The 1005 LineThe news and information
publication of
ATU Local 1005 Prepared and
distributed by the Education
Committee
For The People Who Know Where They Are Going
September / October 2012
What’s Inside...
Officer’s Corner
page 2
Union Meeting Highlights
page 3
Buses and Bikes
page7
Advocating for Public Services
page 8
Impact!
page 10
Transit Safety Security
Committee
page 17
Driving With Assaults
page 21
Latino Caucus Conference
page 25
Retirements
pages 24, 27, 28, 33
AFL-CIO State Convention
page 30
Letter to the Editor
page 34
Obituaries
page 35
"We shouldn't have to come
to work and be abused."
Liz Dunn #70065
South Garage
Continued on page 28
ATU Members Bring Attention to Negotiations
There has been no progress to speak of in the contract negotiations
between ATU Local 1005 and the Metro Transit/Met Council management.
So action started bright and early on Monday, September 10th, 2012 with
an informational picket at the Heywood facility, and continued through the
week. ATU members and managers were greeted in the lobby of the Hey-
wood Offi ce Building. When they inquired as to why picketers were there,
they were told that the negotiations were dragging because management has
failed to give us answers on our proposals.
Members expressed their disappointment to upper management about
the lack of commitment to contract decisions. What we need is someone
who can tell us yes or no to our proposals so we can continue to negotiate
towards a fi nal agreement.
The Met Council met with all the labor unions at the Council who receive
healthcare, and discussed switching to a self-funded plan. To employees, the
plan would look and work as it does today. All the unions agreed that the
Met Council should move forward with this plan. Pending approval by the
full Metropolitan Council, it could be implemented as early as next year, and
could create savings on the cost of the healthcare plan.
On Wednesday, September 12, members showed up at the monthly meet-
ing of the Metropolitan Council. Some of the Council members acknowl-
OFFICER’S
CORNER
Page 2
Mark Lawson Recording Secretary/Ass’t.
Business Agent
LOCAL 1005
OFFICERS
President/Business Agent
Michelle Sommers
Vice-President
Dorothy Maki
Recording Secretary/
Ass’t. Business Agent
Mark Lawson
Financial Secretary/
Treasurer
Tommy Bellfield
ATU Local 1005
Union Office
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
(Closed 12:00 - 1:00)
312 Central Ave.
Suite 345
Mpls., MN 55414
612-379-2914
email:
website:
www.atu1005.com
Calendar
Education Committee
Meetings - 11:30 a.m.
on the third Tuesday October 16th
November 20th
Membership Meetings
on the fourth Tuesday
October 23rd - Mpls.
November 27th - St. Paul
10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Your Vote and Voice Are Not Meaningless
This election is pivotal. As government employees, our wages, bene-
fits, and even our jobs hang in the balance. We must elect candidates that
do not see government employees as criminals, and elect those who see
that supporting transit is one of the keys to a functional transportation
system. The ATU is building a coalition with transit riders to elect tran-
sit-friendly politicians. We need your help to reach the riders. Are you
in? It will only take a little time, but will go a long way toward preserv-
ing our industry and jobs. Call Mike Qualy 651-271-1208 to volunteer, or
call the office for more information.
As many of you know, my wife is an immigrant from Ukraine. In
March she became a citizen of the United States of America. During the
naturalization ceremony, there were several speakers who talked about the
right to vote - for citizens to choose their own government. Voting in free
and fair elections is still coveted by billions of people in the world, yet
there is a subtle attack on this freedom happening here in Minnesota. On
the November ballot, there is a proposal to change the constitution of our
state to require an ID to vote. This sounds good on its face - nobody
wants to see people vote who do not have this right! However, this
amendment could shut out thousands of citizens from voting at every
election - your grandparent, cousin in the military, niece at college, etc.
Through the recounts of the last couple of elections, Minnesota’s elec-
tion system has shown itself to be as clean and fair as possible. Vote NO
on the Voter ID amendment, and help keep one of our most basic free-
doms intact.
Also, to our members who are immigrants: I encourage you to become
U.S. citizens. You are living here, working here, and becoming part of
the melting pot that is America. Most of you are working for the govern-
ment, and it is vital that your voice be heard by the government. The first
step to involvement in our government is to become a citizen and vote.
For more information on the Voter ID amendment, go to:
www.ourvoteourfuture.org
Page 3
Continued on page 4
Union Meeting Highlights
July 2012
Requests for Arbitration
An Overhaul Base mechanic requested arbitration after being
discharged for Gross Misconduct/Falsification. This case will not go to
arbitration.
An FTH operator requested arbitration on a Final Record of Warning/
10-day suspension/suspension from instruction/ anger management -
Conduct. This case will go to arbitration.
An East Metro stockkeeper requested arbitration on a Record of
Warning - False Statements/Improper Behavior. This case will not go to
arbitration.
An East Metro operator requested arbitration on a Responsible
Accident/ROW. This case will not go to arbitration.
An MJR operator requested arbitration on a Final ROW and 20-day
suspension - Electronic Devices Policy. This case will go to arbitration.
The State Fair 2012 Letter of Agreement was read and discussed. The
motion passed.
The following motion from Brother Curt Botner was read and
discussed: ATU Local 1005 shall place on the local website: 1) The initial
contract proposal package presented from the local to management. 2)
The initial contract proposal package presented from management to the
local. Furthermore, access to view these proposals shall be restricted to
those who have received a password to enter the ATU 1005 website where
the proposals are to be located. The motion failed.
Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
The following members passed away since last month’s meeting:
• Thomas Schuveiller - Retired 50-year member
• Delmont Alexander - Retired 50-year member
• Ming Lu - Active
• Lee Haglund - Retired
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President’s Report
Michelle Sommers reported:
We’ve begun meeting with Transit for Livable Communities and other
groups, setting up the plan for the legislature next year.
Michelle was invited to be on a bus health, wellness, and retention
project being conducted by the Transportation Learning Center in
Maryland. It will involve some conference calls. Many people/groups
are now looking into these issues.
Very little progress has been made in negotiations with Metro Transit.
We spent quite a bit of time discussing a Green Line Letter of Agreement,
only to have management drop the issue.
Education
Committee
Advisors
Dorothy Maki
Mark Lawson
Chair
Melanie Benson
South
Heywood Office
Ilona LaDouceur
Rec. Secretary
Sam Adams
Nicollet
Alec Johnson
Ryan Timlin
Ruter
Anastasia Bloodsaw
Jackie Williams
Alemu Foluke
East Metro
Philip Jarosz
Doug Barton
Stacey Taylor
Heywood Garage
Faye Brown
Vice-Chair
Debbi Sievers
LRT
Carl Rice
Lisa Callahan
725 Bldg.
Stephen Babcock
Layout
Scott Lindquist
Editorial Board
Ken Dolney
Gary Bier
Light Rail
Carl Rice #6223
Lisa Callahan #6716
We have a green thumb here at
Light Rail Transit. John Swenson
#9938 won 1st Place Blue Ribbon
in “Lot 536 Tomatoes, grape” at
the State Fair this year.
With school back in session we
must watch out for the kids on the
platforms! 38th Street Station is a
major transfer point for the kids.
If you drink coffee, you should
join the Coffee Club at LRT! It’s
only $5.00 a month. See Ed in
dispatch.
The first half of the 2013
Vacation Pick started October 1st.
The interviewing for the pool of
rail operators will start very soon.
Page 4
Union Meeting Highlights
August
Executive Board Recommendations
The Minnesota AFL-CIO 51st Constitutional convention is being held
in Rochester, MN September 16-18, 2012. Local 1005 will provide a
First Transit has taken over the bus service in Rochester, and we have
ratified a six-month contract with them! First Transit was initially
unwilling to recognize the RCL contract, but in the end, got basically
everything from it.
Metro Transit is looking at separating the Sigcomm/SCADA job into
two separate jobs.
Brother Mike Qualy, Political Outreach Coordinator, spoke about how
there are only four districts where the Union has volunteers, and he is
looking for volunteers in more districts. Of the 200 seats in the election,
it is predicted that 15 will change parties.
Brother Mike Dalbec spoke and thanked the membership for
supporting the Tour de Cure, and presented the Union with a framed
miniature jersey.
Report of Rochester - July
Dave Gosha reported:
Running times from the new facility: Everyone has been asked to add
15 minutes to their runs dividing between pull-in and pull-out time as
needed. This is 15 minutes for each piece on a two-piece run.
RCL’s runs were based on their location. Now with extra time and
mileage, those runs would have overtime. They need to adjust the routes
to not have automatic overtime.
401K- Letter from Dan Holter has arrived, and you need to follow the
instructions to keep your money there. We have information available to
join the ATU 401K Plan.
Dental Insurance - There are no in-network providers in Rochester.
The closest is 41 miles away. First Transit is looking to change the plan
to a better one so that there will be coverage in Rochester. Employee cost
will remain the same.
We are looking to have a retirement party for Phil, Debbie and Bob in
August.
There is a Road Supervisor looking to return to driving. He would
come back with frozen seniority. This would set the precedent for that
here.
We do not yet have employee numbers or ID badges yet. The city
needs to approve the design and what info there will be.
FT office is not yet set up for dues check off, but will be soon.
The Union is still working to get a couple of the drivers hired that
have not been thus far.
Talent Corner by Deborah Sievers
If you or someone you know
has some special talent and
would like to share it with your
co-workers, please contact Deb
Sievers at Heywood Garage or
leave a message at 612-695-
0238. I would love to write
about the talented people at
Metro Transit!
Heywood
Ilona LaDouceur #66048
Faye Brown #6331
Debbi Sievers #64222
Sam Adams #3634
New Bus Review
by Faye Brown
The new hybrid bus at
Heywood is very nice. The get-
up-and-go is smoother, 30 mph in
.9 second (lol). The sunroof gives
that open feel. New to us drivers is
the back window. Looking
through mirrors and the back win-
dow gives a panorama view.
The outside windows have a
dark tint and seamless appearance,
which is very helpful in checking
your bus surroundings, like having
extra mirrors.
There's a light-up square on the
dash that changes from a beautiful
blue to green when the brake pedal
is used, and red when the back-
door brake is applied.
If you get a chance to drive
it, remember - you are still driv-
ing a bus.
Page 5
$60.00 per diem and mileage for the seven delegates.
The ATU International is holding “Rocking the Transit World” political
and mobilization training from September 28-October 3, 2012. Two
officers and four members will attend.
The ATU International is requesting a donation for Local 1290,
Monocton, CA, who have been locked out since June 24, 2012. ATU 1005
will contribute $3000.00.
Requests for Arbitration
A South operator requested arbitration after being charged with a
Violation of Met Council Operating Policy/Overall Record/ Debit Three.
This case will not go to arbitration.
An FTH operator requested arbitration for a Final Record of Warning
(ROW) - Electronic Devices Policy and 20-Day Suspension. This case will
not go to arbitration.
Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
The following members passed away since last month’s meeting:
• Mike “Kraky” Krakowski - Retired
• Daniel Drexler - Active
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President’s Report
Michelle Sommers reported:
ATU 1005’s contract with Metro Transit expired July 31st. We are not
thrilled with the speed of negotiations. The first seven days of bargaining
yielded six tentative agreements - most on current practice. We’re
frustrated! Management says some of the people in the room don’t feel
empowered to make decisions. Whose attention do we need to get? We’ve
decided to plan an action. This is about the contract and about
accountability. There was an investigation into the ABB passes - seven
members were on Administrative Leave for seven weeks, and were
disciplined. We’ve requested an audit of the audit. Management has
taught us that bad behavior has consequences - we agree! There should be
consequences for management too.
On the Loudermill hearings - notice of suspension or discharge.
Management has made it clear to us that they will not give us copies of the
information, that they will read it to us like kindergarteners. We are
entitled to receive the information when we file a grievance. Our attorney
will look into the legalities of the company’s practice.
We are working with community groups regarding transit funding. Not
much news in the last month.
We are working with Metro Transit on a joint Labor/ Management
Committee for Wellness. This project will not be connected to Health
Partners.
There is a new state mandate for training in the Building Maintenance
Department. The company has received an extension to get the training
done. They will pay for the training and employees time to do the training.
Vice-President’s Report
Dorothy Maki mentioned that there is a fundraiser in October for
former member Joe Callahan who has some legal problems in Canada, and
to contact her for more information.
Commuter Rail
Big Lake
As the Twins season came to a
close, we all should be looking
forward to next year’s season. On
a good note for the Twins season,
it seems as though the fans have
really enjoyed the ride that we
provide to and from all Twins
games. Ridership has been steady
with good feedback from our loyal
customers.
Locomotive 512 that we had
purchased from Utah Transit
Authority has undergone a wrap
process very similar to the ones
used on the buses and trains for
advertising. This wrap is supposed
to last at least 10 years. Now this
locomotive looks the same as the
rest of our fleet.
