaining prior to expiration. With respect to the hiring bonus, we agreed to issue this joint memo, updating represented employees that we are still working toward an agreement on payment of the bonus. The ATU shared their position that an equal bonus amount for all members remains part of the discussion.

Where we are today

Island Transit and ATU 1576 will continue to work collaboratively while involving appropriate legal counsel. Island Transit and ATU 1576 agree that we need to do what is in the best interests of our employees. Island Transit Management has shared with ATU 1576 leadership that we recognize that pay is a genuine issue that we are all concerned about, and the ATU has shared that they are optimistic that we can work together to find an equitable resolution for represented employees. We are scheduling another session to meet at the soonest date possible, and as we continue to work through these negotiations, joint updates will be provided. 

Island Transit’s Board of Directors is working with a search agency to fill the Executive Director position. Currently, 14 different candidates are being scheduled for interviews. The HR Manager position will be posted soon, most likely by the end of September.

CT Survey Audit 

A while ago a survey was sent out to Operators on how to create a better work life balance. We noticed that many of the answers were used to create a specific outcome in favor of packaging the work, which we declined. Now, the Planning Dept wants to do it again. They said they wanted to “fine tune” it. As we started asking questions, CT admitted they want to enact Rostering. Rostering is where the company bundles work to create an easier, less expensive way to plan Operator schedules. The problem with rostering, is it takes away the rights of Operators to pick their work and limits the ability to work overtime or have established RDO’s. CT currently uses “cafeteria style” bidding and we aim to keep it. Our concern is that another survey would be used as a sales pitch designed to make rostering look good and only tells half the story. If you don’t see the Union at the survey table, there’s a good chance the union is not in support.

CT Articulated Backseat Visibility 

The Vehicle Maintenance team working on visibility for the rear of articulated coaches has a couple of efforts they are testing. One of the ideas was to re-angle the existing camera used for the back door that Operators see on their dash screen. The other is ordering a new interior mirror for the center aisle view that has a monitor screen embedded in the corner. The driver would need an additional tv screen in the cockpit (like the double-talls). The Safety Committee is also involved. More testing is scheduled. 

VoIP/Verizon Coverage at Smokey Point/Mariner/McCollum Park

Mike Berman, Senior Manager Technology Infrastructure updated us at the September Labor Management meeting. He said that back in July CT reached out to Verizon about the issue at Smokey Point. Verizon said they knew there were problems. They did an analysis of the towers, and one has dominance over the other. There is a hill between the tower and the transit center. In the process of switching dominance, they discovered a configuration issue which they fixed the end of August. Since doing so, communication has not been a problem at Smokey Point. 

On September 6th, CT did cell surveys at Mariner, Bays 3 and 4, and saw they are problematic. At McCollum, Bays 1 & 2 as well as the layover area, the reception is horrible. Mike Berman sent those readings to Verizon on September 13th and are waiting for them to get back to him. He stated that what the Coach Operators are reporting is invaluable to getting it across to Verizon that this is a lifesaving issue.

In August CT began replacing the sim cards in each of the coaches. Instead of 4g they now have 5g. This should help in having better coverage across the entire network. Executive Board Officer and Dispatcher Eric Sullivan asked why it took 2 months to talk to Verizon about Mariner. Mike stated that they shared both issues with Verizon at the same time. The bulk of the reports came from Smokey Point, so they prioritized. Mike Berman will attend next month’s Labor Management meeting to give us an update.

CT Mentorship Program

Over the next 10 years, transit agencies will need to hire and train 126% more of the current workforce. How do we entice qualified individuals to apply, and how do we keep them? How can we tap into the experience of senior drivers and pass that on to newer drivers? We figured out mentoring works and it’s not new. Reverse mentoring is taking over. The driver’s room is one of the most negative rooms you will ever encounter, and it has a huge effect on the driver’s attitude. We want to turn those negatives into positives. Real learning for new employees takes place on the job, no matter how technically well prepared a person is for a large vehicle operation. It is a craft that requires an ethic of service, a positive attitude and the ability to make consistently sound judgements throughout the workday. 

We need people who understand what the driver is going through. Not focused on just being a better operator but focused on being a better person. This career comes with a lot of stress. Chronic stress plays a huge role in driving. This is part of the career. Mentors can help reduce that stress by sharing their experience and pride in work. 

On September 9th, we had a virtual meeting at Community Transit with the ATU International Director of Workforce Development, Jamaine Gibson, zooming in because his flight was cancelled. President Julien, Vice President Perkins, Recording Secretary Kim Meliza as well as the top tier decision makers at Community Transit (Chief Executive Officer Ric Ilgenfritz, Chief  of Staff Deb Osborne, Senior Manager of Training and Development Treva Kosloski, HR Manager Labor Relations Denise Gregory Wyatt, Employee Engagement Manager Strategic Partners Veralee Estes, Chief Operations Officer Roland Behee, Chief People and Finance Officer Eunjoo Greenhouse, Deputy Director of Transportation Jim Williams, and Labor Relations Analyst Jade Corley) were there. Jamaine said that if CT combines their current 12 week training program with the one-year mentorship program, all the checks and balances are in place to create an apprenticeship program. There are currently 18 agencies across the nation that are using the mentorship program and are fully staffed. This opportunity for agency and union sets people up to be successful. There are less accidents and more comradery. Another meeting is scheduled for October when Jamaine will come out in person. CT’s overwhelming response to the presentation was positive. The first year would be a trial and will begin at graduation and go for a full year. Some people will be assigned a mentor and some not and then statistics will be taken on retention and job satisfaction.

