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Transcript of ATU Local 1005 Newsletter
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
July / August 2012
What’s Inside...
Officer’s Corner
page 2
Union Meeting Highlights
page 3
Retirements
page 7, 8, 26, 32
Help! I'm being beaten up by kids!
page 10
Road Construction Blues
page 12
Detour
page 13
Where's My Bus?
page 14
Who's on the Other End...?
page 16
Transit Safety Security
Committee
page 20
Talent Corner
page 27
Editorials
page 26
"The union is us, not just the
people we put in offi ce, and
there are things that need to
be done."
Aaron Brooks, ATU
Local 689, Washington, DC
Continued on page 34
I'M IN The International
Amalgamated Transit Union,
in its May/June 2012 issue of
In Transit, appeals to the
members of the union
throughout the United States
and Canada to help their local
unions protect public transit:
“ATU volunteers all seem
to share an energetic,
cheerful, and optimistic
outlook on life that refuses to
give in to cynicism about
what can be accomplished.
They don’t just believe, they
know they can make a
difference.”
Volunteers can:
- Attend rallies and demonstrations
- Leaflet during rush hour
OFFICER’S
CORNER
Page 2
Tommy BellfieldFinancial Secretary/Treasurer
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 August 21st
September 18th
Membership Meetings
on the fourth Tuesday
August 28th -Mpls.
September 25th - St. Paul
10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Health Care Benefit
Training 2012
I would like to thank the membership
for allowing me the opportunity to attend
the International Foundation’s Health Care Benefit Training Course in
March 2012 that took place in San Diego, California.
One topic of discussion was how the rising costs of health care in the
United States have become an expensive part of employer benefit
packages. This takes away from wage increases for some employees.
Now more companies are starting to look at options to pay less for health
care insurance premiums by:
• Offering plan design changes
• Trying to eliminate any “rich plans” i.e. Open Access Plans
• Steering employees to a higher-deductible plan
When I was hired as a full-time employee with MTC in 1992, I
remember signing up to receive the health care insurance that was offered.
At that time, single-coverage premiums were no cost to employees and
family premium costs were reasonable. So, after consulting with a few
seasoned employees, I didn’t think twice about signing up for the Open
Access family plan.
Now move ahead to the year 2010: Health care costs are out of
control. For 2011, the Metropolitan Council wanted the single-plan
employees to start contributing to the cost of their insurance premiums
and the family-plan employees to pay a substantial amount more for their
premiums. The increases would help take some of the burden of a 14.5%
health care cost increase projected for 2011 and 2012 off of the
Metropolitan Council. The unions and company tried to negotiate a plan
design change that would lower the projected cost increase that
employees would have to pay for their health care insurance premiums.
That offer was declined by the membership because most of them did not
want to see any deductible, prescription or co-payment increases to the
“open access” plan even if it meant paying a much higher premium per
month. I was one that was ready to pay any cost to keep “open access.”
During my six long days of training, the most valuable piece of
information that I learned was that no matter whether you have “open
access” or any other high-deductible plan, you will receive the same
amount of care with whichever plan you choose. The difference between
Continued on page 32
Page 3
Education
Committee
Advisor
Dorothy Maki
Mark Lawson
Chair
Melanie Benson
South
Stacey Taylor
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
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
Continued on page 4
Union Meeting Highlights
May 2012
Executive Board Recommendations
Five Executive Board Members will be attending the Labor Law and
Labor Arbitration seminar on Friday, September 28, 2012.
Executive Board Members Lisa Benson, Ron Laumeyer, and Cliff
Bolden will be attending the Minnesota Union Leadership Program for
2012-2013.
Education Committee members are eligible to receive the following
payment:
1) Two hours pay per month for attending the Education
Committee meeting.
2) Four hours pay per article printed in The 1005 Line, not
including columns and editorials, maximum of one article
paid per issue.
Requests for Arbitration
A Nicollet operator requested arbitration after receiving a Final Record
of Warning and a five-day suspension for Gross Misconduct. This case
will not go to arbitration.
Customer Relations requested arbitration on a violation of the
contract’s Article 11: Call Recording. This case will go to arbitration.
An MJR operator requested arbitration after receiving a Final Record
of Warning and 20-day Suspension: Electronic Devices Policy Violation.
This case will go to arbitration.
Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
The following member who passed away since last month’s meeting:
• Judy Koch- Retired
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President’s Report
Michelle Sommers reported:
On cell phone cases, arbitrators are taking management’s testimony as
gospel. Be careful, and do everything you can to keep your phone stowed
and turned off.
Regarding Loudermill Hearings: Management is supposed to show all
evidence against you. Some departments do, others don’t. HR says we
are supposed to take the manager’s word for what is on video.
Videos and other types of surveillance: If you are on FMLA or
Worker’s Comp, and on restrictions, know them inside and out. Don’t
violate them anywhere in public view. For instance, if you have a 10-lb.
lifting restriction, don’t pick up the 40-lb. bag of cat litter at the store.
We’re negotiating a Maintenance Internship Program - bus division.
This should be the best internship in the Metropolitan Council. These
positions will not take mechanic positions, but will be invisible for worker
counts.
Wisconsin needs a lot of help. In Wausau, June 2-3, there is a door-
knocking campaign for transit funding. There is also help needed against
Light Rail
Carl Rice #6223
Lisa Callahan #6716
LRT welcomes the following
new operators for the training class
starting July 9, 2012: Patricia
Parker #68256, James Lambus
#68280, Mark Wickham #69047,
Sarah Sundquist #69052, Vincent
Gillespie #69127, Adam Hinnch
#69140 and Bradlee Birt #69175.
We also welcome Christina
House to the Training Department.
We say goodbye to Thomas
Myers #9039, who will be starting
as a LRT supervisor.
We have to say goodbye to
Mary Johnson #3819, who started
training for TCC street supervisor.
The new system pick will be
starting very soon.
LRT had another rail shutdown
the weekend of July 20-22, 2012.
Page 4
June 2012
Requests for Arbitration
An East Metro Operator is asking for arbitration regarding a filed
customer complaint. After an explanation of the case, a secret ballot was
cast. This case will go to arbitration.
Financial Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
The following members passed away since last month’s meeting:
• Jeffrey Miller - Active
• Merle Seils - Retired
• Chou Thao - Active
Members stood for a moment of silence.
President’s Report
Michelle Sommers reported:
On the company proposals. Some are entertaining, some interesting.
We’ll see where things go. There have been some tense discussions and
not a lot of progress so far.
On RCL - now Rochester Public Transit. We met with First Transit,
same negotiator as First Transit here in Minneapolis. They are supposed
to take over the system on July 1st. The RFP says they are supposed to
Scott Walker.
We feel the Met Council will find money somewhere to continue the
SW LRT project. The bonding money was not approved in the legislative
session.
The Federal Transportation Bill ends June 30th, and is currently being
negotiated.
We need to work together in St. Paul, or there will be no money to split
among unions. We need to give Dayton support and move forward. If
you care more about a reality show…Is this what’s keeping you from
getting active?! Get involved to keep your job. Care about your job! It
doesn’t take long to send an e-mail or call.
The First National Meeting on Assaults was a good meeting, but left
me asking what’s next. I came out with just as many questions as going
in. There is still a long way to go.
I also attended the Labor Notes Conference. Some of the speakers
were a little radical, and there were some transit breakout sessions.
Vice President’s Report
Dorothy Maki reported that she is working on a list of numbers of
legislators for everyone to call. She also reminded everyone of the
Hardship Fund Motorcycle Run on June 9th. The Hardship Fund is being
utilized successfully.
New Business
Brother Arnie Ladd commented on a phone call he received that
mentioned that a bus driver was shot to death recently in California.
The Union’s package of contract proposals for Metro Transit
negotiations was read for information only.
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
Training
Metro Transit will be hiring
approximately 100 part-timers by
August 1, 2012. Fifty will be full-
time by the end of the year.
Safety
Construction on University is
tight and changing every day, so
watch your mirrors near barrels
and signs, and look for pedestrians
running around confused about
where to stand.
When in the bays pulling-out,
pulling-in, pre-tripping, exiting the
bus and walking through parked
buses, be very careful. Watch out
for one another. Remember that
in the bays you are allowed to pre-
vent damage to your bus by mov-
ing up a bus that’s blocking yours,
as long as you keep it in the same
row.
The fuel room is complete and
the driveway’s back to regular. It
is a lane narrower, so please
observe the 10 mph speed limit.
Maintenance
With the summer heat, things
can go wrong with the buses – air
and other things. Please write
them up so they can be repaired.
General
The summer is moving forward
and soon it will be State Fair time.
Look out for something fun
and exciting this summer at
Heywood Garage from the Black
History Committee. You won’t
want to miss it.
Page 5
incorporate the existing agreement. Amazingly, we are meeting again
tomorrow and maybe Friday. We want to extend the current agreement
until we get a new one.
On ABB passes – Pretend this feature for issuing free-ride transfers
does not exist! There has been one discharge, and at least six other
people are on Administrative Leave under investigation for misuse of
these passes. We want to see ABB go away. It’s not necessary (to have
this feature). In 1997, seven employees went through this investigation,
and some were discharged. All but one ended up with a Final ROW and a
10-day suspension. Don’t put your job at risk by handing out these cards!
We’re still waiting for the Feds to finish the transportation bill.
Michelle Sommers, Deb Sievers, and Kari Sachs attended the ATU
Women’s Caucus Conference in Las Vegas. One thing discussed: If
operators speed between check points, then there is nothing the Union can
do to argue that more running time is needed. Consider driving the speed
limit - it’s following the rules. Show them the actual, real-world running
time.
Local 1005 will host the next ATU International Women’s Caucus
Conference in 2013.
Mike Qualy is the Political Coordinator. We need volunteers! We
need to elect worker-friendly candidates. This takes time and effort. We
will be writing the ATU International for help with lost time. Consider
Obama as the best candidate for the worker.
On arbitration decisions: Three arbitrations regarding responsible
accidents were lost, one was won.
Vice-President’s Report
Dorothy recently attended the ATU NW Conference. It’s the 100th
Anniversary of the Alberta Federation of Labor.
On July 24th there will be an important political meeting in Eagan.
Dorothy would like to see 100 ATU members attend.
The Catholic newspaper is restructuring, and the union jobs are being
eliminated. Dorothy encouraged members to call Archbishop John C.
Nienstedt to protest the move.
Assistant Business Agent’s Report
Mark Lawson thanked the members for the opportunity to attend the
ATU NW Conference. He mentioned one thing that he took away from
the conference is that what happens here in USA has effects elsewhere.