We have started the horn heater
modifications for the locomotives
and cab cars to eliminate ice and
snow buildup, as winter is just
around the corner. Two locomo-
tives have been done with four
remaining, and one cab car has
been done with five remaining.
Electric hand brakes have been
installed on the locomotives to
provide a much easier and safer
way to set the hand brakes. BNSF
employees are very happy to see
this done as it could help reduce
or eliminate any injuries the man-
ual ones could cause.
Ramsey Station is underway
and should be open in November
of this year. This is expected to
have a positive impact on the rid-
ership for the Northstar line.
Page 6
Delegate Reports
Mike Qualy, Political Outreach Coordinator, reported that there is a
phone bank on September 13th at the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation.
We are trying to have 12 members volunteer to phone from 5:30-8:30
p.m. The national presidential polling is showing a toss-up race. The
Eighth Congressional District race is Nolan (DFL) vs. Cravaak (REP).
Cravaak has been endorsed by two unions because he wants to see mining
in the district. Steve Smith, a Republican legislator we supported, lost in
the primary to a Tea Party challenger.
Russ Dixon was a delegate to the Can-Am Conference. He thanked
the membership and made a short report.
New Business
The cases being considered for convening Trial Boards (two separate
cases) were presented. After each case was presented and discussion was
complete, separate standing votes were taken.
The charge against the Mechanic Tech. has failed. The charge against
the Bus Operator will be forwarded to a Trial Board.
TIC Humor Ilona LaDouceur #66048
As TIC reps, we get many questions from callers. Most of them we
can answer, but for some of them we may have answers that we can’t
share with them. This is one of them.
“Your Noble Park and Ride is full. What are you going to do about that?”
Here are a few ideas. Well, we could:
1. Call in some criminals to steal some of the cars
2. Track down the car owners somehow and tell them they have
overstayed their welcome
3. Call a bunch of tow companies and tell them to start towing these
abandoned vehicles
4. One of us here in TIC could offer to pick the person up and take them
where they want to go
5. Quickly design and produce hovercraft vehicles, trade them to the park
and riders so they can hover above the lot, thus making more room
6. Establish some new holidays so people can have days off, thus making
plenty of room for the caller (of course, then bus service might be cut
since it’s a holiday….but we’ll worry about that later)
7. Invoke an odd/even license plate number system
8. Start some type of gladiator-type competition – fight to your death…or
for a parking spot
9. Install parking meters…think of the revenue we would generate for our
city! And while we are at it…I could open a little coffee house and gift
shop
10. This one goes back to #1…Hire valet parking professionals. This
would be an opportunity for those criminals in #1 to turn their lives
around and better themselves. They would pick up your car at the park
and ride and park it somewhere nearby, hopefully legally, returning it to
said owners at requested time, hopefully unharmed. Sort of like a hike-
and-ride, only we do the legwork for you. Not sure how the insurance part
of it would work – we’ll just refer them to Risk Management.
Page 7
East Metro
Philip Jarosz #65015
Doug Barton #68273
Stacey Taylor #70055
Transportation
There will be approximately
thirtythree new hybrid buses dedi-
cated to Routes 63 and 64 begin-
ning in late September.
Safety
Drivers need to be more cau-
tious coming around the corner
next to the wash bay area. The
light is timed for the middle of
the bus, not the end. Patience
will play a safety role in this mat-
ter.
Personnel Changes
We now have two new
Assistant Transportation
Managers. The managers’ names
are Lowanda Aaron from
Customer Service and Mickey
Young from Nicollet. Check to
see if you’re assigned to them or
to someone else.
Welcome and congratulations
to Ly Shenghai #2409, the new
Safety and Security Representative
for East Metro.
Facility
The steps to the lower parking
lot should be finished before the
first snowfall.
Bus Roadeo
Congratulations to the Roadeo
participants.
Continued on page 29
Buses and Bikes: Working in TandemAlec Johnson, #66034 Nicollet
Like it or not, Minneapolis has become one of the top biking cities in
the country, ranking in the top five of just about any bike rating you can
find. Ranging from percentage of bike commuters, to miles of bike lanes
per capita, to overall infrastructure, the statistics make it clear that biking
is not just a hobby but a way of life for many of our fellow inhabitants.
As the city expands and improves both off-street and on-street
bikeways, more and more bicyclists flood the streets every year. This
notable change has brought new challenges to bus operators in the Twin
Cities. We may feel outnumbered at times, as swarms of cyclists seem to
swoop around us from all angles like flies buzzing around a lumberjack in
the forest. But rather than wielding an axe (or a flyswatter), we come
armed only with the professionalism and courtesy we display on a daily
basis when it comes to sharing the road with all other modes of
transportation.
However, with a mere mention of the word “bicycle” around one of
our bus garages, you’re bound to hear a barrage of stories about “those
crazy bikers” on the Nicollet Mall, Franklin Ave, U of M, Uptown, etc.
And I would be lying if I told you I didn’t have a few stories of my own.
But at the same time, you could walk into a popular bicycle hangout and
probably hear stories about some “crazy bus drivers” as well - stories of
getting “pinched” by a bus pulling into a bus stop, buses following or
passing too closely, buses not using their turn signals, etc. Unfortunately,
we all know these things do happen.
In an effort to bring about more understanding about bicycle lane
markings, laws and suggested practices, I highly recommend checking out
the City of Minneapolis website about bicycling, in conjunction with
Metro Transit’s training material on bicycle safety. The city’s bike
website (www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles) has a “Bicycling 101” link
with very good information. Additionally, there are several short, well-
made demonstrational videos. The following information is taken directly
from that website.
A detailed list of all the different types of bicycle lane markings you
will find throughout the city can be found at Bicycling 101. For example,
the standard bike lane has solid lines (where other vehicles are not meant
to cross) and dashed lines (where merging/crossing is common). A
buffered bike lane, such as on parts of 1st Ave. S. and Fremont Ave. N., is
indicated by the continuous white chevron pattern between lanes of
vehicle traffic and the bike lane and gives bikes more elbow room. In
both cases, motorists (including buses) are prohibited from traveling in
these lanes and must yield to bikes when crossing a dashed line.
As bus drivers, we need to be aware that we are sort of the exception
to the rule when it comes to crossing the lane somewhat before the dashed
line begins, simply due to our size and our need to line up along the curb
to make bus stops. However, we must always travel in the regular vehicle
traffic lanes and remember that bicyclists in a right-side bike lane do have
the right of way when we are merging over to the curb or turning at an
intersection.
Green bike markings do not indicate any difference in rules but are
simply there to make motorists more aware of the presence of bicycles in
heavy bike traffic areas. So, if there are no defined bike lanes, green
Nicollet
Melanie Benson #854
Alec Johnson #66034
Ryan Timlin #66279
Transportation
Construction continues on
Nicollet Avenue, with major
renovations and complete
repaving eventually from Lake
Street to 40th. Buses are
detouring on pull-outs and pull-
ins, and all buses on Nicollet
have been detouring to 1st
Avenue northbound and
Blaisdell Avenue southbound
between 31st and 38th Streets.
This construction dramati-
cally reduces parking spaces in
the area. The parking lots at
Nicollet Garage are for employ-
ees only, and you must display
your parking permit on your
dashboard. Also, park only in
designated spots. Violators
may be towed.
Also because of the con-
struction, the Nicollet Garage
Sale has been postponed to an
indefinite date. Donated items
are still being accepted.
Maintenance
All Nicollet 600 and 700
series buses up to Bus 740 are
being retired by the end of
September. They have reached
the 12-year service maximum,
and some have traveled over
half a million miles. Although
they may look okay from the
inside, many of them have dete-
rioration issues underneath.
Page 8
Advocating for Public Services
Ryan Timlin #66279 Nicollet
ATU Boot Camps
This last May at a Labor Notes Conference in Chicago, ATU
International President Larry Hanley had a panel discussion with other
ATU local leaders from Louisiana, Massachusetts, Arizona and Florida to
talk about their contract battles. It mostly focused on their work in
building community support and how it allowed them to make gains in
their struggles. This is a part of something the International has been
focusing on since Larry Hanley won the presidency in 2010.
Just days after Larry Hanley became ATU’s international president in
2010, he started talking with an organization called Good Jobs First, to
build what are called “Boot Camps.” The “boot camps” idea is to
organize riders. If riders are organized, they can fight, together with
transit workers, to build a better transit system. The idea comes from
Hanley’s experience in building a rider transit alliance in the mid- 90s in
Staten Island, where they went from facing service cuts to actually
winning funding for better equipment, along with fare reductions that
boosted ridership.
Out of the “boot camps,” a handbook was created with a simple title
“Organizing Transit Riders: A How-To Manual.” The handbook lays out
some basics behind building grassroots campaigns, including case studies,
interviews and resources. One of the case studies is from the L.A. Bus
Riders Union, where the riders have a union that fights hand-in-hand with
the transit workers, and where they have made some gains through their
work together. It gives a little information on their work in preventing
transit service cuts in L.A. Not only does it talk about service cuts and
ways to fight them, but it gets into some maintenance issues as well. The
handbook even gives outlines of what needs to be done to build such
campaigns.
Chicago Teachers' Strike
For those who question the idea of community and labor coalitions,
there are many historic examples that show this works. But I’m going to
not get into long-ago historical examples. I’m going to talk about the
CTU (Chicago Teachers Union) and C.O.R.E. (Caucus Of Rank’n File
Educators) who form the leadership of the CTU. They are in a historic
battle against Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s drive to privatize the
school system.
As this article is being written, the teachers are in their fifth day of a
strike. The members of C.O.R.E. have for years been working in the
schools and communities to stop school closures and also the shutting
down of libraries. They built alliances with students and parents.
Because of this, there are many parents in the Chicago area who are now
supporting the strike and, in fact, walking the picket lines. Students,
parents and teachers are fighting to save the schools in Chicago from
privatization; and, not only that, are trying to reduce class size and get
Page 9
some things that every school should have (such as libraries).
What is going on in Chicago shows how teachers, along with students
and parents, are trying to actually reform education - unlike our corporate
politicians’ hollow words would suggest. Now think about riders and
transit workers united together, fighting to expand service and make it
cleaner, cheaper, safer and more reliable.
Membership Involvement
One thing that is not covered in the book is the question of how we
get our members involved. This is key - and the CTU is a great example
of where we can learn lessons on getting the membership involved. In
Chicago, 90% of the CTU members voted on the strike. This took true
grassroots organizing (not door prizes). We have a lot to learn from the
ATU boot camps and our Brothers and Sisters in the CTU!
MJR
Jackie Williams #66180
Anastasia Bloodsaw #2297
Alemu Foluke # 63113
Congratulations to Ruter’s
new Safety/Security
Representative Jerry Langer
67203.
A new MJR advisory com-
mittee has been formed.
Management and the ATU
worked together on this one.
Members are: Joel Wagner 2101,
Rodney Jorgenson 6844,
Timothy Hnida 65086 and
Andrey Piskun 71046.
We congratulate all the Safe
Driver Award winners from pre-
vious months. We will mention
your driver number and name in
our next issue.
Ruter is happy to have added
to the full time list: 64424
Darryl Evans, 71208 Steven
Wickstrom,72006 Chia
Xiong,72007 Dallas Slater,72018
Rafael Fidalgo,72021 Brent
Lucas,
72052 Anne Colestock, 72055
Sarah Gibson, 72056 Brittany
Plaisted. From Heywood:
72200 Patricia Brown
The new part-time operators
are: 9900 Diane Nokk, 67336
Charles Metcalf ( from
Heywood), 72195 Amy Dale,
72199 Jessica Katzner, 72208
Angelique Brousseau, 72210
Zaveiera Williams, 72262 Tavaris
Williams
Bikes - Faye Brown #6331
As drivers, we are always looking out for the other vehicles, and now
those other vehicles are more and
more becoming bicycles. We now
have to look harder and be able to
react faster. Because of their small
dimension and ability to go in and
out of traffic, they are easier to
miss.
There are already 81on-street
and 85 off-street bikeways and there
will be more trails added, like the
new Minnetonka bikeways. The
2010 and 2011 bikeway funding
added approximately 45 miles of
bikeways, a 37% increase, through
the project and planning managed
by one of three agencies in
Minneapolis (Hennepin County,
Minneapolis Park & Recreation and
Minneapolis Public Works - last
update April 2012).
With all the bike sharing projects around
(the green-color bike stations all over the
city), that mean more cyclists who are
novices and cycling recreationally, not
professionals or those traveling to and from
work. This makes them less likely to watch
traffic, more likely to travel more slowly,
and less likely to watch for you.
SO AGAIN - DRIVERS BEWARE -
THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!