Jamaine will be back on the 21st of October to check in with CT to see if they are ready to work with the ATU on creating this program that boasts a 30% higher retention rate and a 30% decrease in absences. Jamaine will provide the training. He is already doing it for Seattle Metro’s ATU 587. He has been meeting with them every Thursday for the last 8 months.

What do mentors do? They aren’t there to teach anyone how to drive. They focus on customer service, but literally they are there to talk about dealing with personal issues. Each partnership is different. Mentors reach out by phone call or text. They can ride along if needed. Whatever will fit our local. Mentors and mentees will be allowed to change partners if there is not a good fit. We would also put a program in place to support the mentors themselves. Mentorship is not a paid position. We will find people who want to do it because they remember what it is like that first year of service, and they want to support new drivers through the most stressful year of their career. Metro ATU has started the first year of the pilot program and have 45 mentors, with each mentor paired with one person for one year.

CT Blue Line Recovery Time

We last reported that CT would conduct some investigation into recovery time. At the September Labor/Management meeting we received a written response from Senior Manager-System and Operational Design, Matthew Muller. In it he writes the data they use to gather running time is from the automatic vehicle location (AVA) data that is directly from the buses a minimum of once a year. Additionally, traffic patterns are closely monitored and routes with higher variability, much like the commuter services, are typically checked at each major service change. They also look at break times from the “total duty level” rather than what occurs after a single trip, meaning if you have one 30-minute break but every other recovery time is 6 minutes, they take the average. So, it makes it look like the operator is getting enough time at each terminal, when in fact the operator may only be getting 1 break a day. 

Mr. Muller stated that the September runcards have been updated and he thinks most of the concerns were alleviated. He also writes that if there are turnaround issues, operators have avenues to address these concerns by filling out the Route Management Forms. The best time to do this is the first month of a shakeup. This gives the Planning Department enough time to adjust runcards for the following shakeup. If Operators wait until the 2nd or 3rd month, the changes will not be seen until 2 shake-ups later. Planning starts creating the runcards about 2 months prior to the next shakeup. 

If the runcards have not improved from the last shake-up, this is a safety issue and should be brought forward to the Safety Committee. If you do not have adequate turnaround time, no matter what property you are working from, it is your right and your responsibility to document that. Take notes on your runcard of actual arrival and departure times and submit them along with the Route Management Form every single day to dispatch. At CT, these forms are found at the dispatch window. Send me an email. Let me know how it looks out there. Remember, take those breaks and stay awake.

CT Transit Security Officer (TSO) Mediation 

We have been working for the last 19 months with Community Transit to reach an agreement on the creation of a new contract for our Transit Security Officers. The beginning stages were very rough, and we got off to a rocky start. Since Scott Eastman took the role of Senior Manager – Security and Emergency, the agency has been more reasonable on most of the contract language, and we have reached agreements in all areas except Wages and Hours of Work. We have requested and reached an agreement to seek mediation with the Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC). The mediator has accepted our case and we are in the process of getting dates on the table. Once dates are scheduled, we will meet with TSO’s and get feedback before going into mediation. Transit Security Officer Isaiah Smith has been in negotiations with us since the beginning and he has done an outstanding job representing all TSO’s. 

Shop Stewards: 

Congratulations to our most recent Shop Stewards: Sam McMillan (Transdev Lakewood), Georgia Green (Transdev DART), Robert Helstrom (Transdev Everett), Mike Rizzo (Community Transit) and Shelly Schweigert (Community Transit). They completed the Shop Steward training on August 17th and were approved by the Executive Board on September 15th. 

NO on 2117 Campaign: 

Hi All,

I participated in the No on 2117 Zoom call Tuesday, September 24th, and I have lots of new information to share:

The polling is looking good. 60% of voters who know about the initiative plan to vote no, however, 1 in 4 voters surveyed had never heard of it. So we need to get the word out. Please participate in an outreach in your area. Here are some links shared Tuesday:

Campaign You tube page: https://www.youtube.com/@NoOn2117Campaign

Social media library: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iUnozJkv0YYpKmJ91xNSbvClqf7lC8fXQ2bZyD6NiBI/edit#heading=h.afoxksewklv8

Seattle Times Op ed: https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/no-on-i-2117-to-retain-climate-commitment-act/#:~:text=Initiative%202117%20would%20also%20threaten,every%20corner%20of%20our%20state

Spokesman Review Op Ed with Dr. Vin Gupta: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/sep/20/dr-vin-gupta-i-2117-would-threaten-washingtonians-/

No on 2117 Coalition Toolkit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jKkkthckOwv3hH-wSW7XZyTHk355HZpz

Tacoma city manager’s report to the city council: https://cms.cityoftacoma.org/CityManagersWeeklyReporttotheCityCouncil.pdf

Please consider using any of the above on your local website, social media, emails etc.

In Solidarity,

Dave Thompson

ATU1576 Financial Secretary/Treasurer