Many of the Tea Party politics have now migrated to Canada, and unions
are fighting them there.
Delegate Reports
Ken Dolney thanked the members for the opportunity to attend the
ATU Northwest Conference. He reported that Paul McCarthy spoke, and
he was great.
New Business
The Metro Transit contract proposals to ATU Local 1005 were read for
information only.
Continued on page 6
Commuter Rail
Big Lake
Anna Carlson # 67334 is the
newest addition to the Northstar
staff, joining us on June 25, 2012
as a cleaner. She previously
worked as a driver out of MJR
Garage.
The Vikings start training camp
shortly, so we are looking forward
to seeing if we will be providing
the service to and from the
Vikings games and what kind of
ridership increase we could see
with that.
The locomotives will be under-
going a campaign to replace
O-rings in the water outlets to pre-
vent a problem with water getting
into the oil. The fix will be an
O-ring made of a material called
Aflas. The industry believes that
this will correct this problem. The
main engines on the locomotives
do not get oil changes done like a
bus, but just have oil added to
them on a regular basis. The main
engine oil needs an oil change
only when it is contaminated.
Page 6
Union Meeting Highlights - Rochester
June 2012
Michelle Sommers and Janis Borchardt reported on the status of con-
tract negotiations:• Michelle read through the latest offer and discussed it.• Insurance forms are due back by July 5th for coverage
beginning July 1st.• An informal poll revealed a preference for a possible
contract vote to take place on Sunday July 8th rather than on Sunday July 1st.
Dave Gosha reported:• Locker combinations are in the info packet.• New uniforms are coming Friday.• The special procedure at the end of the day Friday for
fueling and taking buses over to the new garage will be at premium pay. Be sure to fill out an exception report.
• The next First Transit payday is July 6th.• Union dues will be taken from the 2nd check of the
month• First Transit goofed up their job bid. They’re looking
at doing a new bid in approximately a month.
June Membership meeting continued from p.5
Sen. Franken Introduces Legislation to Protect
Pensions, Health Care Benefi ts for Workers after
Employers Declare Bankruptcy
In an effort to make sure that workers are protected when their employ-
ers declare bankruptcy, U.S. Sen. Al Franken introduced legislation last
week to ensure that employees and retirees receive their fair share of earn-
ings and retirement savings when their employer goes into bankruptcy.
“When a company enters bankruptcy, it’s just plain wrong that employ-
ees are left to fi ght for what they are duly owed while executives get to
walk off with huge bonuses.” said Sen. Franken. “We’ve seen workers lose
out too many times when a company reorganizes, especially on the Iron
Range. Preserving jobs, pensions, and retiree health care benefi ts must be
a priority—especially in this challenging economic climate—which is why
I will fi ght to get this bill passed.”
The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act
will make changes to Chapter 11 bankruptcy law to do the following,
among other things:
• Improve employees' and retirees' ability to recover benefi ts by dou-
bling the maximum wage claim for each worker to $20,000 and allowing a
second claim of up to $20,000 for contributions to employee benefi t plans;
• Reduce employees' and retirees' losses by restricting the situations in
which collective bargaining agreements can be rejected or amended;
• Restrict executive compensation programs by requiring disclosure
and court approval of executive compensation for fi rms in bankruptcy and
restricting bonuses for other top offi cials.
Source: mnafl cio@mnafl cio.org email 07/18/2012
Page 7
William Negroni
Cintron #6881
William Negroni Cintron
#6881 was hired as a part-time
operator on September 28,
1999. He went full-time on
June 26, 1999 and retired on
June 29, 2012.
Larry Quist # 706
Retires
Larry Quist # 706 was hired
as a part-time driver on December
8th, 1986. He retired on June 4th,
2012.
Above: Mark Lawson
presents William with
a union jacket.
Right: Steve Jaeger,
Manager of Transpor-
tation, and Lynn Beau-
claire, Asst. Manager
of Transportation help
hold the cake.
Steve Jaeger Man-
ager of Transpor-
tation and Board
Member, Ken
Dolney help Larry
celebrate.
East Metro
Philip Jarosz #65015
Doug Barton #68273
There are seven new full-time
drivers being turned in on July
21st. They will stay until the pick
ends in September.
With the continuation of the
renovation of the steps, drivers
please need to be considerate and
only use one parking slot. We can
park within the lines at work in
our own vehicles as well. After
all, this is a Metro Transit standard
we practice daily.
The September pick has a new
terminal for Route #3 at Como and
Snelling, while Route 294 has a
minor change.
The Rosedale Park & Ride will
close on November 21, 2012.
Routes 260 and 272 will have
changes starting November 23rd.
Check the 4-day board for details.
The Hwy. 36 and Rice Street
Park & Ride will be open on
December 8th, along with the
Union Depot in downtown St.
Paul. Route 263 will be new to the
Hwy. 36 and Rice Street Park &
Ride.
Awesome routes 63, 64 and 68
will receive the new hybrid buses
in September.
The union picnic is coming up
in August. Hope to see a lot of
East Metro drivers attend this, as it
is in our back yard. There’s great
fellowship and fun for the entire
family.
State Fair work is coming.
This is a great time to show our
high standard of serving the Twin
Cities.
East Metro Retirements
Nicollet
Melanie Benson #854
Alec Johnson #66034
Ryan Timlin #66279
Well, same old news! There
are new detours with Nicollet
Avenue being torn up for the
summer. Just a friendly remind-
er to check the Detour Board
and make sure you have your
paddle with its list of detours at
you leave the garage. We are in
the middle of summer, so there
will be more to come. Pull-outs
and pull-ins will change as they
keep moving the construction
along Nicollet Avenue.
We have made it through the
busy events of Rock the Garden
and the Basilica Block party.
Then there was the Aquatennial
from July 13 - 21. The Uptown
Art Fair from August 3-5 and
the Loring Park Art Festival
will be busy times. Be on the
lookout for detours at these
events as well.
Again a reminder to all:
Make sure you have your
parking pass visible in your
windshield when parked in
the parking lot.
The Nicollet Garage Sale
has been rescheduled for
Saturday, September 15th.
Please continue to bring items
to donate for the sale.
Congratulations to Timothy
Coglianese, Driver 119, on his
August retirement after 37 years
of service. We wish you the
best, Tim, and we’ll miss you!
Page 8
GPS-Enabled App Helps the Blind Take the Bus
Like the rest of us, the blind can use speaking navigation apps to fi nd
their way around the city. A new Android application developed at Spain’s
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, however, is designed specifi cally to
help blind people get to their destination by bus. Appropriately named On-
TheBus, the app could also be used by the deaf, the cognitively-impaired,
or anyone else.
The app features both visual and auditory cues, and starts by provid-
ing a choice of routes to the desired destination. After the user has chosen
their preferred route, the system guides them from their present location to
the closest appropriate bus stop. Once there, it lets them know how long
they will have to wait before their bus arrives – presumably, once the time
is at hand, they may still require some assistance in verifying that they're
boarding the right bus.
After getting on the bus, the system will then inform them how many
stops are left before theirs, and then alert them when it’s time to ring the
bell. Upon getting off the vehicle, the app will resume giving directions,
guiding the user to their fi nal destination. When they enter that building, if
they still need to fi nd a room within it, they could perhaps switch over to
an indoor navigation system for the blind, such as Navatar.
Along with the obvious GPS functionality, OnTheBus also utilizes
the smartphone’s compass, accelerometer, and 3G or WiFi connectivity.
Blind users can interact with it via voice recognition. It currently “speaks”
Spanish, Catalan, English and Italian, and is presently limited to use in the
cities of Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. Other languages are in the works,
however, as are other cities – fi rst up are Saragossa (in Spain), Valencia
and Helsinki.
There is another similar app. Blind people in São Carlos, a city in the
state of São Paulo in Brazil, have had their lives made easier when they
are out and about their city. The municipality has hooked up with Grupo
Criar, a company specialized in traffi c systems, to design the Busalert app
to make it easier and more effi cient to use the city’s bus network. The
Busalert system is unique in Brazil and covers the entire public bus fl eet
in São Carlos. The passenger sends out a text message and receives a link
to the application, which is then installed on their smartphone. At the bus
stop, or even before leaving home, the passenger keys in the number of the
bus route as well as the stop where they will wait for it from. A recorded
voice provides information on the distance, length of wait and how many
bus stops the vehicle needs to cover. Once on the bus, they enter the num-
ber of the stop where they will alight. The software will feed back infor-
mation on the distance and time left to reach the destination.
Around 200 people with visual disability have registered with the
city’s council for disabled citizen status. The 40 bus stops covered by the
network are now equipped with Braille signs. They were selected based
on how much they are used by this group of citizens and are mostly near
schools, hospitals and shopping centers. There are plans to extend the
network so that any passenger can benefi t from the alert system and reduce
their waiting time at bus stops.
Continued on p. 15
Page 9
South
Stacey Taylor #70055
July 10, 2012 - Cornelius
Sykes #847 edged one vote
ahead of Arthur Hayne #9414 to
win a run-off election for South
Garage’s Transit Safety and
Security Committee (TSSC)
representative. Sykes is also a
member of Metro Transit Peer
Support. South’s TSSC election
was held on June 20, 2012 and a
run-off was necessary because
no candidate won by 50% plus
one of the overall garage votes.
Hayne and Sykes took the top
votes.
July 14, 2012 - Five South
drivers went to full-time posi-
tions and two stayed at South.
July 21, 2012 - Operator
David Barnhart #64423 accept-
ed a promotion to TCC supervi-
sor.
August 3, 2012 - Wanda
Starr #708 will be retiring after
25 ½ years of service with
Metro Transit.
CRYPTO Each letter stands for another. If you think B=E, for example, it
would equal E throughout the puzzle. Clue: B=E (Answer on page
16 - Notice the extra help in this month's puzzle.)
Submitted by Pat Kelehan, Facilities Tech. #5470
Z B Y A X Y A C W D V Y F C D
M e t r o T r a n s i t
D Y C A Y B T S C A W V D F V N S Z H
K F B K R. Y F B L M W T D C A B W X N
T B O X D V Y B T N V Y F C A C T V D F
C W T C O V K R P B.
Dorothy Maki
presents ATU 1005’s
check to Mike Dalbec
for the American
Diabetes Associa-
tion’s Tour de Cure
2012. This bike run
was a fundraiser for
the American Diabe-
tes Association and
raised $32,000.
Anyone is wel-
come to join the ATU
1005/Metro Transit
bike team.