Page 10
725 Bldg.
Scott Lindquist #6401
Stephen Babcock #3128
Electronic Dep't.
Unfortunately, Tom Kaisler
#72205, Electronic Technician, has
left us for greener pastures over at
MN DOT. We wish him good
luck.
We would like to welcome our
newest Electronic Technician,
Mike Elliott, #72310. He comes
to us from a St. Paul property
management company and the
Navy.
New MCI Maple Grove buses
have started arriving. They are of
the coach class.
The covert microphone is not a
button. Some drivers are pushing
them in, creating a safety situation
for the following operator. (On
high-floor Gilligs, it's by the
ODK.) If you don't know what it
is, don't push on it. The micro-
phone is only activated if you push
the covert alarm for your safety.
Thank you.
Training Dep't.
The Training Department has
graduated a class of full-time driv-
ers and just started a class of part-
time weekend drivers.
Farebox Dep't.
The Farebox Department (Don
Westring and Rick Anderson) is
installing new Ticket Vending
Machines (TVM's) along the
University Corridor. The Farebox
Department Senior Techs are hav-
ing a pick coming in October.
Other
ATU negotiations are going on
in the conference room.
IMPACT!
Doug Barton #68273
In this article I would like to impress upon you the power an impact
statement can have on the outcome of a court hearing. What is an impact
statement? Simply put, it is a written statement submitted to the court
(specifically the judge) outlining your feelings and ramifications of
another person’s actions against you. Impact statements are usually used
when the victim isn’t able to attend the court hearing.
HOW IS AN IMPACT STATEMENT PROVIDED TO THE COURT?1
After a plea of guilty or after a guilty verdict, the judge will schedule a
sentencing hearing. Victims of crime have the right to submit a written
impact statement prior to the sentencing hearing and/or an oral impact
statement at the sentencing hearing. Your statement is to be directed to
the judge, not to the defendant.
A pre-sentence investigator will be assigned to prepare an investigative
report for the judge for the sentencing hearing. The pre-sentence
investigator’s job is to gather information from the offender and from the
victim, and make a final sentencing recommendation to the judge.
You may call the County Attorney’s office at: 651-266-2300 (Ramsey
County), 651-430-6455 (Washington County), and 612-348-5550
(Hennepin County) to get the name, address and phone number of the
assigned pre-sentence investigator so you know where to send your
statement.
You may discuss the impact that this crime has had on you and your
family with the assigned pre-sentence investigator.
If you choose to write an impact statement, please mail it to the
assigned pre-sentence investigator at least one week prior to the
sentencing hearing. (This may not always be possible or viable to comply
with. Talk with the investigator to discuss other means of getting the
statement.)
WHAT INFORMATION MAY BE INCLUDED WITH AN IMPACT
STATEMENT?2
Your feelings, thoughts or comments about how the crime affected
you and your familyØ The ways in which your life has been impacted as result of this
crime
Ø The effect this crime has had on you emotionally and physically
Ø The challenges or difficulties facing you due to this crime
Ø The consequences you would like the judge to order (such as prison/jail time, treatment, No Contact Order, restitution, counseling, community service work, etc.)
I’ve included the impact statement I used in my assault as a reference:
1 Submitted by the O� ce of the Ramsey County Attorney2 Submitted by the O� ce of the Ramsey County attorney
Page 11
29 February 2012
Your Honor-
I feel I should respond to this incident because I work as a bus operator for Metro Transit. In this capacity I
do exactly the opposite of what we are taught as young people learning to drive a vehicle, and that is to pick up
strangers. I do this as a public servant for the state of Minnesota. I understand that there is a certain amount of
risk involved with this occupation. This being said, there is growing concern over the behavior of children in the
inner cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Some of these problems are:
• The disregard of established curfew for minors and its impact on public transportation systems
• The lack of respect for social norms in regards to riding on public transportation and how this affects its operators and customers
• The anxiety created by large groups of unsupervised kids crowding en masse on to a bus, overwhelming the operator in an attempt to ride illegally (for free).
The outcome of this incident impacted more people than just me. Because I received a blow that was above
shoulder level, it is Metro Transit’s policy to pull the operator off of his assigned work and send him home,
unless he requires medical attention. The bus is immediately shut down where the incident took place and Metro
Transit Police and Management are forced to respond. This creates expenditures both on the state and federal
levels.
There were approximately fifteen other people on board at the time of this incident. These people wanted to
go home and get on with their own lives, but because I am required to remain at the scene and wait for a relief
bus to come to continue on with the run, these people were forced to wait with me. This takes time and creates
animosity amongst passengers that wasn’t there before (usually directed towards the operator). Operators have
been severely beaten up because the actions of one interfered with the expectations of another.
We as operators work in a precarious position. On the one hand, we are expected to be professional and
responsive to our customers’ needs. On the other hand, we are also the on- board “police” and are expected to be
able to verbally “control” our bus with respect and dignity toward our customers. We are trained to do this, and
for most part we do a good job at it. It works with adults most of the time. Verbal control has little to no
noticeable effect with children in large groups without supervision unless it’s used by someone they know and
respect. This I feel has an empowering effect on these groups of kids to the point where they feel they can get
away with almost anything including threatening and physically beating operators, starting brawls on the bus,
harassing and intimidating other customers, vandalizing and trashing buses.
I was not really hurt in this incident, but I consider myself very lucky as there were about five or six other
kids with him. This incident could have turned out much differently than it did. I will always look at kids in a
different light now and won’t trust them as much as I did in the past. I will now have to decide whether it is safe
to pick up large numbers of kids or if I should pass them up when I am working. I have a permit to carry pepper
spray and will now start carrying it on my person while working. I really never believed I would need or have to
use it because I am good at reasoning with people. This will have a big impact on how I deal with kids and the
public, and I never wanted that.
On the legal end of this, I am not looking for revenge - nor do I want to see this kid’s future ruined. I would
like to see three things done: First, I feel it would be appropriate if this kid wasn’t allowed to ride public
transportation for a minimum of six months. Second, he is required to obey all curfew laws for a minimum of
one year. Third, he’d be required to do a minimum of 200 hours of community service work with either Metro
Mobility or Courage Center. I suggest these entities because there would be a good chance that he would be
working around kids his own age. This I hope will afford him the chance to see firsthand how his actions can
affect other people.
Respectfully Submitted, J. Douglas Barton
Page 12
Okay, in regards to the last paragraph: The judge and the court would like to have your input as to what
punishment you would like to see. The judge will take into consideration what your wishes are in this matter,
but you should understand that the judge is not under any obligation to follow your recommendations. I had
consulted various friends after the fact about my situation and all of them said I was too lenient, and I should
have the kid hanged from a yardarm. The judge also agreed I was too lenient and sentenced the young man to a
halfway house located on the Minnesota/Iowa boarder for a minimum of 6 months to a year (I hope he likes
corn!).
In closing this article: I felt I had a say in what happened to me and I was satisfied with the outcome of the
court’s decision in this matter. By doing this I found I could have some closure to this incident and allow the
healing to begin. We all have different ways of coping with injustices done to ourselves, and in this case this
was mine. Writing an impact statement is just one way of being able to express yourself that is legal and non-
violent. I sincerely hope that none of my fellow operators are hurt or violated while on the job, but if the
situation ever comes up I hope this article will help you in starting to heal.
We will continue on in the next issue.
iPod Nano 8GB Blue Mai Xiong
Union Jacket Brendan Anderson
Jax $50.00 Timothy Swickard
Best Buy $50.00 Terri Jackson
Cub Foods $50.00 Marylee Heard
St. Paul Grill $100.00 George Hernandez
Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera Package
Bob Benson
Union Polo Shirt Twaya McIntosh
Sony Stereo System Marlin Jensen
Nook Simpletouch eReader Don Baker
Rainbow Foods $50.00 Antonio Cooper
$100.00 Holiday Gift Card Steve Babcock
Joe Mauer Signed Picture Ron Tucker
iPod Touch 32GB Black Ilya Tulchinsky
Mancini's $50.00 Mark Wickham
Sony PS3 Package Steve Meyer
Cub Foods $100.00 John Powell
Wusthof Knife John Hawthorne
Union Letterman Jacket Keith Glenn
8 Hours' Time Off (Metro Transit)
Jack Berner
Nye's $50.00 Marnell Wilber
Union Hoodie Paul Brown
Best Buy $50.00 Gary Fleck
Rainbow Foods $100.00 Carolyn Fehrman
Insignia 40" LCD TV Sheldon Zigler
Rainbow Foods $50.00 David Fuelling
Union Jacket Howard Osterkamp
$100.00 Holiday Gift Card Dwayne Morris
St. Paul Grill $100.00 Chuck Feucht
Wusthof with Bonus Board Melissa Mensah
Union Polo Shirt Tina Shamekh
Union House $50.00 Lance Wallace
Union Pullover Joyce Schlegel
iPod Touch 32GB Black Ken Peters
Mancini's $50.00 Linda Elbers
Union Letterman Jacket Kent Knutson
Sony Stereo System Cheryl Kienietz-Hall
Jax $50.00 Tim Dixon
Nook Tablet Ken Dolney
8 Hours' Time Off (Metro Transit)
Rafael Valle
Rainbow Foods $100.00 Robert Gross
Union Hoodie Karl Obermeyer
Nintendo 3DS Theresa Botts
Christian Ponder Signed Picture
David Schaefer
Panasonic Sound System Ma Vue
Nye's $50.00 Kim Rice
iPod Nano 8GB Pink Kevin Kooiman
$100.00 Holiday Gift Card Kathy Sodeinde
Cub Foods $50.00 Rocky Richardson
Pocket Camcorder Toby Schivley
Sony Cybershot Digital Camera Package
Philip Jarosz
Nook Simpletouch eReader Don Schmidt
iPod Classic 160GB Black Stan Green
Union House $100.00 Annie McCraney
Union Pullover Dale Tetzlaff
Cub Foods $100.00 Dave Rogers
Wusthof Bread Knife & Board
Mark Gross
Samsung 46" LCD TV Stephen Oian
Winners from the Union Picnic Drawings
Page 13
Traffic Light SensorsDid you ever wonder…?
Melanie Benson #854
You’re sitting at a red light, and it doesn’t seem to be changing. Should you roll forward a bit in hopes of
triggering some kind of signal, or are these signals an urban myth? I’ve always wondered. So I called 311, the
help line for the city of Minneapolis, and was put in touch with someone who could help answer that question.
Nickolas VanGunst, P.E., PTOE, City of Minneapolis Public Works, Traffic and Parking Services Division, was
kind enough to get back to me with the following explanation:
The City operates and maintains 801 traffic signals within the City. Vehicle detection is used at about 250
traffic signals. There are three types of vehicle detection that the City of Minneapolis uses at a traffic signal.
They include inductive loops, video cameras, and wireless magnetometers. Each type of vehicle detection is
used to detect vehicles, buses and bikes; however, each type of detection works in different ways.
The inductive loop is installed in the pavement. It is a wire that is wrapped around itself several times and
feeds back to the traffic signal cabinet. The traffic signal cabinet sends a very small amount of electricity
through the wire, which creates an electrical circuit in the loop. As a vehicle passes over the loop in the
pavement, the circuit changes and the traffic signal cabinet interpets the change in the circuit as a vehicle call.
This information is then passed on to the traffic signal controller, which is the device that is running the traffic
signal. The controller sees the vehicle call and then makes the determination of when to change the signal to
green for that vehicle.
The video camera detection uses a camera and software to detect vehicles, buses and bikes. The camera is
installed either on a mast arm or on a signal pole and it is aimed towards the road. Detection zones are digitally
drawn and saved in a video processer card using software. The software is designed to look for contrast changes
from what is in the zones versus outside the zones. As the vehicle or bike enters the area where the zones are
drawn, the software detects the change in contrast and places a call to the controller.
The magnetometers work similarly to the inductive loops. They are small devices, not much larger than a
hockey puck, that are installed in the roadway. They contain a small battery and do not require any wiring
connected to them from the traffic signal cabinet. They create a magnetic field. When a vehicle or bike that
contains metal passes over the magnetometer, the magnetic field changes. This change is registered in the
controller as a vehicle call. The magnetometer communicates to the controller over a wireless network.
Typically all types of detection detect an area six feet in diameter per loop
or zone. The City typically installs two loops or zones per lane on non-mainline
streets and four loops or zones in left-turn bays. The first loop or zone is placed
just in front of the stop bar and the second loop or zone is placed about nine feet
back from the first loop or zone. The traffic signal controller sees the vehicle
call from the detector and determines when to service the vehicle or bike based
on timing parameters set up by City staff.
Bus drivers rolling ahead to trigger these sensors must be aware of the large
overhang on the front of the bus and be cautious about blocking the crosswalk.
We must also be especially careful to watch for pedestrians coming from
either side of the intersection.