These Executive Board members and offi cers attended Calgary’s 100th
Anniversary Celebration of Labor Unions at the ATU Northwest Confer-
ence held in Calgary, Canada from May 30 - June 3: (Left to right) Local
1005 Recording Secretary Mark Lawson, East Metro Transportation E-Bd.
Member Ken Dolney, Local 1005 Vice-President Dorothy Maki and East
Metro Maintenance E-Bd. Member Chuck Feucht. Conference topics
included Union Coalition Building and Reducing Back Pain in High-
Mileage Drivers
Page 10
725 Bldg.
Scott Lindquist #6401
Stephen Babcock #3128
For the Electronic Dept.,
please see Cookouts on page 29.
Farebox
Two Ticket Vending Machines
(TVM’s) will be added to the
Northstar Ramsey Station. Eight
more Rail Smart Validators
(RSV’s) will be added to the
Hiawatha Line.
Training
There has been an increase in
the number of new full-time and
part-time operators that have been
hired and are now going through
training. There are new classes
every week.
The Transit Ambassador
Program is currently on hold.
Training continues at the garag-
es on the Five Safety Keys.
The September pick has trig-
gered a lot of route training at the
garages.
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.
Help! I’m being beaten up by kids!Doug Barton #68273
I was assaulted last February by a thirteen-year-old kid. I suspect that
this was a gang initiation stunt, and it didn’t go so well for the young
man.
The story starts out with our young man getting on my bus (I was
doing the 62-line in St. Paul) in downtown St. Paul. He immediately
went going into this song and dance about how he’s only eleven and he’s
out past curfew. “I only have seventy-five cents,” he said. I shook my
head and thought to myself, “You don’t think I’ve heard this before?”
“Okay, pay the seventy-five and let’s go.” He sat down and I made my
way out of downtown St. Paul.
A little while later I heard the bell go off and our young man and his
buddies came strolling down the aisle on their way out the front door. I
saw them coming and didn’t really think too much about it when he
pulled up short, took a deep breath and let me have it with a backwards
hit right in the face! I turned and barked “What’s this?” He was now out
of the bus and I was thinking: (You probably could guess what I was
thinking and you’d be wrong!) “I’ll just let it go. I have two more trips to
do and I can go home.”
My little buddy had other plans, though. He picked up a good-size ice
ball and was preparing to let loose on me with it. I smiled at him and
closed the door (I don’t like air doors they take too long to close.) as he
let go, so only half of it got inside and fell harmlessly to the floor. Then
he and his buddies started with the four-letter words and I put the call in
to the TCC…
This young man in his attempted act of bravado created more
problems than he could have imagined. Even though I wasn’t hurt in this
altercation (I was very lucky and am very grateful), by the mere fact that
his hand made contact with my body above shoulder level set in motion a
number of things:
Ø When you call the TCC, be prepared to answer a lot
questions. Some of these questions will be: Were you hurt or
are any of your passengers hurt? (Do you need EMT or an
ambulance?) Can you identifying your assailant? (Height,
weight, what’s he/she wearing etc.) How many assailants
were involved? What was their direction of flight after the
incident? These are only a few of the questions that might be
asked. Be patient with TCC as they need to ask these things
in order to inform police who to find and what to expect
when they arrive at the scene.
Ø Police and supervisor (s) will be dispatched to the scene.
Depending on the time of day, the supervisor will probably
beat the Metro Transit Police (MTP) to the scene. However,
local police will more than likely be there within minutes to
Page 11
start looking for the assailant(s). The supervisor and the MTP
will have questions of their own. Both will come on the bus
and make sure that neither you nor anyone else is hurt, or if
so, what kind of attention will be required. The tapes will be
pulled from the bus, and any questions you or passengers
have will be addressed. Police will assign a case number and
might ask you sign a medical release form.
Ø After placing the call to the TCC to inform them that you
have received a blow above shoulder level, the TCC will tell
you shut the bus down and hold. They will dispatch a relief
bus to your location so you can transfer your passengers to
that bus to continue on your run. You will (if you can)have to
keep your passengers informed about what’s going on and
how long it might be before the relief bus gets there. Be
prepared for some animosity amongst some of your
passengers. Remember this process will interfere with what
these people have planned and some people have a hard time
seeing beyond their own concerns.
The shop will also be dispatched to the scene to look over the
bus and take it back to the garage.
Ø After everything is completed at the scene, a supervisor will
give you a lift back to the garage. On the way back you and
the supervisor will decide whether or not you might need
medical attention (if it wasn’t readily apparent earlier), and
more likely than not will suggest talking with Peer Support.
These people are your fellow co-workers and they are there to
help. The things you disclose to them are confidential and
won’t be used against you in any way. These people have
signed up to do this because they care, and in this situation
talking to someone can go a long way toward helping you
heal.
In closing this first part, I would like to tell you what happens when
the story gets out among your fellow operators. In my case I had a lot of
sympathetic snickering at East Metro. My fellow compatriots couldn’t
understand how a kid like this (who wasn’t any taller than my knee caps)
could get the drop on me. I had to keep reminding them that I was sitting
down at the time and a little closer to his height, and as a result he was
lucky. They still couldn’t see it my way - and as the story got retold the
kid got younger. I think at this point he is about two with one arm and
one tooth and he was only lashing out because he was teething! I think I
feel more sorry for him than I do for myself. WAIT A MINUTE! I’m the
VICTIM!!
I thank all the people at East Metro who put in their two cents worth.
In the end, humor is the best medicine.
In the next issue we’ll look more closely at the legal procedures
resulting from an assault.
MJR
Jackie Williams #66180
Anastasia Bloodsaw #2297
Alemu Foluke # 63113
A New M. J. Ruter on the Way
We have so much to be
happy about at Ruter Garage
because of the many changes
we’ve seen this year. Most of
the construction is done. We
have a new conference room and
exercise room, and the building
was painted. The dispatch area
is being remodeled, and they
really deserve it. (Ruter dispatch-
ers are the greatest.) The clean-
ers do a beautiful job keeping the
lobby clean.
There have truly been chang-
es made at Ruter in the last num-
ber of years. Thanks to Manager
Doyne Parsons and others for the
upgrade.
Congratulations to Tanya
#67081, Andrew #67462 and
Terry #66168. They’re all route
trainers, on their way becoming
instructors, and will do an excel-
lent job.
Congrats also go out to
Dereje Tafesse #64154 for get-
ting the Assistant Manager posi-
tion. He will be a great manager
at his new location.
It’s not just the construction
on the building - we also have a
kind of reconstruction in the
employees at Ruter as well. It’s
a good feeling when you can get
along with everyone, the manag-
er is doing a good job and we all
work as a team. The managers
are doing a good job
Page 12
Rochester
Rochester Membership
Approves New Contract
On July 8, 2012, The ATU
1005 members who work at
First Transit in Rochester voted
to approve a six-month con-
tract, extending from July 1st
through December 31st, 2012.
The tally of those voting was
97% in favor, and 3% against.
The short term deal keeps wag-
es, health care costs, and work
rules in line with what they
were at Rochester City Lines,
the former contractor operating
the city’s bus system.
The new contract will allow
time for the parties to sit down
together this fall, and work out
a longer term deal after the dust
has settled from the transition
from RCL to First Transit.
Road Construction BluesFaye Brown #6331
There are four seasons in Minnesota that we’ve come to love: Winter,
Spring, Summer and CONSTRUCTION - which seems to get worse
every year. (Oh, my goodness, I didn’t think there were that many streets
to work on.)
This year, including the LRT project between Minneapolis and St. Paul,
it seems every (well, almost every) major street is being worked on in
some way: painting lines, drilling a hole, main drain replacement and
‘Oh, I lost my ring last year, let’s dig to see.’ It’s so confusing to drive to
your destination with all the circling back because it seems like all the
roads are closed. So now riders have to leave extremely early so they can
get as close as they can to where they are going on the bus and still walk
a mile to get there.
Drivers on bus routes like the 3, 16, 50, 7 and the 2 have no idea from
minute to minute which way they will be traveling, because a detour can
change on a moment’s notice. Your conversation with a passenger can go
like this: Passenger: “I thought you said you go that way.” Driver: “I
did, it was open when I came through earlier.” Passenger: “Where do I
catch the bus?” TIC: “Your guess is as good as mine. Just look for the
number you want and run.”
Driving is very frustrating. You have to look out for passengers in
different and odd places and also changes in the way you travel.
(SCREAM) It’s like the construction workers don’t communicate with
each other, so two different directions will be closed at once and you have
to maneuver a bus around like it’s a toy. (Hopefully you’re not driving an
arctic.) Because of all the detours and lane closures, rush hour seems to
be all day. (RUSH HOUR??? Who in the world came up with that
name?)
And who’s the brainy person who scheduled all this work at one time?
How many construction workers does it take to make a mess? Apparently
all of them because the city is a mess. Ha Ha Ha Ha. Sounds like a joke,
but it’s not funny.
MN DOT in all of this
has a new meaning to its
letters: Me? Never!
Didn’t Order That. As in,
“Streetwork closures are
not our mistake.”
Eastern view from
Cedar Avenue bridge
toward U of M in earlier
phase of construction
It was a Saturday morning just like any other at Nicollet Garage. Drivers
were parking their cars in the parking lot, sipping their coffee as they walked
through the front door to go scan in for their work. Oh, there are new
messages that affect this work, would you like to print your paddle? “Not
really, but I guess I have no choice.” For the unlucky souls who were
working the 2 line (Franklin Ave.) this particular day, a quick glance through
the Hastus messages made it pretty clear that this would be no ordinary
day…
Hmm, Riverside is closed, yeah I knew that. So we take I-94 between
25th Ave and Cedar both directions, right? Wait, EB I-94 closed? Oh damn,
so that detour won’t work. Okay, WB buses take Cedar to Franklin back to
26th to Riverside to 27th back to Franklin and back to Cedar. Serve bus
stops in both directions on Franklin? Well, that will be a headache, but I can
tough through it. Let’s see what else we’ve got. Bus stop closures, no biggie.
Nicollet pullout detours, got it. Wait, what’s this? Washington Ave bridge
closed? Use 10th Ave bridge, looping down University to 16th Ave to 4th St.
for WB and EB trips? Serve all bus stops in both directions? Umm…anybody got any Advil?
For several drivers, this turned out to be a day from hell. Not only was it just generally a busy Saturday, but
the two major detours involved going down streets that normally only served the opposite direction for that
route, and then backtracking in the right direction. To add to it, the congestion on Franklin due to the I-94
closure was a double whammy due to the fact that westbound 2 buses took Cedar (which was also down to one
lane because of weekday construction – they couldn’t open it during the weekend?) to Franklin and then went
east on Franklin to 26th Ave, then turned around via Riverside to 27th Ave to Franklin, then finally went regular
westbound on Franklin again.
When drivers get confused and turned around by detours, it’s just a given that passengers will be even more
confused. Can you blame them? It’s not often that passengers have to worry about the bus they are catching
being the bus that is actually going in the opposite direction. The drivers on the 2 line on this particular day had
to pull over at all these stops to explain to people, “Don’t take my bus, I’m
actually going in the opposite direction. Your bus will be along shortly.”
Huh? Passengers didn’t know what to think. Some didn’t believe the
driver, only to be rudely awakened when the bus did suddenly turn around
and go the other way. Some passengers, as always, had limited English,
had headphones on, had a few too many drinks, were from out of town,
etc. The poor bus driver was stuck in the ridiculous position of trying to
deal with the confusion of the passengers, the detours, the traffic and
everything else that is involved in operating the bus safely and smoothly.
Page 13
Stories from this day include passengers accusing the driver of being
stupid and not knowing where he was going, passengers giving up on
the bus altogether and just getting out to walk, passengers accusing the
driver of lying, etc. One driver mentioned it was the first time that he
considered just calling TCC and saying, “I’m done. I can’t do this
anymore. Send someone else to drive this route.” But all our drivers
were able to tough it out for the day - not a small task.
This is just one example. One day on one route. According to Brian
Funk, (Assistant Director of Field Operations), Metro Transit averaged
well over one hundred active detours per day in the month of June. It
has been a challenging summer, to say the least. From Central Corridor
construction to freeway closures and Nicollet Avenue reconstruction
(among others) there’s just no avoiding the disruption. And it won’t be
getting any easier.
by Alec Johnson #66034
Page 14
Where’s My Bus?
Sam Adams #3634
Since May of 2012, transit information representatives have
been able to tell customers the actual location of their buses.
Automatic vehicle location (AVL) is part of the most recent
upgrade of ATIS, the trip-planning software used in the transit
information center. GPS data from all Metro Transit buses and
those of all private providers (with the glaring exception of
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority) is now uploaded to ATIS
servers approximately once a minute, and is available to reps at
any workstation in TIC.
Here is how this affects us and our customers: TIC often gets
calls from customers wondering where their bus is. For many years, we have advised customers to arrive at their
stops a few minutes before their bus or train is due to arrive. We make it clear to customers that when planning
their own trips, they need to allow at least five minutes between the first vehicle’s arrival and the second one’s
departure. We are always upfront about the fact that there is going to be some variation in arrival and departure
times, usually due to events beyond our control. This has never been good enough. Customers want their ride to
be there on time, and if it’s not there, they want to know where it is.
We may not always find this reasonable - for example, when the same caller, for the third day in a row, wants
to know why the 16 is two minutes late. However, this is the world we live in as transit workers. We may not
always be able to meet the customer’s demands, but what we can do is be honest at all times about what we do
and how we’re doing it.
Before AVL capability was added to ATIS, transit information reps would have to transfer callers to Customer
Relations. On evenings and weekends when Customer Relations is closed, reps would have to ask a supervisor
for help - if one was available. The supervisor could look up the vehicle’s run number on Transitmaster and
pinpoint its location that way. In this situation, reps would often be verbally abused by customers, some of whom
expect all TIC reps to know where every vehicle in the system is at all times. (Operators, of course, often get the
same question and have even fewer tools with which to answer it.) It does no good to explain that in a large
complex system like ours, we simply won’t know that immediately, so TIC reps get very smooth at saying, “Let
Page 15
me find that out for you.”
The AVL screen in ATIS is sortable by route number, on-time status and a few other headings, as shown.
ATIS will tell us the last time point the vehicle has passed, how many minutes late or early the vehicle is
running, and how long ago the latest GPS data was uploaded - usually within a minute of the current time, but
sometimes longer. (This is important to remember for reasons of accuracy.) ATIS will also highlight in red the
arrival times of buses that are running late as of the most recent upload. If a rep clicks on the arrival time, a
popup window will display the run number of the bus, how late the bus is running, when the data was uploaded
(again, important!), and – crucially, but much less reliably - whether ATIS thinks the bus has already passed.
This last piece of information is decided by ATIS on the basis of the last uploaded data, and it’s not always
correct. If the bus is due right now but was running a minute late at the time of the last upload, and the last
upload was three minutes ago, then we can’t say for sure whether the bus has passed by the customer’s stop. This
is important to consider when answering the common question, “Has my bus come already?” since we can’t
always truthfully answer one way or another.
Most of our customers understand that buses must travel on roads with other vehicles, and that a bus may be
more or less on time depending on traffic conditions. Within those limits, the question “Where’s my bus?” is a
reasonable one. Fortunately, it’s one that transit information reps are now better prepared than ever to answer. If
you are an operator and you get questions like this, tell the customer to call TIC. If the bus is late but on its way,
we’ll usually know.
What we don’t know, and what we avoid getting into with the customer, is why. If the customer must know
what the problem was, or has really called us to make a complaint rather than ask for information, we will
generally transfer them to Customer Relations, find a supervisor if appropriate or help them complete a customer
contact form online. Transit information reps are not here to get our fellow workers in trouble. We listen to the
customers, tell them the truth and let them know what their options are.
Understanding each other’s work helps us to support each other on the job. As union members, we all have a
role to play in keeping our transit system running. Knowing that is part of how we build the solidarity we need
to win.
According to Criar, the software was designed by request of the local administration back in April when Brazil
passed a bill to improve access to public transport, especially for the disabled. The company expects to create a
new market for its product and has started tests in other Brazilian cities including Ribeirão Preto, Santos and Curi-
tiba. Busalert is based on Java and runs on Android and Windows ME.
Down the road, the developers would like to see it be usable for other forms of public transit such as taxis,
along with being able to guide users to the closest pharmacy or assistance center. They would also like to incorpo-
rate augmented reality technology, so that the user’s phone camera could be used to visually identify items such as
stop signs or bus stops. OnTheBus is available now, at Google Play.
Source: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
www.Gizmag.com By Ben Coxworth, 15:48 June 21, 2012
Source: Prefeitura de São Carlos
www.Gizmag.com
GPS App for Blind continued from p. 8
Page 16
Who’s On the Other End of that Handset?
A Profile of the Transit Control CenterMelanie Benson #854
I offer many thanks to Christine Kuennen, Manager of
the Transit Control Center (TCC) for providing the
following thorough and concise answers to the questions
for this article.
1. How many TCC supervisors are there?
TCC currently has 20 supervisors (budgeted for 22).
Three of these are recent hires and are currently in their
probationary period. I am currently short two supervisors,
and there was a posting to fill the open positions. That
posting closed on June 1st.
2. What fields of work did they come from?
Of the 20 currently on staff: Bus Operator - 5, Bus
Maintenance - 1, Transit Information Center - 6,
MTPD Law Enforcement - 2, MT Customer Relations - 2, MT Finance (Special Event Ops/Go-TO Project) - 1,
Airline Operations - 2, Heavy Rail - 1
3. What are the lengths of service of these supervisors (most senior and least senior)?
The most senior (by TCC seniority) has been in TCC since 1996. The most senior (by agency seniority) has
been at the agency since 1984. As far as least senior, I pretty much have a three-way tie. I hired three supervisors
in December 2011.
4. How much turnover is there?
This question is hard to answer in general terms. I have lost four positions within the last year, but that is
atypically high.
5. How long is training and what does it consist of?
TCC Supervisor training typically lasts 14-18 weeks and is presented in phases. During the first phase (8-10
weeks), new Supervisors are trained on our Transitmaster CAD/AVL and 800 mhz radio systems, radio
communications, mechanical troubleshooting, general call handling, and incident response and reporting
procedures. They are also trained on monitoring on-time performance, assisting operators with service delays,
overloads etc. The training is mostly hands-on at a TCC console with a coach/mentor listening in. Significant
time is spent at console in both a.m. and p.m. rush hour settings, as well as in the weekend/evening hours in
order to provide maximum exposure to the various types of calls that can be typical for TCC.
In later weeks, the training is supplemented by various sit-ins with departments we work closely with
(dispatch, shop, TIC, CRD) and field ride-alongs with Transit Supervisors, Bus Operators, MTPD, LRT and
Northstar. Supervisors are also certified as Public Safety Tele-communicators through APCO (Association of
Public Safety Communications Officials).
Once a Supervisor is ready to work a shift independently, they begin training on the second phase, which is
at the TCC Police Dispatch Desk. This training consists of an additional 6-8 weeks. Again, the training is hands
on with a coach sitting in on all calls. Additional training for these shifts include the Police CAD and records
system, running warrants and license checks through the CJIS (Criminal justice Information System), and
learning police dispatch procedures. Supervisors are certified in Advance Law Enforcement Dispatch through
industry standard coursework.
6. What kinds of shifts do the supervisors work? Do they choose them by seniority?
Supervisors work eight-hours shifts covering 24 hours a day, and they are picked by seniority.
TCC supervisor views fi ve screens and two monitors
from his console.
Page 17
7. What are the various staffing levels on different days and times of the day?
Two to six supervisors staff the Control Center depending on the time of day and day of the week.
8. How does the police dispatcher position vary from the others?
This is a little hard to describe in writing, but I will do my best. I will also offer that if anyone is interested in
more information about the positions, or is interested in a behind-the-scenes look, that they can feel free to
contact me. I can give a tour, arrange a sit-in, or be happy to speak on this further.
In general terms, there are two separate shift positions in the TCC that work side by side….really hand in
hand: the “call taker” and the “police dispatcher.” On every incident call, they must rely on each other, and the
department as a result is very team oriented. Each has different daily duties, and performs different core
functions within the department, but are working towards the same goals.
The TCC generally functions similarly to any typical two-stage communications center. The “first stage” is
intake. In this stage, the TCC “call taking” supervisor receives a radio or telephone call reporting an incident.
That supervisor is responsible to speak with the caller, gather and document all the incident information,
determine the appropriate response (MTP and local police, medical, supervisor, shop, etc.) and resolve any
service disruptions (service cuts, trip fills, etc.) that result. They also make an SSR report on the incident and
make all notifications. Supervisors that staff these shifts are responsible to resolve a wide variety of calls every
day, from the very routine to the emergency, with each call typically resulting in multiple tasks required to
manage a single event.
The call-taking supervisor of course is also required to monitor route on-time performance as part of their daily
duties, as well as to monitor and support the Northstar Commuter Rail system.