Cornelius Sykes, New South TSSC Representative Stacey H. Taylor #70055
On July 10, 2012, Cornelious Sykes Driver #847, won South
Garage’s Transit Safety and Security Committee (TSSC)
representative election. He was happy to participate in the
following interview:
How long have you been with Metro Transit as an operator?
28 years
What other positions do you hold?
I am a member of the Southsiders, Metro Transit Peer Support
and put together a program for Black History Month at South
Garage.
Will you still be in that position?
Yes, Peer Support will be an ongoing thing with me - just like
being a Southsider.
What is your job going to be about?
Making things better for all of us. I want to make it so all of us
can go home feeling good about ourselves, knowing that we did a
good job for the day.
What do you feel are the most important issues at the TSSC?
First, I want to give my input about things that are going on out
there on the streets and stop drivers from getting hurt. That will help them come home to their love ones feeling
good about the job they do.
Secondly, my experience being a Peer Support operator has a lot to do with what I will have to offer. The
cases I’ve taken on have allowed me to see how things can be better for drivers.
Thirdly, I feel this is time for me to step up and be a role model. I’d like to pass the tools that I have been
given to work with on to others.
How do you feel about driver safety and how will you handle those issues?
I feel strongly about safety, especially when
a driver gets hurt or even spit on.
Going to the hospital is no joke. I have been
here for a long time, back in the day when the
job was fun to come to - not like it is today
where it feels more like a job.
I want to try to figure out how we can put
things back together where a driver could be
safe on the streets; give them the tools to work
with and the help they need to make things work
out there. I want to be somebody who listens to
their needs and gets it passed on to help them do
their job in a safe way.
I will speak up on their issues when I go to
the TSSC meetings and will not let anything go
by the wayside. I’ll get their questions answered
and keep drivers informed on what’s going on.
Page 14
Cartoon contributed by East Metro
Page 15
TRANSIT SAFETY/SECURITY
COMMITTEE (TSSC)
MEETING MINUTES
Disclaimer:
Due to format changes, these columns are not exact replicas of TSSC minutes. We
cannot assure the accuracy of all data. The exact minutes are posted after each meet-
ing at the operating garages.
June 2012
Members of the Committee Present:
Dereje Tafesse, MJR, Committee Chair
Monica Kruger, Management Advisor
Rolland Green, LRT
Leatha Falls, Heywood
Art Hayne, South
Ryan Timlin, Nicollet
Others in attendance:
Mike LaVine, Police
Chuck Wurzinger, Maintenance
Lowanda Aaron, Customer Relations
Amina Wolf , LRT
Christine Kuennen, TCC
Christy Bailly, Bus Operations
Mike Conlon and Brenda Himrich, Safety
Deb Downing, Street Operations
Dorothy Maki, Union
Andrew Degerstrom, Bus Operations
Ellen Flannigan, LOD
CALL TO ORDER
Dereje Tafesse called the meeting to order.
GUESTS
Ellen Flannigan – LOD consultant: Would like to help
improve the committee. Is here to observe how the
committee runs.
Andrew Degerstrom – Bus Operations Intern
ONGOING INTERDEPARTMENTAL TOPICS
Rt. 19 - Christy Bailly
• As a result of the committee there are a lot of
resources being provided to address the problems on
the Northside. MADDADS, Street Operations, Police,
etc.
• Metro Transit will be at the Juneteenth event and
night out events to talk about Metro Transit services
and to have visibility in the neighborhoods in an effort
to build community.
• We will also be at the Urban League Family Day in
the Northside
• We are also doing a direct mailing to the Northside
neighborhood with go-to cards, pamphlets, and
brochures.
Mike LaVine
• Concentrated efforts at BCTC, partnered with
Brooklyn Center police to be there six days a week.
You should notice plain clothes and uniformed offi cers
from 3-11pm
• Reports are that BCTC is slow. Not many people
hanging out anymore.
• Safe Zone – Ride from DT to BCTC
• There has been a lot of group activity and theft from
person DT.
MJR OPERATOR REPORT
Dereje Tafesse in attendance:
• Nothing to report.
• Happy to see a lot of police at BCTC. It’s really
helped a lot.
SOUTH OPERATOR REPORT
Art Hayne in attendance:
• Nothing to report
• Question: If there are sleepers on the bus, should we
wake them up instead of calling the cops? - Go ahead
and verbally wake them up. Use good judgment to
make your decision.
- Christine: If you call the TCC we ask questions to
determine if it is a medical issue.
• Completed Action Item: Can Deb Downing look
into the time it takes to go down 6th Street between
Marquette and 2nd? - This has been presented to the
city, they are aware of our concerns, and they aren’t
planning to make any changes at this time.
- Make sure you don’t block the box.
• 7th St at 2nd Ave: Grand Hotel is valet parking into
the bus stop. - Mike LaVine: When you see it, you can
call in and we’ll send a squad.
• MOA routes exiting onto northbound 24th Ave S are
encountering vehicles “running the light.”
Action Item: Deb Downing reports that when the
roadway was restriped previously they did not place
the “stop bar” in the correct location, thus vehicles are
stopping beyond the light.
- She will check with Hennepin County again to let
them know this is critical.
• Route 54 bus stop sign test. Operators are saying they
aren’t refl ective and this is an issue. - Deb Downing:
Contact Bob Benson for an evaluation form.
NICOLLET OPERATOR REPORT
Ryan Timlin in attendance:
• Courtesy stop at northbound Nicollet at 3rd St. off of
Rt. 18 - There aren’t any signs indicating a bus stop. Is
this supposed to be marked or not?
- It isn’t marked.
Action Item: Deb Downing will address the courtesy
stop at northbound Nicollet at 3rd St. off of Rt. 18 at the
next meeting.
• Lake and Pillsbury - Can there be a stop on Pillsbury
because people are darting across traffi c and there is a
semaphore?
- Christy Bailly indicated that she was part of the
original planning committee and no stop was planned.
Later the community came forward and requested a
light. They were given a light, but the road was not
constructed to give us a bus stop and the City will not
give up the parking for a stop.
Action Item: Deb Downing will observe the area to see
if jaywalking is the issue and to look at signage.
FTH OPERATOR REPORT
Leatha Falls in attendance:
• The Rt.16 operators say the turn from Marion onto
University is too tight.
• The lights on Hiawatha at 46th St. Station are too
short. - Deb Downing: That’s how it will be because of
the train. They aren’t always like that, only every couple
of cycles for the train.
• Maintenance: Air brake pressure is too strong. Bus
1039 is an example of a bus that has the problem.
Chuck Wurzinger: This issue was brought up by South
Garage and we had a mechanic do some tests and the
buses are all different. Please write the bus up so we can
look at each one and fi gure out the problem.
• Rt.22 Lyndale turning on to 7th southbound – used to
be a double turn lane, but they didn’t paint the second
lane. Can you look into that? o Action Item: Deb
Downing to look into Rt22 Lyndale turning on to 7th
southbound – used to be a double turn lane, but they
didn’t paint the second lane.
SAFETY REPORT
Metro Transit and System Safety Presentation
Mike Conlon, Director – Bus and Rail Safety
• System Safety – Forward looking Hazard
management. All departments contribute to System
Safety.
• Standard of Care – Transit is required to exercise
“Great Care” – That high degree of care that a very
prudent and cautious person would undertake for the
safety of others.
• Staff – 1 director, 2 managers, 5 specialists, 1
Hygienist, 1 rail safety offi cer
• We have a System Safety Program Plan that covers
each of our operation modes, LRT, Bus, Commuter Rail.
• We measure accidents per 100,000 miles and goals
• Goal: 3.8, YTD Average: 3.6 lowest in 12 years.
• South Garage had an accident-free week recently.
• Bus - Compare against the rest in the US: Bus Industry
major safety incidents - Our trend is going up, industry
is going up as well. The NTD data suggests that Metro
Transit Bus experiences approximately 21% fewer
major accidents than the industry average.
• LRT National transit database – Goal: .43 YTD
Average: .58
• LRT- Compare against the rest in the US: Our trend is
going down; the industry’s trend is going up. The NTD
data suggests that LRT experiences approximately 16%
fewer major accidents than the industry average.
• Important Rail Safety Efforts - Rules compliance
testing
Brenda in attendance:
• Accidents per 100k miles report
• Top ten locations based on claims
1. 5th St Garage
2. FTH Garage
3. Uptown Transit Center
4. Nicollet/5th St
5. Northway Dr./Xerxes
6. East Metro Garage
7. MJR Garage
8. Mounds Blvd/1-94
9. Rice St./Arlington Ave
10. University Ave/Marion St.
• Action Item: Brenda will look into the accidents
that are happening at University and Marion and at
Northway Dr. and Xerxes.
POLICE REPORT
Mike LaVine in attendance:
• YTD 25 Misdemeanor assaults - 13 felony assaults
where the operator was slapped or punched YTD
- Only 1 since April
• Verbal misdemeanor threats 18 YTD
Page 16
Page 17STREET OPERATIONS REPORT
Deb Downing in attendance:
• Chicago Lake restriping was done last week.
• Bike Box at the U of M has been repainted. City has
completed their streets, but we’re waiting on the U to
fi nish theirs.
• There is a lot of construction and sometimes the
construction equipment encroaches on the bus stop.
We’re not going to close all the stops due to construction.
We’re working with the contractors to move some of the
equipment and make room for us. If you see a stop where
you feel something needs to be moved, let us know.
• On Saturdays, we’re using artics on the Rt. 5 and
sometimes it’s hard to fi t two buses in the Midtown
Transit Station. Can we move the bus stop sign up? -
Deb Downing: We have asked them to move the bus
stop signs and we’ll ask again. I have put temp signs up
asking ops to move up.
TCC REPORT
Christine Kuennen in attendance:
• SSR Access – The garage managers and ATMs will
include you in on SSR’s that they feel will be benefi cial
to you.
• Canned Messages – Christine hasn’t received any
feedback and isn’t sure how we would like to proceed.
Christine will get a group together.
• When will we expand annunciator buses to more
routes? Not sure. It’s based on funding and timing.
LRT
Amina Wolf in attendance:
• Signal 8, Nicollet and 5th, is being worked on. They
are fabricating a hood and that needs to be approved.
MAINTENANCE REPORT
Chuck Wurzinger in attendance:
• 50 new standard drive Gillig buses - They have a new
transmission and are much quieter.
- Shifts differently.
- Six speeds.
- Exterior turn signals on the mirrors, lighting
for the overhead sign key pad, LED headlights,
key pad on transmission only have three buttons,
different fi re extinguisher mount, fresh air input
for the defrosters, Chuck will provide a list of
these changes to the garages.
• South, Nic, FTH, MJR, East will get some hybrids in
September.
• 33 hybrids in mid-September
• A Nova bus went to all garages. Operators and
Mechanics fi lled out surveys about what they like and
don’t like about the bus. If you have comments, email or
call Chuck Wurzinger or David Haas.
• Gillig will be at each garage the week of June 11.
• Only four bus manufacturers in the US, but one went
out of business so we will get a bus from the three
remaining companies for our employees to look at. Let
us know if there is anything that you would like for the
next orders.
• Kneeling switch – Should we move its location? If
it’s on the right then you can still look at the customer.
If it’s on the left then you have to look away from the
customer. Please provide feedback to Chuck Wurzinger.
CUSTOMER RELATIONS REPORT
Lowanda Aaron in attendance:
• Nothing to report
BUS OPERATIONS
Christy Bailly in attendance:
• Coolant on buses bulletin was issued May 25, 2012,
No.40. IC verifi ed what they are training and we worked
with Maintenance on the wording as well. Operators are
to check the coolant, but not fi ll it. Use a bay phone to
call Dispatch and let them know you need the coolant
fi lled.
OTHER ITEMS
Correction: Christy Bailly would like to remove the
statement “Management, the federal government, and
ATU are working on the issue”, which refers to an
operator’s concern about receiving radio frequency and
health hazards. It was approved for removal.
ACTION ITEMS
• Action Item: Deb Downing to look into Rt. 22
Lyndale turning on to 7th southbound – used to be a
double turn lane, but they didn’t paint the second lane.
• Action Item: Deb Downing will observe the area to
see if jaywalking is the issue and to look at signage.
• Action Item: Brenda will look into the accidents
that are happening at University and Marion and at
Northway Dr. and Xerxes.
• Action Item: Deb Downing will address the courtesy
stop at northbound Nicollet at 3rd St. off of Rt. 18 at the
next meeting.
• Action Item: Deb Downing: Reports that when the
roadway was restriped previously they did not place
the “stop bar” in the correct location thus vehicles are
stopping beyond the light.