The “second stage” is police dispatch. Whenever police response is deemed appropriate by the “call taker”,
the police dispatcher is notified and provided all incident information as it comes in, and as it changes or
updates. TCC Police Dispatchers do not handle incoming radio or telephone calls, except when it is directed to
their specific console. There is usually just one (but on busy nights two) police dispatchers on duty in the TCC,
so their attention must be focused on radio traffic on the MTPD Police Main channel. Their primary duty is to
dispatch MTP to calls for service, and provide assistance to the Transit Police Officers in their daily patrol and in
their response to calls.
The TCC police dispatcher is responsible to determine the response priority for any given call based on
incident information provided by the “call-taking supervisor.” In turn, the “call-taking supervisor” is reliant on
information provided by the police dispatcher in order to make timely decisions and update bus operators on the
response. In this way, the two positions rely heavily on each other for quick transfer of accurate, updated
information. They also must work together to coordinate transit police response with local police or medical
response.
By nature, police go to calls that can get heated, dangerous, and tense. Dispatchers must have presence of
mind, and be attentive at all times to officer and public safety. Police dispatch must often handle many pieces of
information on multiple simultaneous events, typically juggling several events at a time. Police dispatchers must
also check and verify warrants, license status and trespass records, and monitor alerts on the criminal justice
information system. While police dispatchers are Supervisors, they do not directly supervise MTP Officers,
however are in regular communication with MTP supervisors.
9. Who decides which supervisors answer which calls?
TCC handles hundreds of incoming calls by radio and phone every day. If the call is from a bus operator, the
call is displayed in a call queue in our Transitmaster system with Bus, Route, Operator, Duty, and location
typically known. All Priority and Routine calls that come in this way are assigned to TCC supervisors through a
“work assignment,” which is basically a grouping of routes assigned within the Transitmaster system. When a
supervisor begins a shift, they log into a work assignment - there is one work assignment for each person
working on the shift. For example, if there are five people on a shift taking calls, supervisors log into work
assignments 5A,5B,5C,5D or 5E. All calls and adherence messages that come in from these routes go to the
supervisor who is logged in to the associated work assignment. Calls are answered by that supervisor in the order
Page 18they are received and by priority (i.e. PRTT calls handled first). Work assignment route designations are looked
at every pick to make sure they are balanced as equally as possible. There is typically a lot of teamwork and
juggling of work flow, even within work assignments. If someone gets busy on a significant call, someone else
will jump in to assist with any waiting calls within their assignment.
Silent Alarms, Emergency Request to Talk calls, phone calls and calls on other radio talk groups, (such as
from Transit Supervisors) are not assigned by work assignment. They go to all TCC consoles and are handled by
the first available supervisor.
10. What is the 75-second statistic? Does it have to do with the AVL system?
The standard polling rate for buses when connecting to the satellite for GPS location information is set at 75
seconds. This means the position of the vehicle is updated on TCC maps only every 75 seconds. When a bus is in
emergency status (a Silent Alarm or Emergency Request To Talk) the location updates every 20 seconds. TCC
staff can “ping” a vehicle at any time, however, to update the GPS location. This is my best answer to the
Frequently Asked Question of “If my bus has GPS, why does TCC ask to confirm my location?” The answer is
because a bus can move a considerable distance in 75 seconds and the TCC maps show only last “polled”
location. The TCC always wants to confirm exact location for any incident call.
11. How are the calls recorded or reported? Are statistics kept on the types of calls coming in (detours, trouble
on the bus, traffic, etc.)?
Beyond basic call statistics (# of calls received by radio, phone etc.) TCC documents incidents as “Incident
Reports”. We have five basic types of Incident Reports. Each report type has multiple category types. The reports
are entered in our Transitmaster systems, so statistics are kept and easily retrieved. Detours are stored in Hastus.
TCC does not write a report for each call that results in a detour.
Incident Report Type Description YTD total (1/1-
5/30)Trouble Report Maintenance related 6,957
Service Performance Report Service delays or interruptions 5,262
SSR(Special Situation Report) Accidents, Security Incidents, or
other special situations
7,592
Northstar SSR All incident related to Northstar
Rail
138
Regional SSR All incidents related to other
Regional Transit Providers
90
12. How many calls (on average) come in per day on fare evaders?
It’s a little tough to say. YTD, there have been just 217 SSRs written with Fare Evader as the report category.
I believe most fare evasions go unreported, and typically TCC will only get a call in those chronic abuse cases
where an operator feels police response is needed.
Keep in mind that, if there is something more significant going on with a call, the SSR report would be titled
differently. For example, if the fare evader was also acting disorderly, the report would be titled as Disorderly
Conduct as the primary offense. Those would not be counted in the above statistic.
Christy Bailly has been spearheading a fare evasion study, where operators have been asked to record fare
evaders on the MDT with a button press. These are not messages that are answered by the TCC, but the study is
intended to gain a more accurate picture of how often, and where, and when, fare evasion happens. You may
wish to follow up with her for more information on that program.
Page 19
Jody Theisen
MJR Maintenance
I grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, one of
seven kids. My mom and dad divorced
when I was quite young, and I ended up
living with my dad. We often went fishing
and traveling. I learned to cook as a
youngster, and this would help later in life,
as I still love to cook. When I was 15 I
moved to Minnesota with my mom, living
in a few different places. I was so impressed
with how big the Twin Cities area was that I
knew there was no going back.
When I got my license, I drove downtown up the Nicollet Mall until a policeman yelled to get off! Being a
country boy, I had never before seen a street you couldn’t drive on.
I started with the MTC in 1980 working as a vault puller for a year and a half, and then became a janitor. I
worked mostly nights and enjoyed talking with the drivers. I felt like a bartender, as people would see me and
tell me about their day. I got to make many friends and have seen a lot of people come and go.
In 2006 I was involved in a motorcycle accident and fractured my neck. I guess the adrenaline kicked in as I
stood my bike up and was trying to start it, until a man ran out of his house. I had no idea how badly I was hurt.
I had also broken my thumb, and my ear was almost torn off. When I was in the hospital they put a halo on me
which I had to wear for three months. .I had pneumonia twice that year and was almost out of sick leave. I was
humbled by the people who donated their sick leave. It was enough to help me until I could return to work. I will
never forget the kindness of my friends and strangers who did this very kind thing.
I like to travel and cook. From time to time I bring friends and co-workers smoked meats, bean soup with
smoked ham and the like. Last year I won the MJR chili cookoff, taking 1st place. I also love my two sons and
three grandkids. They are a huge part of my life.
I ran for union steward because I figured with 32 years with the company I had more than enough experience
with management. When my two opponents heard I was running, they backed out. I hope to be as helpful as
possible and answer any questions. Working with the union has really opened my eyes to all the grief they face
on a daily basis. I thank Michelle Sommers for her hard work and dedication to our union.
Gordon Raveling
MJR Transportation
I started my career with Metro Transit in 1994 as a part-time driver from M.J. Ruter. I went full-time after 2 ½
years. Once I became full-time, I worked a number of years as a driver at Ruter and Heywood Garages. In 1996, I
started as a relief dispatcher at Heywood. In 2006 a full-time dispatcher position opened up and I was fortunate to
begin as a new dispatcher at Ruter Garage.
I have been involved in transportation most of my adult life either in the public or military sectors. I hope to
use these experiences to help me in my current elected position as an executive-board member for Ruter Garage.
The main reason I decided to run for the executive board is that I enjoy mediation. I saw this position as an
opportunity to try to help people. Ruter Garage has a wide variety of people, with differing work and life experi-
ences. I am looking forward to continuing to
improve my ability to help the employees of
Metro Transit.
Gordon Raveling, MJR Transportation, Michelle Sommers,
President of Local ATU 1005, and Jody Theisen, MJR Mainte-
nance at the Tour de Cure
Profi les of ATU 1005 Executive Board Members
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.
Page 20
April 1, 2012
Members of the Committee Present:
Dereje Tafesse, MJR, Committee Chair
Monica Kruger, Management Advisor
Rolland Green, LRT
Leatha Falls, Heywood
James Minelli, East Metro
Art Hayne, Lisa Benson, South
Ryan Timlin, Nicollet
Others in attendance:
Mike LaVine, Police
Chuck Wurzinger, Maintenance
Lowanda Aaron, Customer Relations
Derrick Cain, LRT
Christine Kuennen, TCC
Brian Funk, Bus Operations
Russ Dixon, Union
Dorothy Maki, Union
CALL TO ORDER
Dereje Tafesse called the meeting to order.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
March minutes were approved.
ONGOING INTERDEPARTMENTAL TOPICS
Route 19 – Brian Funk
• Police have been saturating different areas on the
route 19, 22, and 5. This saturation will be ongoing.
• Life Behind the Wheel training - Steve McLaird is
working with TCC and Police § First group is going to
be operators that picked work on Routes 19, 22, and 5.
Eventually it will be made available to all operators for
training.
• Capt. LaVine - Saturations are during the week and on
the weekends.
- More police on buses, BCTC and 7th at Nicollet
Two driver assaults: Rt. 10 and Rt. 5
Made arrests on three of the four spit cases.
Will continue details including Safe Zone in DT 4pm
-11pm • Downtown to BCTC and back
• Offi cers at 7th and Nic
• Two offi cers on LRT as well
- Gearing up for Twins • More police detail
- James Minelli would like to keep the lines of
communication open between departments to discuss
what to do when offi cers put large groups of kids on the
buses. • Call TCC if you need police help.
• If a large group gets on, but they pay their fare and
are not unruly, then just let them ride.
• There are events that are expected to be disruptive and
in those cases we are proactive with more buses and
police presence.
• Police handle each case individually. Each case is
different and needs to be handled differently.
• Police are working with operators and Marketing to
identify events where they can be involved.
SOUTH OPERATOR REPORT
Lisa Benson and Art Hayne in attendance:
• Art will be the new South representative.
• ADA compliant Bulletin – Number 20, dated 3/19/12
- Operators don’t want to have to call out all the streets
because they are worried that people will want to get
off at streets that aren’t stops.
- Action Item: Brian will look at ADA compliant
Bulletin – Number 20, dated 3/19/12
LRT OPERATOR REPORT
Rolland Green in attendance:
• Nothing to report.
NICOLLET OPERATOR REPORT
Ryan Timlin in attendance:
• Detour for LRT construction: Rts. 50, 16, 2 get
stuck at 4th and 15th at the light on U of M campus.
Concerned about accidents.
Action Item: Brian Funk will work with City of Mpls.
and St. Ops to see if there is more that can be done
about the light at 4th and 15th on U of M campus.