July 2012 Members of the Committee Present:
Dereje Tafesse, MJR, Committee Chair
Monica Kruger, Management Advisor
Rolland Green, LRT
Leatha Falls, Heywood
Lisa Benson, South
Ryan Timlin, Nicollet
Allen Juaire, East Metro
Others in attendance:
Mike LaVine, Police
Don Davis, Maintenance
Pam Steffen, Customer Relations
Derrick Cain , LRT Management
Christine Kuennen, TCC
Brian Funk, Bus Operations
Brenda Himrich, Safety
John MacQueen, Safety
Brad Cummings, Safety
Greg Tuveson, Street Operations
Dorothy Maki, ATU
Steve Jaeger, East Metro Management
Tony Elia, Customer Advocate
Andrew Degerstrom, Recording Secretary
CALL TO ORDER
Dereje Tafesse called the meeting to order.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
Leatha Falls:
• Bike box at Pleasant & University has not been
repainted.
June minutes were approved.
MJR OPERATOR REPORT
Dereje Tafesse:
• One issue regarding a smoker on route 724 at BCTC,
wanted police to be aware of incident in case the issue
got back to them.
EAST OPERATOR REPORT
Allen Juaire:
• Route 64: ongoing security issues at Burr & Tedesco,
issues involving adolescents “mobbing” bus at this
location. - Mike LaVine: Issued DT details Friday &
Saturday nights, moved issues to Burr & Tedesco
- Brian Funk: Street Operations has details for Friday
and Saturday nights, which are in communication with
TCC.
- Steve Jaeger: Problem is not just Friday & Saturday
nights, but all week with kids out of school. He would
like to see details all throughout week.
- Greg Tuveson: In regards to detouring around this area
during problem times. It is diffi cult without passing up
stops and customers. Best detour routing would possibly
be Payne to Tedesco. Christine Kuennen: TCC will
authorize detours when these situations arise.
- Christine Kuennen: How well is word getting out
to operators to always notify TCC? Allen Juaire:
Operators don’t always call TCC.
Steve Jaeger: A lot of operators are afraid to call
TCC in order to avoid being assaulted. There is
confusion on when to trigger the silent alarm. Some
drivers would feel more comfortable triggering a
silent alarm even though the situation doesn’t meet
TCC standards. • Christine Kuennen: In this situation,
it is just important that operators always call TCC,
whichever way is most comfortable for them. We
cannot deal with these situations when they occur if
operators do not call TCC.
• Monica Kruger: How is the option to detour being
communicated to operators? - Response: Different
detours may be needed at different times. Operators
who see problems should report them to TCC.
Sometimes this may lead to a detour being given to
followers.
- Kuennen: What is the best way to get the word to
operators that it’s important for them to call?
• Steve Jaeger: The best way to communicate to these
operators is through dispatch. - Action Item: Steve
Jaeger will communicate with his dispatchers to have
them notify route 64 operators to always call TCC.
Mike LaVine: Working with St. Paul police to address
juvenile issues. With the rise in use of social media, it
is easier for these groups of kids to disburse and then
regroup later or in other locations.
- Tony Elia: Have we tried contacting neighborhood
watch groups?
Action Item: Brian Funk will look into the possibility
of working with neighborhood watch groups.
• 7th St Garage: - Operator bathroom does not feel
safe. Security at facility will let other people use the
bathroom.
Action Item: Brian Funk will look into this issue.
• Question to TCC: What is policy for switching out
buses for AC not working? - Christine Kuennen: The
policy is that TCC is not to make bus switches during
peak hours because it is likely the buses will just be
re-circulated back into service due to low amounts
of spares during these times. However, operators
should still call TCC regarding the issue and TCC will
prioritize the calls accordingly.
• 35E construction to start soon.
SOUTH OPERATOR REPORT
Lisa Benson:
• Route 54: Operators are having issues with low
hanging trees going westbound on W 7th between
Page 18
Page 19
Montreal and St Paul Ave.
- Action Item: Greg Tuveson will look into this.
• “Stop Requested” chimes on articulated buses are not
loud enough. - Action Item: Don Davis will have Chuck
Wurzinger look into this.
- Don Davis and Monica Kruger noted there have been
previous complaints about chimes being too loud.
• There are issues with the controls being too
complicated to use the external mic to announce the
route at busier stops. MDT controls should be reworked
to make it easier. - Action Item: Christine Kuennen will
bring issue up with Chad LeVasseur.
NICOLLET OPERATOR REPORT
Ryan Timlin: Nothing to report.
FTH OPERATOR REPORT
Leatha Falls:
• Can refl ectors be installed on the front mirrors of the
buses to assist when pulling out of garage? When you
begin to pull out of the garage the sunlight makes it
really diffi cult to see back into the garage and where the
other parked buses are. - Action Item: Don Davis will
have Chuck Wurzinger look into this refl ectors being
installed on the front of mirrors.
• Complaint: There is very poor air circulation in driver
area on the low fl oor 40 ft buses. - Action Item: Don
Davis will have Chuck Wurzinger look into the issue of
poor air circulation in the driver area of low fl oor 40 ft
buses.
LRT OPERATOR REPORT
Rolland Green:
• Upcoming LRT Safety & Security Forum July 12th.
SAFETY REPORT
Brenda Himrich:
• Overall safety is really good through the end of May
for both the system as a whole, as well as individual
garages. - System vehicle and customer bus accidents
per 100,000 miles YTD is 3.61. Our goal is 3.8.
Nicollet YTD is 4.58, goal is 4.75.
Heywood YTD is 3.69, goal is 3.9.
MJR YTD is 2.89, goal is 2.9.
East Metro YTD is 3.61, goal is 3.65.
South YTD is 2.78, goal is 3.30.
• During the month of May there appeared to be more
customers getting injured at bus stops while the bus is
not moving. Are operators noticing anything? - Lisa
Benson: There are issues with the low-fl oor buses. Even
when the bus is kneeled, the step is often still too high
for elderly customers to easily step down from bus.
Also, the “hump” between the wheel wells is also an
issue. Customers are shuffl ing their feet and don’t lift
their feet over the hump.
- Dereje Tafesse: Low-fl oors are very slippery,
especially on rainy days.
- Action Item: Garage representatives will talk to
operators at the individual garages to see if they are
noticing anything.
• Follow up on several intersections where high number
of incidents occur from June meeting: - University &
Marion: Intersection is tricky, operators need to go slow.
Greg Tuveson: The confi guration at this intersection
has changed since the last meeting. Eastbound 40ft
buses will need to be careful if they make a turn right
onto Marion on a red traffi c light. It is not an issue with
60ft buses since they should not be making right turns
on red lights and when they get a green light to turn
there should not be any traffi c coming southbound on
Marion.
- Northway Dr. & Xerxes: This is multiple claims from
only one occurrence and one occurrence with one claim.
Brad Cummings:
• For month of June there was one NTD reportable
incident involving a passenger falling at Franklin
Avenue Station. NTD reportable YTD is at 6. YTD NTD
reportable per 100,000 vehicle miles is at 0.574, with a
goal of 0.43.
POLICE REPORT
Mike LaVine:
• There were no felony driver assaults since last TSSC
meeting, one since March.
• There has been 31 misdemeanor operator assaults
YTD.
• There have been 20 verbal threats, last one on July 3rd
on route 5 at 7th & Olson.
• There was a bus shooting at 36th & Fremont, nobody
was injured. The suspect boarded the bus and wanted a
customer to exit bus with him, customer refused. The
suspect then got off the bus, turned around, and shot one
time at the bus. An investigation has identifi ed a suspect
and a warrant is out for his arrest. Suspect has not yet
been apprehended. - Dereje Tafesse: Is there any way for
operators to tell if passengers are concealing a gun?
- Christine Kuennen: No, there is not.
• University & Snelling: A customer was attacked by
three people with a hammer. All three assailants were
arrested.
STREET OPERATIONS REPORT
Greg Tuveson:
• Follow up on action items from June meeting: -
Eastbound 6th St at 2nd Ave in DT Minneapolis, issues
with right turn lanes after restriping: the city has been
contacted again, still awaiting a response. The lanes
shift going through the intersection.
- MOA Transit Center exit onto 24th Ave: Stop bar still
has not been repainted properly for northbound 24th
Ave. Will follow up with County again.
- Lake St. & Pillsbury, no stop and issue with
passengers running across street: There is no bus stop
at this intersection going westbound and a bus stop
cannot be added. If there are any issues resulting from
jaywalkers, it is a Minneapolis Police issue, not a
transit issue. There may be confusion resulting from
a bus stop that used to be at that intersection several
years ago.
Action Item: Greg Tuveson will have Deb Downing
look into installing a permanent “Buses Do Not Stop
Here” sign.
- Northbound Nicollet at 3rd, courtesy stop for route
18: route info has been reissued. No signage will be
installed; the City does not want it.
- N Lyndale left turn onto 7th, after road was redone it
is still signed as double turn lane but it is only striped
as single turn lane: MnDOT is aware of the issue and
says it will be addressed within the next two months.
- Chicago-Lake TC, not enough room for two artics in
TC with current location of bus stop sign: A temporary
bus stop sign has been put in further up. Facilities
maintenance has been contacted about permanently
moving the sign up.
Page 20
Union Picnic Photos - More online at www.atu1005.com
Page 21Driving With Assaults
(Part One)
Stacey H. Taylor #70055
Two Assaults on Drivers
Brian Willenbring, Driver #65008, said he felt something “wasn’t right” with a passenger who boarded his
Route 5 bus headed southbound on Emerson Avenue two years ago. He was puzzled by the person’s behavior,
although during his nine years with Metro Transit, Willenbring had had his share of conflicts with passengers.
Many concerned short fares and transfer issues which ended with either harsh words or threats and, in some
cases, being spit at a few times. Willenbring got a different feeling from this individual.
According to Willenbring, the person gave no indication he wanted to ride the bus. After passing him, he
stopped thinking of him as a potential rider. At 28th Street, the person caught up and flagged down Willenbring’s
bus, which caused him to make a hard stop a few feet into the intersection. The passenger stomped up the stairs,
walked past the fare-box without paying and uttered, “You done f---ked up now.”
Willenbring was puzzled as to why the person made that statement, but asked him to exit the bus. When he
got no response, he immediately got on the phone and placed a call to the Transit Control Center (TCC). While
his back was turned awaiting instructions from the TCC, the passenger came up from behind him and “sucker-
punched” him across the left eye and nose and exited the bus. After Willenbring was struck, he saw stars and
blacked out. He said a while later that the entire experience became very “surreal.” Willenbring gave a
description of the passenger to the TCC and was instructed to wait at the location for Metro Transit Police.
While he was on hold, the same passenger who assaulted him returned and boarded with a female companion,
who presented one token and asked for two transfers. “The guy’s demeanor changed entirely.” Willenbring
explained. “While I was still on the phone his companion came up to me and became irate because we had to
wait.”
When Metro Transit police arrived, they arrested the male. Willenbring asked the police to arrest the female
for obstruction. The police did not. Willenbring explained that it got more ‘weird’ when the male passenger’s
mother showed up after someone phoned her. She insisted that her son be released because of his numerous
“conditions” including having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Willenbring said he was doing his expected duty two years ago, watching for potential riders and collecting
the proper fare. In hindsight, he thinks he could have done it differently. “I should not have asked the passenger
to leave the bus,” he admitted.
Like Willenbring, Elizabeth “Liz” Dunn, Driver #70065 was “sucker-punched” by a passenger - at 11:12 p.m.
on Memorial Day 2011, a time and date she said she will never forget.
Dunn was at a red light on Hennepin and Franklin Avenues heading toward downtown Minneapolis on Route
6. A male passenger sneaked through the closing rear doors before she pulled off. He pulled the stop cord,
walked to the front door and stood next to her. He seemed like he wanted to get out at the stoplight before the
designated Groveland stop. “I looked up at him and told him I had to wait for the light to change,” Dunn said.
What happened next shocked Dunn. When she stopped at Groveland and opened the door, the passenger
punched her in the face and started to get off the bus. “Then he stood in the doorway and said ‘That’ll teach you,
bitch,’ and then took off,” Dunn said. Dunn, a graduate of the Metro Transit aerosol training class, said she had
the spray on her but it never occurred to her to use it.
Dunn could not see clearly after she was struck and was still in shock. She called the TCC. Dunn was
worried because all she could see were black spots in her left eye. “Why should we have to come to work and
get abused?” Dunn asked.
Assault Statistics
According to Acting Metro Transit Police Chief A. J. Olson, sometimes assaults can occur when the operators
are doing what they are expected to do on their job. “It could start off with a fare problem, but this is not always
the case. Sometimes it is the operator simply looking after the safety of other passengers when one passenger is
causing problems. The problem passenger may see it as a challenge,” Olson explained. There were nine felony-
level assaults on drivers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area in 2011. Those numbers marked a decrease from
the previous year (2010). Also, the numbers contrasted with a trend of increased assaults on operators across the
nation and Canada.
Despite the low incidence of assaults in the Twin Cities for 2011, Chief Olson admitted there was a serious
“spike” in bus operator assaults at the start of 2012. “January was a particularly troublesome month for taking
assaults against bus operators,” Chief Olson admitted. ”We had seven felony assaults on drivers in January. It
was an eye-opener for us and caused a great deal of concern.” He said that this year Metro Transit attacked the
assault problem in several different ways. First, there was an emphasis on more Metro Transit Police on many of
the Cities’ “troubled” routes, including the 5, 19 and 22. The good news, he said, was that (whether the rise in
physical assaults was an “anomaly” or not) there was a positive effect in policing efforts because the numbers
started to drop off and the assaults have not been real high with a lot of injury.
According to Chief Olson there were only three felony assaults in February, two in March, none in April and
one in May. “Usually there was one slap or one punch, not someone using a weapon or the full fist or feet,” he
explained. Furthermore, he said, Metro Transit continued a followup with a partnership with MAD DADs
throughout the summer.
Although felonies went down, Chief Olson noted the alarming rise in the number of misdemeanor incidents,
including the incidents of spitting, which rose sharply. “Spitting assaults are on the rise this year,” Chief Olson
said. “There have been a total of 18 spitting assaults of the total of 25 misdemeanor assaults.” In 2011, among
the 52 misdemeanor assaults there was a total of 24 spitting incidents.
In early 2012, Olson explained, the Metropolitan Council, along with the ATU Local 1005, worked on
presenting legislation at the state level about raising all assaults on transportation operators from misdemeanors
to felonies, including spitting. “We started the process but did not get a lot of traction because of the off year and
abbreviated session of the legislation and the stadium issue. There was not enough time to get the bill
introduced,” Chief Olson said. “We will engage the union leaders again next year and take up the issue. We think
it is important because it is not just an issue to protect operators but it is also a public safety issue.”
According to one source at Metro Transit some felt that pushing for raising the law from misdemeanor to felony
assault level may risk funding the then transportation budget getting through the last legislative session. Some
felt there wasn’t enough money within the proposed transportation budget to support the passage of such a bill.
Aftermath of Assaults
Following his assault two years ago,
Willenbring regained his composure
enough to detail what happened. He was
treated at Hennepin County Medical
Center (HCMC). He had a minor
contusion and still bears the physical
reminder beneath his left eye.
Dunn adds that, even though she was
shaken up after the bus assault, she gives
credit to everyone at Metro Transit who
helped her following the incident. “TCC,
Metro Transit Police, street supervisor
were all perfect,” Dunn said. Dunn had
been driven back to South Garage by the
Metro Transit street supervisor who
Page 22
Page 23made sure she was safe, helped her fill out a report and called her manager. TCC called a Peer Support person to
meet her.
Peer Support
“Society has changed,” Anna Penland, Operator #68310 said. “We (bus drivers) see homelessness, mental
illness, child abuse, traffic accidents. We see anything you can imagine in this society and we see it up close and
personal sometimes every day.”
Penland is a member of Metro Transit Peer Support. Peer Support is a confidential resource for Metro Transit
employees to help deal with problems they may face, including assaults. “It is no more we just drive people
around from point A to point B. We are trained to drive a bus, but that is not all we do. We go beyond that,”
Penland added. “There are different kinds of assaults (whether emotional or physical) people go through, and
some can handle it better than others, Penland said. “For some, there is an accumulation of things that can occur
afterward.”
Willenbring talked with Peer Support. He pointed out that it helped to talk to fellow drivers who could relate
to being assaulted. Both Willenbring and Dunn mentioned that there were some drivers who were not
supportive. “A couple of drivers told me to “Be a man, get over it,” Willenbring added. “Some other drivers try
to tell you to ‘get over it,’” Dunn said, “but you look at every passenger differently for a couple of months, not
knowing when it could happen next.”
Dunn is a survivor of an abusive relationship. She experienced daily abuse, including being punched
repeatedly by a former spouse, for ten years. “I got punched almost every day,” Dunn admitted, “but I got out of
that relationship. Why should I have to deal with it at work?”
Penland said a person’s background determines how they deal with assaults. Some people come from abusive
backgrounds and this may carry over to a further degree when they are assaulted in public or at work.
Willenbring tried to return to work the next day but requested and was granted to be “off-line” from his work.
When he made a request to be off one more day, he was warned that he would be charged with an occurrence.
He admits he should have initially taken more days off. “I was not in the mental place to come back that soon,”
Willenbring said. “This job takes 100 percent attention. “You need your whole mind to drive the bus. It should
not count against you.”
Dunn explained, “I was hit on a Monday, had my regular Tuesday and Wednesday off, but could not get back
on the bus on Thursday.” Dunn explained. ”I was back to work on Route 6 that Friday. Metro Transit did make
me take my own sick days for the days I could not drive,” Dunn said. “That sort of minimized it.”
Although Penland believes operators should automatically get time off for assaults, she said operators cannot
get time off work after being assaulted without being charged. Peer Support cannot get an operator off work or
tell them they should come off work. Peer Support can see if drivers have vacation time or sick time. “Depending
on the severity of the assault, it could turn into a workers’ compensation situation for the operator,” Penland
added.
Penland suggests the union and management first start looking at time off for all those who are in good
standing. “An operator in good standing should be able to take a mental health day with what operators are
facing,” Penland added. “This would help if operators are not in a good place or if stresses of the route or life
start to pile up on them. An assault is an assault. It should never count against you getting time off, because this
happened in the line of duty,” Penland said. ”You did not ask for it to happen. All we are talking about is time
compared to health and public safety,” Penland added.
Penland cites another resource, Delivering Organizational Results (DOR), to help Metro Transit employees,
but believes that operators should have more tools so they can be equipped to deal with problems following an
assault.
Legal Results
Willenbring was informed of the court date and later informed about the legal procedure on the male
passenger who assaulted him. The outcome was the person got off with two years’ probation. “That is
ridiculous,” Willenbring added.
Dunn was later contacted by a MTP detective and got a mug shot from the bus videotape. A month later, a
Metro Police detective came to her house to do a photo line-up identification. Sometime afterwards, a court
prosecutor called and asked what Dunn wanted to happen to the person. Dunn told the prosecutor she wanted
the maximum penalty and that the individual be banned from riding Metro Transit buses again. The prosecutor
said she could not do that. Dunn wanted the person prosecuted for the max penalty. The prosecutor told her they
could not do the max.
The person got two years’ probation and a restraining order for Metro Transit buses. Two weeks later, on
another Route 22, Dunn saw the person standing at a stop. Dunn went home and called the person’s probation
officer. “The courts let us down. Everybody did a good job, except the court system let us down.” Dunn said.
“Those punks don’t care. If they keep letting them back on the bus, it is never going to be safe.”
Anna Penland observed, “I think operators understand the dynamics and that this is bigger than just a Metro
Transit problem. There is a lot more going on than we hear about even.”
Part Two to follow
Front row: Glenn’s wife Dianne, Glenn and Glenn’s
mother–in-law Donine. Back row: Glenn's two sons
Jason and Justin with girlfriend Heather Schmitz
Glenn Vierling Retires After
41 Years of Service
Page 24
Co-workers help Glenn celebrate his retirement.
The 1005 Line
Remember, you can always access past and present issues online at www.atu1005.com on the Education
page.
You can also see the results of arbitration votes and other meeting results.
Page 252012 ATU Latino Caucus Conference
Deborah Sievers #64222
This year’s Latino Caucus Conference was held in the beautiful city of New Orleans, Louisiana, September
13-16. It was a great time, and we got to see a lot of old friends and meet new ones.
The focus of this year’s conference was the election and how important it is to get President Obama
re-elected to protect our rights to belong in a union. President Antonio Vargas welcomed us to the conference and
introduced ATU International Secretary-Treasurer Oscar Owens, who talked about the dreams and hopes of all
Americans. He quoted both Ted Kennedy and Jesse Jackson: “The dream lives on. The dream never dies. Keep
hope alive!”
The next speakers were Yvette
Salazar, Natalie Perez, Ray Ortiz and
Javier Perez who talked about the
importance of getting our newest and
youngest union members involved
and educating them about the
importance of belonging to unions.
Herman Reyes spoke about the
mentoring program and how important mentoring is in unions. Again, we need to mentor our union members
who want to be involved.
We also got to celebrate the 16th and newest ATU Latino Caucus Chapter from Local 1555, Oakland and San
Francisco.
ATU-IVP Yvette Salazar was this year’s winner of the Cesar Chavez Labor Leader of the Year for 2012!
Southeast Region Rep. Victor Torres was elected from his district for the State Assembly in Florida. His seat
on the ATU International Executive Board will be up for election next year.
Next year’s Latino Caucus Conference will be held in San Diego, California, as will the International ATU
Convention (dates to be announced).
With this I close:
“Whatever is won in collective bargaining can be lost at the ballot box!” So get out and vote! It is an
important year!!
“Public conversation matters. The side that defines the conversation WINS!” Keep talking and listening. That
is our main role this election time!
Finally, “The facts never speak for themselves!” Do your research to find out the facts. Hearsay is not always
the truth!
Retirements
Congratulations to July Retirees07/03/12 Theresa Thomas, Hey. Op. 2088
07/09/12 Donald Grangaard, MJR Mech. Tech.,
68325
07/11/12 Gloria Westphall, Hey. Op. 6486
07/14/12 Richard Hanson, Nic. Op. 64196
07/16/12 Randall Burzynski, Hey. Op. 1170
07/16/12 Paul Kubic, So.Cleaner III, 137
07/18/12 Jeffery Stephens, MJR Op. 9071
07/21/12 Daniel Till, So. Op. 9513
07/23/12 Steven Hopkins, Mtnc-Eng&Fac, Fac.
Tech, 1528
07/28/12 Gary Turchin, EM Mech. Tech., 5405
Congratulations to August Retirees08/03/12 Donald Burke, EM Op. 1631
08/03/12 Timothy Coglianese, Nic. Op. 119
08/03/12 Ann Williams, MJR Op. 2049
08/03/12 Wanda Starr, So. Op. 708
08/31/12 Melody Kavalauskas, Hey. Op. 1442
If you have pictures or announcements of
retirements, please contact your Education
Committee member or the union office.
Retired Members’ Clubs
Northside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:30 a.m. the 2nd Tuesday of each month
at Barnacle Bill’s, Shingle Creek Parkway and
Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center.
Southside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:00 a.m. the 1st Wednesday and the 4th
Thursday of each month at the VFW Post, 67th
Street and Lyndale Ave. in Richfi eld.
Metro Transit Mechanic Teammate
Meets at 12:00 p.m. the 3rd Tuesday of the month
at Old Country Buffet (by Petco), 2000 South
Robert St., West St. Paul
St. Paul Retiree Lunch ClubMeets 12:00 p.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Mattie’s (formerly Wells Lanes ) So. Con-
cord St., South St. Paul 55075
If you want to join the St. Paul Retiree Club, con-
tact one of the following:
President Howard Osterkamp (651) 731-2428
Vice-President Jay Kerkvliet (651) 489-8281
Treasurer Paul Huber (651) 698-6551
Secretary Mary Huber (651) 698-5771
UNION DUES AFTER
RETIREMENT
When you retire, make sure you maintain your member-
ship dues. Those who retire today pay $49.80/yr. The “Death
Benefi t” is $1,000 from the International, and $100 from the
local ($1,100 total). You will also be able to vote on election
of offi cers and stay connected by attending monthly member-
ship meetings. If you have been a member for 50 years, you no
longer have to pay dues, and are a Lifetime Member.
Page 26
CRYPTO Each letter stands for another. If you think B=E, for example, it
would equal E throughout the puzzle. Clue: C=E, first two words
done. (Answer on page 28 ) Submitted by Pat Kelehan, Facilities
Tech. #5470
I T O L D
Z A X B W C Y C D U X F C Z T G H
D C G W U M X D L K G F O C. A K C U
A K D C T L X Z F G A N C.
Page 27
The New Trains are Coming.... The New Trains are ComingLisa Callahan #6716
On September 10, 2012, the fi rst new Siemen S70 trains were off boarded and towed back to the Overhaul and
Maintenance facility. We currently use Bombardier trains and, because it’s really
hard to get parts for this train, Metro Transit is switching the fl eet to Siemens.
On September 17, 2012, ATM Manager Cain and offi cials from Seattle will
be hosting a 12-hour class, including eight hours of classroom; and on Septem-
ber 18, 2012, they will do trouble- shooting/driving the new Siemen Trains. The
class size of 20 will consist of train and rail operators, instructors, supervisors
and other personnel.
(Oh, how exciting!)