FTH OPERATOR REPORT
Leatha Falls in attendance:
• The stoplight at Pillsbury is covered by tree branches.
• Action Item: Christine will talk to Street
Maintenance and Brian will talk to Street Operations to
see about getting the branches trimmed.
EAST OPERATOR REPORT
James Minelli in attendance:
• Would like a police detail on Rts. 64 and 63 - Capt.
Lavine – We are trying to address that. There are
two offi cers assigned to DT St. Paul bus stops in the
evening hours.
MJR OPERATOR REPORT
Dereje Tafesse in attendance:
• No Report
SAFETY REPORT
Not in attendance.
POLICE REPORT
Mike LaVine in attendance:
• Maintenance: Can we keep the lenses on the cameras
clean? It’s very helpful to have clear images. Chuck:
Yes
• Last month’s assaults were discussed.
• YTD: Ten driver assaults
STREET OPERATIONS REPORT
Not in attendance.
TCC REPORT
Christine Kuennen in attendance:
• Response Report - Monthly measurement of how
quickly police arrive to a priority 1 call.
- Correction: 26 total: 5 silent alarms, 2 dispatched
police, 21 false alarms
• Canned message: Operators would like to have a
button to push that will announce a canned message on
the bus. - Only available on new buses equipped with
on-board annunciator system
- Almost half the buses have the system.
- Will look into making it easier to fi nd the messages.
- Do we want to move forward with canned messages?
Need approval from reps, customer service, and Christy
What messages do you want? Please talk to the ops at
your garage about what messages they would like to
have?
What order?
Different departments can request messages as well.
• Can SSR’s be sent to the committee? It is being
discussed.
James would like to have info on DOC’s, etc. to be
able to present this information to display a need for
police detail.
• Can we put out photos and texts of suspects? - We
send out texts to specifi c buses that might be in the area
of the suspect.
- It’s at the discretion of the TCC and Police.
• You can practice getting good descriptions of suspects
in the garage and get better at giving descriptions. Not
just clothes. Look for hair, eyes, scars, etc. - What
sticks out? Limp, very tall, very short, what?
LRT REPORT
Derrick Cain in Attendance:
• Twins starting this week. - We don’t have the tail
tracks anymore so it’s going to be diffi cult.
- There will be a lot of congestion between Target Field
and Warehouse Station.
- Police will be at 5th St Station to help with buses.
• Traffi c signals on Nicollet are programmed to give
LRT more time to turn around.
ATU: Rolland Green feels that he is not able to bring
issues to the committee.
• Dorothy Maki brought up that the Rolland Green feels
that he is not able to bring issues to the committee.
• Russ Dixon talked about the need for Reps to be able
to speak freely, Rolland not feeling he can and that it’s
important for operators from other garages to hear LRT
issues. Dixon said Rolland is thinking of resigning.
• ATU President Michelle Sommers joined the meeting.
She wants Reps to be able to bring any issues they
want. They can work with management to get issues
resolved, but they should be able to discuss anything
they want to in this meeting. She wants Reps to be able
to get things on the record. Reps should be able to bring
up issues at the meeting whether they are resolved or
not. She has previously spoken to Sheri, but she will
also talk to Brian Lamb.
• Rolland Green said he has to run everything by
management before bringing it to the meeting, has
received negative comments about bringing issues and
Page 21
Page 22
is tired of it. He said he does have good communication
with Derrick.
• Derrick Cain said Rolland can bring up issues at the
meeting, but if there is anything LRT can handle in
house then they would rather do that. Sheri meant that
if there are issues he can bring them to management
and they will handle them. Derrick talked about LRT
doing a good job of addressing issues including a bar
signal that was changed.
• Monica Kruger said she supports things being solved
at the simplest level possible but also supports people
being able to speak freely about whatever they want to
bring to this meeting. She will contact Sheri Gingrich
and will be happy to speak with anyone else.
• Sommers asked ATU members if they wanted to
continue the TSSC meeting. They indicated they did.
Sommers left the meeting to try to talk to Brian Lamb.
MAINTENANCE REPORT
Chuck Wurzinger in attendance:
• Cup holders have been installed on about half of the
buses.
• Silent Alarms - Still working with Gillig, Bus
Operations, and Safety to research the false alarm
situation and possible solutions.
• Tire contract is up for bid. They are looking into
different tread options and cost.
- Must be in place by the end of this year
- Current contract 8 million for fi ve yrs.
• Operator Outreach
- Don Davis, Roger Haas and the Maintenance manager
were available at each garage 4:30-5am through pull-
out and back again in the afternoon.
- Got a lot of great questions and comments. § They are
going to get as many questions or concerns answered as
possible.
- Will have another one by the end of the year.
- Provided information as well.
• 50 new 40ft buses beginning of June - New
transmissions from Germany. § Should be quieter
• New Operator Defect Report (ODR)
• South: Can the bus compartment locks all use the
same key? - Yes, please write up anything that you
don’t like about your bus and we’ll try to address it.
CUSTOMER RELATIONS REPORT
Lowanda Aaron in attendance:
• No report
BUS OPERATIONS
Brian Funk in attendance:
• Facilities Department is working on getting a separate
entrance for the operators at BCTC. We are also
looking at changing the locations of the gates to get ops
closer to the entrance.
• Lights bulletin: Let us know if you get any feedback
regarding it. - Maintenance will have all the bus lights
time out at 10 minutes
• Annual safety fair 4/17-4/20 - Internal and external
reps will provide information.
• Severe weather week is coming up. Bulletin will be
published soon.
Christine will provide training through the National
Weather Service for supervisors and management to
give better information to the operators
OTHER ITEMS
ATU: An Operator contacted ATU/Management/
Attorney General’s Offi ce about Radio Frequency
health hazards to the Operators. The Operator was
concerned that the Operators were receiving too many
RF’s.
• Radio frequency on the buses from the radio
equipment from above their heads.
- The Radio Shop provided a packet of information
dated 1999.
- 12 volts, possible, 24 volts in the antenna, on top, of
the bus, but the roof shields operator from a lot of that.
- Operators are okay and safe.
- Radio shop hasn’t had a rise in cancer.
- Have any other operators had the same experience?
- Radio shop also said a person receives much more RF
from cell phone usage.
ACTION ITEMS
• Action Item: Brian will look at ADA compliant
Bulletin – Number 20, dated 3/19/12
• Action Item: Brian Funk will work with City of
Mpls. and St. Ops to see if there is more that can be
done about the light at 4th and 15th on U of M campus.
• Action Item: Christine will talk to Street
Maintenance and Brian will talk to Street Operations to
see about getting the branches trimmed.
Page 23
May 1, 2012 Members of the Committee Present:
Dereje Tafesse, MJR, Committee Chair
Monica Kruger, Management Advisor
Rolland Green, LRT
Leatha Falls, Heywood
James Minelli, East Metro
Lisa Benson, South
Cliff Bolden, Nicollet
Others in attendance:
Mike LaVine, Police
Steve Kaari, Maintenance
Pam Steffen, Customer Relations
Amina Wolf, LRT
Christine Kuennen, TCC
Christy Bailly, Bus Operations
Russ Dixon, Union
Dorothy Maki, Union
CALL TO ORDER
Dereje Tafesse called the meeting to order.
REVIEW OF MINUTES
April minutes were approved.
ONGOING INTERDEPARTMENTAL TOPICS
Route 19
Capt. LaVine
• Increased Rt. 19 details include plainclothes. Safe
zone offi cers will be riding downtown to BCTC on the
Rt. 5 or 19.
• New BCTC program started May 1st. - Five days a
week offi cers will be present from 3pm-11pm.
- Brooklyn Center police they will also be on location
for one day so for a total of six days a week there will
be police presence. Sunday is the only day not covered.
- This program will be in place for about a year.
- There will be a combination of plain clothes and
uniformed offi cers.
- Brooklyn Center doesn’t have an open-bottle
ordinance like Mpls. and St. Paul, so we can’t enforce
no drinking at BCTC, but we can trespass the offenders
for it, but not arrest them.
- Pam has had three complaints about religious groups
soliciting at BCTC.
- Christy Bailly: We don’t want that happening at our
locations if they are bothering our customers.
• Christy Bailly - There will be a Street Operations
detail at BCTC as well when they are fully staffed §
MADDADS increased detail.
Fare Evasion Committee
Christy Bailly
• Stickers were approved, but we decided against them.
We wanted to put them on the fare box, but some
operators didn’t like the wording and there was some
misunderstanding about what the sticker meant.
• July 2013 there will be simplifi ed changes to our fare
structure in place.
• Russ Dixon – Concerned about when the fare box
isn’t working and we have to let people on without
paying and then the people with Go-To cards have to
pay.
• Pam Steffen – If someone gets mad, have them call
Customer Service and we will take care of them.
EAST OPERATOR REPORT
James Minelli in attendance:
• Safety and Security Forum May 22nd.
• Would like to have more security on the St. Paul
buses. Mike – We are focusing on the stops where the
problem riders congregate.
- James – There have been a lot of spits and assaults out
of East Metro this year.
- Christy Bailly – The fare committee will focus on the
63 for the July pick.
SOUTH OPERATOR REPORT
Lisa Benson in attendance:
• Maintenance
- 3350’s Operators can’t hear the stop request bell. Can
it be louder?
- 1100 & 1200 windshield wiper fl uid is over fi lled and
leaking in to the bus.
• Street Operations - There is a problem with the time
it takes to go down 6th street between Marquette and
2nd.
Action Item: Can Street Operations look into the time
it takes to go down 6th street between Marquette and
2nd?
LRT OPERATOR REPORT
Rolland Green in attendance:
• Safety forum July 12.
• The issues from last meeting have been resolved
• Signal 8 restricted and divergent signal in the AM
when the sun comes up is hard to see. - Operators
should call if they can’t see it to get verbal approval.
- Restricted – Someone is in the block in front of you
- Diverging – Flashes to let you know you’re crossing
tracks and there is a train in front of you.
NICOLLET OPERATOR REPORT
Cliff Bolden in attendance:
• Thank you to whoever made the changes at the 38th St
and 46th St Stations. We are able to get out much more
easily.
• There have been people riding to the end of the line
and they are not going anywhere. They are riding just
to ride. Some operators are uncomfortable with that.
The 21, 4, and the 17W have isolated areas at the end
of the line. - Dorothy - It’s my understanding that the
operators can kick them off before the terminal. Ask
them to get off at the last stop, and then pick them back
up after the layover.
- John Cook – We need to issue another bulletin.
- There are mixed messages and understandings about
the policy. Operators need clarifi cation.
• 7100 Hybrid buses curbside mirrors stick out different
lengths. It’s hard to pull up 6 inches to the curb
because we could hit someone
- Steve Kaari – 3300 17inches, low fl oor articulated
Gilligs are all the same length.
- Maintenance and Safety are working together to look
at the lengths and heights of the mirrors on the different
buses and what we should order in the future.
Action Item: Christy will send data about mirror arm
lengths to Brenda.
- Mark Kitzerow has a display that will help educate
about the different buses and the mirror positions.
FTH OPERATOR REPORT
Leatha Falls in attendance:
• Seats in the 900 series don’t go back. Operators are
uncomfortable. John Cook – We are working with
Maintenance on the issue.
- Bike Box at 15th and University needs to be repainted.
Action Item: Deb Downing will follow up with the U
of M and see what the plan is for repainting Bike Box
at 15th and University.
MJR OPERATOR REPORT
Dereje Tafesse in attendance:
• There are safety issues on the 724.
• Saturday night riders were smoking pot on the bus.
Run 3030 leaves BCTC at 10:30pm. The operator
would like police detail.
- Christy Bailly – Operator can request a police detail
by talking to Manager or TCC
- Mike LaVine – will get info from DJ
SAFETY REPORT
Brenda Himrich in attendance:
• Severe weather training is going on right now. Xcel
was at the Health and safety fair to discuss downed
power lines.
- Severe weather bulletin will be issued soon.
• There is a bus wrapped with the message “Be Safe,
Don’t Chase Bus” This bus is there to spread the word
not to chase our vehicles. Messages and wraps on buses
and trains.
• Rail National Database
• Top 10 location
• Accidents per 100k miles
• Operators should not be fi lling antifreeze/coolant.
- Lisa Benson – if I’m trying to pull out and there are
only two maintenance guys I will check it and fi ll it
myself to save time. If we’re not allowed to fi ll them
then there might be more late pull outs if we have to
wait for bay service.
Action Item: Chuck will work on bulletin for Christy
to issue about coolant and antifreeze issue.
- Operators are required to look at the sight glass, but
are not allowed to fi ll it.
- Russ Dixon would like to see the communication start
with Instruction Center
POLICE REPORT
Mike LaVine in attendance:
• No felony assaults last month. Two spits and one
operator had stuff thrown at them.
STREET OPERATIONS REPORT
Deb Downing in attendance:
• We are currently hiring for supervisor positions.
• Lots of construction – sometimes we get short notice
- Make sure you print your paddles.
TCC REPORT
Christine Kuennen in attendance:
• Response Report
• Christine demonstrated the Monthly MTPD Priority
1 Incident Response time report to the Committee.
This is a monthly report that is prepared by TCC and
presented to the Transportation Committee each month.
The report measures the time is takes for police (MTP
or Local) to arrive on scene after being dispatched to all
Priority 1 police incidents. The agency goal is for 95%
of all Priority 1 calls to be arrived within 8 minutes
• Canned messages - Provided list of current canned
messages.
Page 24
Page 25- Christy Bailly – We’re looking at messages that will
be played every so often. Ex: Watch your phones.
- The concern is that one customer will know that the
operator is singling them out.
- Some TSSC reps support this idea, some don’t.
- Can we put messages on the scrolling area?
• TCC SSRs available to the Committee. Options:
Christine - Giving TSSC access to all reports would be
too wide ranging and does not seem to suit the purpose.
Is determining if the committee could see a certain SSR
by having TCC staff check a box on the report
Would like the Garage Manager to provide relevant
SSR information to the reps.
Can TSSC be added to the assault notifi cation list that
Bus Ops sends out?
Christy will talk to the managers at the all manager’s
meeting about it.
LRT REPORT
Amina Wolf in attendance:
• Daniel Suggs is working on the 4th St. signal
MAINTENANCE REPORT
Steve Kaari in attendance:
• Cup holders have been installed on about all of the
buses.
CUSTOMER RELATIONS REPORT
Pam Steffen in attendance:
• No report
BUS OPERATIONS
Christy Bailly in attendance:
• The Calling Streets Bulletin was discussed but it
should remain as written. This is for orientation, not
stop locations.
• A Route Info was created for the intersection of
15th/4th asking operators to stay back from the
crosswalk. Also, the city recently painted a stop line
back from the crosswalk to assist with turns from 4th
onto SB 15th.
• Branches were trimmed at Pleasant/Pillsbury from the
stop lights.
• No fi rm date for the BCTC door construction, but it is
expected to be completed this summer.
OTHER ITEMS
• VA Shelters moved back? Brian F. has info.
ACTION ITEMS
• Action Item: Christy will send data about mirror arm
lengths to Brenda.
• Action Item: Chuck will work on bulletin for Christy
to issue about coolant and antifreeze issue.
• Action Item: Deb Downing will follow up with the U
of M and see what the plan is for repainting.
• Action Item: Can Street Operations look into
the time it takes to go down 6th Street between
Marquette and 2nd?
Election Results of the Runoff Election for Delegates
International Convention Position # 5 - Russell Dixon, Sr.
Alternate International Convention Position # 1 - Marlin J. Jensen
State Convention Position #5 - Marlin J. Jensen
State Convention Position #6 - Teresa D. Qualy
State Convention Position #7 - Lisa Callahan
St. Paul Regional Labor Federation Position #4 - Chuck Gudknecht
Thanks to everyone who took an active part in the voting/election process.
Crypto Answer
METRO TRANSIT HAS STARTED GARNISHING MY CHECK.
THE FUNDS ARE NOW DEPOSITED WITH A RADISH AND A
PICKLE.
Page 26
Retired Members’ Clubs
Northside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:30 a.m. the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Bar-
nacle Bill’s, Shingle Creek Parkway and Freeway Blvd,
Brooklyn Center.
Southside Breakfast Club
Meets 8:00 a.m. the 1st Wednesday and the 4th Thurs-
day 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
Retired Members’ Clubs
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
Retirements
Congratulations to May Retirees05/01/12 John Hielsberg, So. Mech. 447
05/04/12 Jerome Kaczmarek, Train Op. 1408
05/10/12 Michael Jawish, So. Op. 433
05/11/12 Ross Findorff, So. Op. 390
05/16/12 Daniel Underbakke, Ruter Maint.Helper I
292
05/19/12 Timothy McArdle, Hey. Op. 66093
Congratulations to June Retirees6/5/2012 Lawrence Quist, E.M., Op. 706
6/30/2012 William Negroni Cintron, E.M., Op. 6881
6/29/2012 Gary Newman, Hey. Op.7705
6/2/2012 Keith Kinning, OHB Mech. Tech. 5208
6/30/2012 David Pechler, Ruter Janitor 2767
If you have pictures or announcements of
retirements, please contact your Education
Committee member or the union office.
UNION DUES AFTER
RETIREMENT
When you retire, make sure you maintain your membership 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 membership
meetings.
If you have been a member for 50 years, you no longer have to pay dues, and are a Lifetime Member.
State Fair Bus Bargain
Tickets Went on Sale Monday,
July 23, 2012
State Fairgoers can save big with Metro Tran-
sit Bus Bargain Tickets which go on sale Mon-
day, July 23 at metrotransit.org. Roundtrip fares
from express sites are $4 (instead of $5) when
purchased online before August 22.
A group ticket will also be available offering
four round-trip rides for the price of three – just
$15. Learn more about bus service to the 2012
State Fair – including new express sites at the
National Sports Center in Blaine and Parade
Stadium in Minneapolis – at metrotransit.org/
statefair
Correction to May/June issue: Rochester City
Lines employees voted in 2008 to become mem-
bers of ATU Local 1005.
Page 27
TALENT CORNER Deborah Sievers #64222
Capital Sons
I had the great fortune to hear a great local band
- and one of its members is one of our own. They do
local shows in the Twin Cities, having played at such
places as Wyld Times and the Amsterdam in St. Paul,
and the Uptown Art Fair and Mayslak’s in ‘Nordeast’
Minneapolis.
Here is my interview with Karl Obermeyer,
Heywood operator and lead singer/songwriter of his
band Capital Sons.
My name is Karl Obermeyer, and my operator
number is 69185. I turned 36 years old in May and I was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I bought a
house in Nordeast Minneapolis about eight years ago and plan on staying there for the time being. I love the
area and I love my city.
Q: When and where did Capital Sons evolve? What are the names of your band members, what do they play and
how long have they been with you?
A: Capital Sons evolved in Nordeast Minneapolis in the summer of 2004, and we’ve been going ever since. In
the time since our inception we’ve played well over 100 live shows, released two albums of original music and
are currently planning on returning to the studio soon to start work on our third album. Our bass player is Keefe
Russell, the only founding member (aside from myself) left in the group. Our lead guitarist/keyboardist is Cy
Dodson, who joined us almost four years ago now. Our drummer, Mark Marrinan, is the newest addition to
Capital Sons. He joined the group about five months ago.
Q: Did you grow up playing and writing your songs?
A: I had good pitch and tone and was soon enrolled in both church and school choirs. In junior high and high
school I was involved in countless musicals and choral concerts. I also took an interest in creative writing and
started writing poetry, which would eventually turn into song lyrics. About that same time I also discovered Rock
and Roll. I started writing songs with a childhood friend and eventually that
led to the formation of my first band. Writing my own lyrics and vocal
melodies was fun, but I also had songs and chord structures in my head that
I wanted to get out. It was at that point I started teaching myself how to play
guitar. Eventually I became more skilled at guitar and was able to write
complete songs on my own. From that point on the songs just kept coming.
Q: What is something that no one knows about you?
A: Not many people know that I once went on a paranormal investigation at
the Calhoun Beach Club. That was an interesting experience. A good friend
of mine who went with me actually caught an E.V.P. (Electronic Voice
Phenomenon) on tape that night. Pretty crazy.
Q: What genre of music have you been compared to?
A: Capital Sons has been compared to many, many bands over the years,
but I would say that the two genres of music we are most consistently
compared to are Classic Rock and Americana. In regards to specific band
comparisons, people have said that we have elements of Pearl Jam, The
Page 28
Replacements and Counting Crows in our sound and I’m good with that. Each member of Capital Sons has
various musical influences that have an effect on our collective sound, but at the end of that day we write honest,
heart on our sleeve Rock and Roll.
Q: How long have you been at Metro Transit?