Dynamic testing will be performed on the new train in the early morning
hours in the Lindbergh Tunnel. After that training seminar, drivers will be picked
to do special assignments of driving the new trains for 1000 hours before cus-
tomers can board them. It’s called the “breaking-in” stage. This will be done, I
believe, in twilight hours.
Here is some information found on Wikipedia:
• Siemens S70 car for the LYNX Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina The
Siemens S70 or Avanto is a low-fl oor light rail vehicle (LRV) or tram manu-
factured by Siemens AG. In the United States, Siemens refers to this model only as the S70,[1] while the Avanto
name is used in Europe.The S70 is in use, or on order, by several light rail systems in the United States.
• Metro Transit Minneapolis, Minnesota: 41 purchased with 58 options, delivery to begin in 2012.
For Tim Coglianese, Driver 119,
“It’s time to go”
At Nicollet Garage on August 3, Tim (Driver 119) re-
tired after more than 37 years on the job. Retirees at the
party outnumbered active employees, a testament to how
many friends he made on the job.
“We know when it’s time to go,” Tim said, even
though “we have enjoyed something, and it’s been great
for families – for my family – especially the benefi ts and
what it’s given us,” adding, “There are a lot of retirees
here. We all got to that point. The people in this room
make the job. The people out there
(pointing to the street) – they’re good
– but in here is our family.” With
his inimitable sense of humor, Tim
added, “You’ve all been a big part
of my life – whether I really wanted
you to or not,” and laughter fi lled the
room.
We’ll miss Tim and, whether he
wants to or not, we know he’ll miss
us. Best of everything, Tim, to you
and your lovely family (above),
Back row, left to right: Retirees J. Dalton, Joy Fuller, Leroy Fuller, Re-
nee Stafford (active), Andy Klein, Ellen Dunlap, Don Suerth. Center: Ed
Soltau and Tim C.
Tom O’Neil #3595 Retires
Tom was hired August 11, 1975 and retired with 37 years of service out of
Facility Maintenance on September 7, 2012. He joined Public Facilities Mainte-
nance in January 2008, and worked as a Facilities Technician before accepting the
position of Foreperson in mid-2010. His shoes will be tough to fi ll.
Tom hopes to do some caddying, keep up on his weekly golf and bowling
outings, and spend a lot more time with his grandchildren. His wife indicates she
has a lengthy “honey-do” list for him.
Page 28
edged their presence, with promises to look into the
matter further.
On Friday, September 14, contract negotiations
continued inside the 725/OSC building while mem-
bers made their presence known outside. We have
been working without a contract since July 31st, 2012
even though ATU 1005 was prepared to negotiate last
February. We should be in the 7th inning towards a
settlement, but instead we are in the second inning.
These actions are continuing at the time of publica-
tion.
Side Note: Executive Board Members from the
maintenance divisions (Bus, LRT, and Northstar)
have joined the negotiating committee to discuss
maintenance proposals. Many of these proposals,
including a possible new seniority system, will be
further discussed by a sub-committee.
ATU Action continued from p.1
Crypto Answer
I TOLD EVERYONE I WAS READY
FOR CHANGE. THEY THREW COIN
AT ME.
Southwest LRT Wins Fast Tracking Status President Obama pledged to speed up federal reviews needed to build the line Southwest LRT line that runs
between Minneapolis and major suburbs. Agencies are to streamline environmental review for permits needed to
build the Southwest and transit projects in Ohio. The decision will help Southwest make up for delays stemming
from a dispute over awarding an engineering contract. Engineering work is now expected to start early next year,
about six months behind schedule. The Southwest light-rail line is scheduled to open in 2018 and cost $1.25 bil-
lion to build. Supporters are counting on the federal government for half of the money, with Twin Cities counties
kicking in 40 percent and the state paying 10 percent. So far the state has committed only $7 million of its $125
million share and Republican legislators critical of transit have resisted spending more.
State workers face another wait for a new contract Action by Republican legislators to reject new collective bargaining agreements for 27,700 state employees
means the workers will have to await action in the next legislative session that starts in January.
Union members packed a hearing room at the Capitol and booed as the Legislative Subcommittee on Em-
ployee Relations voted down the pacts on a 6-4 party-line vote. The contracts, which have been reached over
several months of bargaining with Governor Mark Dayton’s administration, cover workers represented by
AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and MAPE, the Minnesota
Association of Professional Employees. Republicans said they want state employees to pay considerably more
for health benefi ts, and they questioned whether a 2 percent pay raise is too generous. They adopted a resolution
urging the Dayton administration to go back and renegotiate an agreement that ties salary increases to perfor-
mance and requires employees pay 10 percent of their health insurance premium.
Source: mnafl cio@mnafl cio.org
Page 29markings simply indicate a shared lane where bikes can be
expected. The green stripes are often placed in line with the
recommended path for bicyclists in the street.
Have you ever wondered why bicyclists don’t just move
over a few feet so we can pass?!? Well, if there are parked
cars present, it’s for the same reason that buses don’t move
over: four feet of clearance is the only way to ensure that you
won’t run into a car door that’s suddenly flung open (for a
bicyclist…ouch). In general, bikes are recommended to ride
just to the right of center within a lane of traffic,
approximately where the passenger side wheels of a car
would ride. It’s dangerous to weave in and out of the lane,
for example when there are gaps in parked cars. Bikes are
recommended to stay on a straight and predictable path to ensure safety and visibility. Those who do ride the
curb between groups of parked cars out of courtesy for passing motorists are doing so at their own risk.
There must be a minimum of three feet of clearance to pass a bicyclist, according to state law, though Metro
Transit requires four feet for buses to pass a bike. It’s legal to pass in an oncoming traffic lane on a two-lane
street, as long as traffic is clear. Obviously, buses have a unique situation in which we might be passing the same
bicyclist several times over the course of a mile or so and vice versa, performing a bus-bike dance that can
actually be quite graceful if we are dancing to the same rhythm, but a bit cumbersome if it’s a ballerina bike rider
and a boogie-woogie bus driver. Just remember the golden rule that if we treat the bicyclist with respect, that
respect is often returned.
This is one of the reasons why the increased number of bike lanes makes our job easier in general. Where
bike lanes do exist, it’s much easier for us to see and keep track of the bicyclists and successfully pass them
without having to fully merge to another lane every time.
However, keep in mind that bicyclists are not actually legally obligated to ride in a bike lane. All vehicle lanes
are open to cyclists, unless specifically restricted. Also, bikes may legally ride on the sidewalk as long as they
yield to pedestrians and give vehicles enough time to safely yield at crosswalks. However, in business districts,
where more than half the buildings are commercial, bikes are not allowed on the sidewalk. Bikes are prohibited
from riding the sidewalk on the Nicollet Mall, for example, and must share the road with buses, especially during
rush hour times when they are also prohibited from the MARQ2 corridor.
The need for buses and bikes to respectfully share the road with each other will not go away any time soon. In
fact, it will only become more necessary as both public transportation and improved bikeways gain precedence in
the overall scheme of things.
And it’s important to realize that a more bike-friendly metro area does not necessarily lead to a decrease in the
need for public transportation. They are not adversarial, nor are the two mutually exclusive. In reality, they can
actually build upon each other. A society with more transportation options beyond cars can only lead to less car
ownership as a whole, with people tending towards residences of higher density and convenience. For example, a
bicyclist who does not own a car may choose to take the bus or train on a rainy or snowy day, or to run errands.
Buses and Bikes continued from p.7
Minnesota AFL/CIO 51st Constitutional Convention
September 16-18, 2012 - Rochester, MinnesotaLisa Callahan, Light Rail Operator #6716
This year’s theme was
"We Are Minnesota"
The “We Are Minnesota” brand
was the public face of the
Minnesota Labor Table’s successful
effort to keep an unsafe, unfair, and
unnecessary “Right To Work”
constitutional amendment off the
November ballot. While using “We
Are Minnesota” as the theme
certainly pays tribute to Labor’s
successful effort, it means
something even larger.
“We Are Minnesota” is one of the best descriptions of the 300,000 working people who belong to
Minnesota’s AFL-CIO unions. We are the people who build, educate, care, entertain, inform, protect, and serve.
We are working people in the private and public sector. We take pride in our work and so our work and do our
work well. We are your friends, family and neighbors. We help organize people who want a voice at work. We
are civic-minded. We vote in high numbers. We stand up for the rights of others. “We Are Minnesota.”
Over the next two years, union members have the opportunity to help build a better Minnesota. What does
building a better Minnesota mean? It means electing a majority to the Minnesota Legislature that will stand up
for the working people. It means working with that majority and the Govenor on a legislative agenda that puts
the middle class Minnesotans first once again. It means growing Minnesota’s Labor Movement by supporting
affiliate unions in organizing efforts. We will build Minnesota, because “We Are Minnesota.”
- from the Minnesota AFL/CIO Convention literature.
Minnesota AFL/CIO President Shar Knutson opened up the convention on Sunday, September 16, by
thanking all the unions and everyone who pitched in to beat down the “Right to Work” initiative, saying, “ While
unions should celebrate their effort to stop Right To Work earlier this year, the same proposal will be back next
year if Replubicans retain control in the Minnesota legislature.” (This amendment would have weakened unions
by allowing people to enjoy the benefits of union membership without having to pay dues.)
We have many challenges up against us this year in the election season, but we all must talk to our unions
brothers and sisters to make sure everyone understands the new amendments they are trying to pass. If the Voter
ID amendment passed, it would be very expensive. In many rural towns in Minnesota, they don’t have places to
vote so voters currently mail their ballots in. In those rural towns, they would have to pay lots of money to build
or make space available. It would also cost a lot of money and time for everyone to get a photo ID. Currently,
Minnesota State IDs don’t have expiration dates. If the amendment passed, it would have to have an expiration
date. This means that seniors would have to locate birth certificates even though some have no idea how to start
that procedure, so a majority of seniors would not be able to vote. Students wouldn’t be able to vote using their
Student IDs because they have no expiration date. Soldiers’ IDs don’t have expiration dates, either. All this
would have to be implemented by July 1, 2013. Its amazing how they like to divide the middle class. So please
- if you thought this amendment sounded like a good thing, please check into it further. Please do us all that
favor and get more information before making that decision. Here is the website: www.OurVoteOurFuture.org.
Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, spoke on re-electing President Obama, and also talked about
fighting the effort in Minnesota to amend the State Constitution to limit the freedom to marry and the right to
vote. Just say no to both, is the thing to do. We can beat this if we all reach out in our communities and to our
allies, and engage workers who are not in unions (or in some cases not even covered by labor law). So we need
Page 30
reach out to everyone we can to get this effort done.
United States Senator Amy Klobuchar said she was happy to
work with President Obama on the Health Care Act (health care for
more Americans) and on passage of the transportation bill to fund
important projects in Minnesota and create jobs. Amy also said it’s up
to the American people “Are we going to go forward or are we going
to go backwards?” It’s up to us to talk to our friends and family about
the importance of the election, “reaching out to our members who
sometimes may not vote Democratic and having some straight talk
with them.” Amy has labor’s endorsement for re-election in
November and thanked attendees for their support.
Although Al Franken wasn’t present in person, he was able to communicate via Skype. He is also up for
re-election, and wished everyone well on the conference and hoped we all knew what direction we were
going on the political race. He also talked about how much he enjoyed President Obama and getting the
health care bill passed.
The convention recessed at 6:00 p.m. for a Minnesota AFL-CIO Delegate Dance. “Uncensored”
performed, and one of the lead singers was the wife of Mark Dawkins of East Metro. (They were very
talented singers.) Such a small world.
Workshops offered on Monday, September 17, 2012 included:
• Cutting through the Rhetoric and Dispelling the Myths
• Passing Policy that Works for Working families
• Networking the Elections
• Labor Votes No!
• Building An Economy that Works for Everyone
• Retirement for the 99%
Marlin Jensen and I attended 'Labor Votes No!' about how to get out there and talk to friends and family
and neighborhoods about why “No!” is the best choice on the proposed amendments.
Many more speakers followed, including: Rebecca Otto, State Auditor; Mark Richie, Secretary of State;
Luchelle Stevens, campaign manager for Our Vote Our Future; Richard Carlborn, campaign manager for
Minnesotans United For all Families; Representative Paul Thissen, Minnesota House Minority Leader;
Senator Ken Kelash, Minnesota State Senate; Roberta Reardon, Co-President SAG-AFTRA.
Dorothy M., Michelle S., Theresa Q. and I attended a Women in Leadership luncheon with Roberta
Reardon, Co-President SAG-AFTRA. We talked about how it’s so important for women to get involved,
and the natural born leaders that we all are.
The Convention reconvened with Opening Speaker Governor Mark Dayton, who opened his speech by
saying that he vetoed 57 GOP-backed bills that he called “anti-worker” and “anti-union.” He pleaded with
the crowd to make sure Democrats take control of the Legislature. “If we have a DFL majority in both
bodies next January, we’ll get the richest Minnesotans to pay their fair share of taxes,” Dayton told the
crowd.
Many other speakers got the word out about how important it is to vote this year. Mark Richie said:
“800,000 voters turned out to vote in 2008 and in 2010 they stayed home. When this happened the
Republicans gained control of the House and Senate for the first time in decades.”
Monday night’s entertainment was Comedian Lee Camp, who was very entertaining and got the crowd
laughing. If you ever get the chance to see him, I would recommend it. Or visit LeeCamp.org
The convention reconvened on Tuesday at 9:00am with speakers Barb Kucera, Director of the Labor
Education Service and Editor of Workday Minnesota and First District Congressman Tim Walz. After the
speakers, Community Service awards were presented to individuals and organizations working on behalf of
Page 31
Continued on page 34
Questions and Answers
On
Street Operations, TCC and Bus Technology
Ilona LaDouceur #66048
Brian Funk, Metro Transit’s Assistant Director – Field Operations is “responsible for everything that happens
to the operations of buses once they leave the garage. This includes Street Operations, Transit Control Center,
and our Bus Technology Systems (like the AVL system and real-time signs).” In addition to this, he “hears 2nd
step grievances, manages our Business Systems Analysts and works closely on developing our operating and CIP
budgets each year.” We are grateful that he was willing to answer the following questions:
How many street supervisors are there altogether?
There are currently 27 Transit Supervisors.
Has this number increased or decreased in the last ten years?
Both. We started with a staff of 27 supervisors in 1998. Over the last 10 years that number has been as low as 22
and just recently was increased to 27.
How many street supervisors are on the street at any given time? In which cities?
There are usually 8-10 supervisors on duty during weekdays, 3-4 on weekday evenings, and 4-5 on weekends.
They are dedicated to a specific geographic area but may respond to issues across the metro when needed.
During the morning, the focus tends to be on bus routes traveling toward the downtowns and the University of
Minnesota. In the afternoon, the focus tends to be on buses leaving the downtowns, Minneapolis High Schools,
and the University of Minnesota.
How big a geographical area do their territories cover?
All 9 metro counties when you include response to Northstar disruptions. The focused areas are much smaller
(such as DT Minneapolis, University of Minnesota, South Minneapolis, etc.) but as noted earlier, they may need
to respond to any area in the metro depending on the situation.
What special training do street supervisors get to deal with various kinds of emergencies?
National Incident Management training, Accident Investigation Training, Emergency Preparedness, Participation
in numerous drills, and of course new hires receive initial training with an experienced supervisor in the field.
Why are some readings on the Smartcom screens inaccurate?
Not sure which readings you are referring to but I talked with Melanie Benson earlier this week and she gave
some examples. As soon as I investigate her questions, I think it will take care of this one.
Why do the clocks and the schedule adherence numbers sometimes not coincide?
The MDT/ on board computer is intended to sync to the TransitMaster server time (which is sync’d to ‘Official
Universal Time’) upon MDT boot up completion. If a bus pulls out before this time sync has occurred, the boot
up will complete then display the time on the MDT using its internal time source (just like the hard drive on any
computer). Once the bus is outside in line of sight to the GPS satellites, the MDT should sync to the correct
‘Official Universal Time’. If it does not, the blue SMARTCoM Defect card should be filled out and turned in so
that technicians can check it.
The garage ‘official time’ clocks are in the process of being replaced. Heywood Garage has its new clock
installed. The remaining garages and Transit Control Center will have their new clocks installed within a couple
weeks. These new clocks are linked directly to the Met Council network and the ‘Official Universal Time’
source. This will help to insure consistency across all locations.
Can a driver be disciplined if he/she leaves a terminal early because of a faulty reading on the Smartcom?
It is possible, but we try to catch that information as quickly as possible. The supervisor may issue the violation
but it can be investigated with their ATM at the garage. But, the Letter of Agreement states:
Page 32
LETTER OF AGREEMENT
Official Clock
Effective January 31, 2006, the Smartcom clock will be considered the “official clock” when it is working.
Employees will still be required to wear a watch and use it in case the Smartcom clock is not working.
(The explanation from the union office is that, "The LOA makes it clear that the smartcom clock is official time
when it is working, period!")
So, my answer to this is yes. It is still the operator’s responsibility to wear a reliable watch, which reads to the
second, and to sync up that watch to the Garage “official time” clock each day.
Why do some readings say “Off Route” on a regular basis, when the bus is clearly on route?
Regular readings of “Off Route”, when the bus is clearly on route should be reported to the Garage Coordinator.
The Garage Coordinator will then fill out an OCR for the Transit Control Center to investigate. Some common
reasons for why this would occur: Error in the geo-code survey of bus stop to bus stop distances, bus goes on
temporary detour between two timepoints causing more the geo-coded distance to be traveled, odometer readings
pulsing too fast or slow on the bus.
Who’s in charge of synchronizing these readings each day? How does that work?
Transit Control Center standard operating procedures state that each night the TCC will call the Garages for time
check, after 2:00 a.m. They will …
· Ask dispatcher if colons between the hour and minutes are flashing. If the colons are flashing, or the garage
clock is more than 5 seconds off, they should notify Administrative staff.
· Once a week, they check official TCC clock with www.time.gov If there is more than a 2-second
difference, they notify the Manager of Technology Systems and Business Systems Analyst providing
technical support for TransitMaster (SMARTCoM), who will investigate and correct associated problems.
Page 33
Wanda Starr #708 Retires
Wanda was hired as a part-time driver on
December 8, 1986. She was promoted to full-time
on August 3, 1988. Wanda retired on August 3,
2012, exactly 24 years after becoming a full-time
driver.
ATU 1005 Recording Secretary Mark Lawson and
manager Frank Stumpf joins the celebration.
Dan Till #9513 Retires
Dan retired on August 20, 2012 after 16 years of service.
Dan was hired as a part-time driver on September 16, 1995
and promoted to full-time driver on February 22, 1997.
Dan Till was joined by his niece Kris Schaefer (PT
South Operator #71044), Brother James Till (FTH Opera-
tor #2091), great niece Beth, sister Sue, niece Nancy, and
great-nephew Andy. He enjoys being in the modern age of
computers!
Two Retirements out of South
Page 34
Employee vs. Employer
I’m a driver out of MJ Ruter, #2297. I just want it to be known that I used to be against having a union. I
thought that as long as you go to work, do your job and know you’re doing what you’re supposed to do, why
would you want to let people take money out of your check? And you know you go above and beyond your job
duties to make passengers feel comfortable and safe.
On April 23, 2012, I was accused of using my cell phone while operating a Metro Transit transportation
vehicle. This particular day I was driving the 852 Express Line during the a.m. rush hour. Any driver who has
ever driven that line knows that those passengers don’t play. Most of the express routes don’t have any trouble on
them. With my seniority, you’re glad to get express routes. So you don’t do anything to make them call in on you
- and please believe me - on any express line if a passenger sees or thinks you have any communication using a
cell phone, they’re calling in on you. Your manager has been called before you pull in.
Now, here are a few of the things that I had to know how to do before I was hired: smile, greet, be friendly,
drive safely and be professional. I got suspended for something I truly agree with and, not only that, am fully
aware of the cell phone policies.
The union knows that I didn’t agree with union dues or arbitration fees. I tried my best to let it be known that
I didn’t agree with them. Again, I thought that as long as you go to work and do your job, you’re safe. I trained
myself to believe that I would never need the union. I thank God that I wasn’t able to choose by myself if Metro
Transit should be union or not. I have been thinking like this all these years. But oh, how the table has turned.
Now this is the hard part: I had to go to the union with my head down. But no one talked about or reminded me
of anything that I had said. The funny part is that they just talked to me and explained how things would go, as if I
hadn’t ever said anything negative.
I feel the union is behind me 100%. I also would like to thank everyone that was behind me. I can’t name
everyone, so THANKS.
Submissions for Letters to the Editor are subject to approval of the
Editorial Board and space considerations. Letters to the Editor are
solely the opinion of the author and do not represent endorsement by
ATU Local 1005 or the Education Committee. If you have an edito-
rial to submit, please contact a committee member or our advisor
Dorothy Maki at: [email protected].
Letters
To The
Editor
children and the hungry.
Sources: AFL/CIO, Workday Minnesota, and PostBulletin.com
I would like to thank everyone who elected me to be the delegate to the
Minnesota AFL/CIO State Convention. It was a great pleasure to represent
our ATU Local 1005 at this event. I had a wonderful time listening to all the
speakers, and meeting other folks from other locals and bringing back to all of
you some of what we had learned in three days. I hope I have enlightened
everyone with what we did while we were in Rochester. Voting is a
constitutional right that everyone should practice.
Lisa Callahan, Op. 6716, Light Rail
Minnesota AFL-CIO continued from p. 31
This newsletter is a group effort of the Education Committee members and the Offi cers of the
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005. We publish 1,000 copies that are distributed among
the various facilites. Please return this issue to the facility (or leave it at a transit station) after
reading it so the next member may enjoy reading it, too. A color issue is posted on www.atu1005.
com for easy access.
In Memoriam
Page 35
Mike "Kraky" Krakowski age, 62, of Apple Valley, Minnesota,
died suddenly at home on August 7, 2012. He is survived by
brothers Robert, Lawrence (Michele), Thomas (Dana), Jerald/
Reggie (Molly); nieces and nephews Alyssa, James, Ross, Mor-
gan, Maxwell; great nieces and nephews; many cousins, relatives
and neighbors on 138th St. Ct. Mike retired from Metro Transit
in 2011. He will be missed by all who knew him. His home was
always open to all.
Will Panser #1284 passed away August 12 at the age of 79. Will was hired by
the MTC as a full-time driver on April 10, 1972 and retired September 2, 1995.
He spent much of his career at Nicollet, where he was highly regarded as an
Instructor, a Safety Keys Instructor and the fi rst Nicollet Garage Coordinator.
Will’s Safety Keys training was unforgettable. He brought drivers out on Univer-
sity Avenue, calling potential dangers out like an auctioneer: “Dirty wheels on
the right, stale red light ahead, sniper on the left…” This technique remains with
his former students today, who will always admire Will for his serious dedication
to safety, while his fellow trainers will remember him for his sense of humor.
Daniel P. Drexler, age 70, of Coon Rapids, passed away August 16, 2012. He
is survived by his wife of 33 years, Christine; children Meghan, Jeff, Chad
(Irene), Scott, Kim (Dave), Todd (Robin), Jennifer (Darius), Paul (Megan);
many cherished grandchildren; siblings Fred (Sue), Mary Conway, Anna Marie,
Paul (deceased); nieces and nephews. Daniel was a loving husband, father and
grandfather; a passionate teacher, coach, tax preparer and MTC bus driver. Dan
had been hired as a part-time driver on July 14, 1997 and left service on August
16, 2012.
Aurbia "Lee" Johnson #2222, 79, passed away recently. Lee was hired as a part- time
operator January 16, 2001 and retired from MJR on May 15, 2008. A funny, fun-
loving and friendly man, Lee was loved and will be missed by many passengers and
drivers. He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Ellie; daughters, Kendall (Danny)
Bourland and Kim Dickson; stepchildren, Ken (Nanci) Diethert, Renee Frigaard;
brother-in-law, Richard (Carol) Kenison; son-in-law, Ron Berglund; fi ve grandchil-
dren, four great-grandchildren and dog Riley.
This is some free information. Until we learn how to stop fi ghting each other on the inside of the company, we as
a team will never be able to fi x what’s on the outside.
Anastasia Bloodsaw, MJR #2297
Why Votetransit?
Votetransit is a coalition of
transportation advocates and
riders who have launched a
national movement to promote
public transit in the United
States. Votetransit seeks to cre-
ate a political force on behalf
of mass transit users who, until
now, have no unifi ed voice
representing their interests in
the governmental decisions that
affect their lives.
Votetransit is currently
conducting a registration and
Get-Out-The-Vote campaign in
support of pro-transit candidates
for offi ce at all levels of govern-
ment in the November 6 na-
tional elections. But Votetransit
won’t stop there.
By mobilizing the millions
of people who ride public tran-
sit, Votetransit will make pub-
lic transit a national issue that
politicians can’t ignore.
In doing so, Votetransit seeks
to end the transit funding crisis
that has led to accelerating ser-
vice cuts and fare hikes all over
America. Votetransit believes
that U.S. mass transit must be
adequately funded to provide
Americans with the mobility
they need now, and will pursue
the goal of securing funding that
will expand the nation’s public
transportation networks.
From the website: http://votet-
ransit.org/?page_id=37
Volunteer for Vote Transit. Please call Mike Qualy 651-271-1208,
or the Union offi ce.
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