A: I’ve been with Metro Transit almost three years now. The job has it challenges, just as any job does, but
ultimately I really enjoy the autonomy I have as a bus operator. As long as you are dependable and professional
the company basically stays out of your way and lets you do your job. I started out at Nicollet Garage as a part-
time operator and came to Heywood Garage when I went full-time. I hope to be here for many years to come,
unless my music career takes off, of course.
Q: If people want to listen to your music, where can they do this?
A: People can listen to samples of our music at www.capitalsons.com and also at www.facebook.com/
capitalsons
Q: Is there one thing that you would love to be remembered for, or any advice for those that have talent but do
not know where to start?
A: My advice to anyone that wants to get involved in music or any other art form is to do so because you love
to do it and not because you want to become a rich and famous rock star, actor or artist. Music, acting and the
arts in general are an extremely tough and unstable way to make a living for most involved. If you go into it for
the wrong reasons you will quickly be humbled and grounded. On the other hand, if you do it because you enjoy
it and have no grand expectations, then you are only going to reap the rewards and it will absolutely enrich your
life.
Hardship Fund Motorcycle RideFaye Brown #6331
The Hardship Motorcycle Ride was on Saturday June 9, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. We left from East Metro Garage
going to the Hinckley Casino by way of Highway 61, with a detour to Highway 95. We partook in a very nice
picnic and raffl e provided by the union. After fi lling our stomachs and having good conversation, it was time to
ride on to the casino. There were about 40 bikes, and it was a beautiful sight.
There was a video made of the ride. If you are interested in purchasing one, you can contact John Hansen at
612-227-1832 to see the fun you had - or missed. Please come join us on the next ride.
The Hardship Fund is funded by ATU 1005 union members for ATU 1005 union members. This Fund can be
a small help when there is: a death in the immediate family, injury that prohibits all work, termination voted to
arbitration, catastrophic incident (tornado, fi re, earthquake, fl ood). The donations are tax deductible. Look for
the next sign-up PAMPHLET this fall marked: GREATER TWIN CITIES UNITED WAY (write in WORK-
ING PARTNERSHIPS).
Page 29
On May 15, 2012, the radio technicians were served to
a barbecue lunch by the management - Scott McDonald,
supervisor, Chad LeVasseur, manager and Tom Humphrey,
Assistant Director of Bus Maintenance Administration.
They thanked the crew for their hard work on obtaining/
fi nishing many tasks from the previous year. (Bus installs,
cable building, wy-fi , etc.) And next year will be busier.
One June 20th, breakfast was served up by Chad
LeVasseur, manager and Scott McDonald, supervi-
sor. Waffl es, custom omelets, sausage and juice
were the menu. The cook, Chad, show his expertise
by breaking eggs with one hand and cooking the
omelets to perfection. The waffl es, watched over
by Scott, were also perfect.
Every cookout has been unique in what is served.
We cannot wait to see next month's menu.
A new tech started in June, Tom Kaisler #72205. Tom
comes from Mesaba Airlines. There are plans to hire
another tech. Here he is being shown safety fi rst by Greg
Springer #69027 while working to install an antenna on top
of one of the new bus installs. The harness that he is wear-
ing is tethered to a safety line.
Electronic Department Cookouts
Government study: Driving a bus is hazardous to your health
Recent innovative research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shows that
bus drivers and other "passenger transit workers" suffer greater rates of illness than workers in many other occu-
pations.
The scariest fi nding: 41.5% of the transit workers had high blood pressure, compared to 27.6% for all the
214,413 workers studied. High blood pressure leads to many other health problems, including heart attacks and
strokes.
For a range of chronic diseases such as low back pain, asthma, depression, and diabetes, the drivers' rates also
were 120% higher than all people in the 55 sectors studied. Source: NIOSH
Page 30
WELCOME TO THE SIGNAL DEPARTMENT From the Microscope to the Jackhammer
From Fiber-Optics to Turkey Basters
Mike Miller # 3707
Tired of jobs where you always do the same thing over and over? Tired of jobs where you do anything often
enough that you feel you are good at it? Tired of jobs where they always plan everything for you? Tired of jobs
where anything ever goes according to plan?
Then step right up and take a job in the Signal and Communications Department!
Whether old-timers, or the most recent recruits, every member of the department soon recognizes the same
thing: No matter what their experience, how old, or what their previous employers were, nothing they have
ever seen involves such an enormous scope of responsibilities, all requiring accurate, instant response and
simultaneously demanding months or years of careful, painstaking, and often clandestine research, study, reverse-
engineering, experimentation, and testing.
Comments from interviewees as new hires always follow the same pattern: 1) “You guys are way underpaid!”,
and 2) “I always thought, ‘They’re just running trains. How hard could that be?’ Boy, was I wrong!”
So, what does the Signal Department do?
It is responsible for:
• Lineside signals governing the movement of trains
• Power switch-machines that operate crossovers and allow trains to enter
and leave the yard
• Crossing gates
• Assorted train detection systems including track circuits (both 60 cycle
and Audio Frequency)
• Ultrasonic and Microwave-based detectors
• Inductive-loop detectors and proximity-sensor-actuated wheel counters
• Single and redundant-processor train-control computers which monitor
the position of trains and permit- -or prohibit - switches and signals from
changing
• Train to wayside communications systems which report the trains route
and run number, as well as automatically route trains into the yard
• Display system in RCC (Rail Control Center)
• T.V. cameras and monitors
• Phones on the platforms
• Message boards at the platforms
• Monitors Traction Power substation
• Monitors sump pumps in the tunnel
On occasion, all of these systems work smoothly: the motoring public is well-behaved at grade crossings,
the weather is benign, and manufacturers’ efforts are so good that no support is required under their generous
warranty policies. These occasions will usually occur on your days off.
The rest of the time, when things go wrong, they can go very wrong. It is surprisingly easy to have every
train on the railroad delayed when signals don’t work, switch machines won’t throw, or SCADA equipment quits.
When this happens, all radios and phones start going off at once. All in all, it can be an intense experience not
available elsewhere outside of a battlefi eld.
Of course not all Signal activities involve hand-wringing. Some may simply involve wringing out your shirt
or your pants. When the Contractors were installing coil-spring devices at the crossings, a noble signalman
Page 31was nominated to be the ‘Designated Lookout’ at each crossing, keeping cars, trains and pedestrians separated
while the gates were being modifi ed. Such an assignment would have been routine……until it began to cloud-
up…..sprinkle……and rain. Soon the rain was like the inside of a dishwasher, with visibility of three feet. The
Contractors retreated to the haven of their truck, but since the gate was removed, the crossing had to be protected,
regardless of the weather.
On the other hand, we must not forget our record-keeping system. Each activity is carefully noted in the
logbook in the signal bungalow and in checklists kept on site. Then it is mentioned in the offi ce logbook; entered
into inspection-summary “scorecard” books; typed into an excel spreadsheet; and fi nally copied and pasted into
Txbase---a system certainly worthy of preservation of the Museum of Computing Machinery at Anaheim. Reports
fi led in triplicate have nothing on our system; yet it would amaze the layman how often you fi nd yourself saying,
“Yeah, I’m sure we had trouble with that before…..but how come there’s nothing in the book? Hmmm, maybe
it’s fi led under the switch-machine number; or maybe they put it under ‘general’? Maybe it was a warranty thing.
Somebody said it hasn’t worked in a long time!”
The uninitiated might think Light Rail is a turn-key system—the Consulting Engineers design it; the
Contractors install it; and the Signal and Communications Department maintains it. However, when a contractor
tells you, “This hasn’t been working. It isn’t working now, and it’s never going to work,” even those of limited
savvy can grasp that ‘turnkey’ might not be quite the right word; perhaps something more along the lines of, ‘Big
Jigsaw puzzle with many pieces
missing.’
Those who gravitate towards
investigating and solving
interesting problems can fi nd such
a situation appealing----an exercise
machine which offers no resistance
is hardly worth the trouble. Signal
Department personnel take a
distinct pride in keeping the trains
moving, despite bad weather, bad
design, bad installation, bad parts,
bad software, bad planning, bad
orders, bad budgets, and bad luck.
We enjoy the camaraderie of our Union brothers and sisters; and often laugh at some of the goofy situations we
witness in the fi eld.
Other situations are more somber, such as when somebody wakes you at home, and reports that lightning
caused damage resulting in gates being down too long; a motorist driving around the gates and fatally injured
when hit by the train, and the wreckage tore out more of your equipment; so could you come in for 10 hours
because there are a dozen track circuits out of service and $100,000 worth of damage?
Therefore it is hardly surprising to have people say to you, “This job is too diffi cult. You have to know too
much to do it, and there isn’t any training. I am not good enough. If I make even one mistake, people could die.
I don’t want that responsibility. I am going to take another job.”
Rightly or Wrongly, they all see the same thing; Nobody could possibly pay you enough for that much
responsibility, so nobody even tries. Trying would be appreciated.
So the next time your train is slightly delayed by some miscue in complicated testing or adjustment that we are
doing in between trains; or you are driving your bus over a crossing and wondering about those little green men
with their posteriors in the air and their heads stuck in some water-fi lled box between the rails - take pity on us -
because, as Chevy Chase might say, “We’re the Signal Department, and you’re not!”
Page 32
Switch machine installations were done the
last week-end in April between Nicollet and
Warehouse stations. This work is just some of
the important technical work SCADA/Signal
Communication members do. This machine
makes the switch points move from track to
track so the trains can cross from one track to
another. There are 16 SCADA/Signal Com-
munication members in the department.
the plans is that you could pay more for your monthly premiums in exchange for lower office visits, prescriptions
and co-pay costs or lower premium costs with higher office visits, prescriptions and co-payment costs. To figure
out which plan would be more affordable for you, just do this simple comparison:• Take the previous years’ office visits, prescriptions, and emergency room visits of you and all family
members, if applicable.
• Total the cost of all of your out-of-pocket costs according to your plan.
• Add that total to your out-of-pocket premium cost for the year.
• Do the same using each of the other plans’ costs.
After you figure out what your total out-of-pocket expense for the year for each plan is, you will see which
plan would be more of a cost savings for you and then during the next open enrollment you can make a more
conscious decision on your choice of plan. I know I will!
More health care information to come in the future, keep your eyes open.
“Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your
ability.” Ben Chavis, Executive Director, NAACP
Offi cer's Column continued from p. 2
FTH Driver Gloria Westphall #6486
Retires
Gloria was hired as a part-time driver on
October 10, 1994 and went full-time on February
22, 1997. She retired July 7, 2012.
Gloria looks forward to spending more time
outdoors and loves to ride her Harley.
Many of Gloria’s grandchildren came to help celebrate
her retirement.
Page 33
2012 ATU Women’s Caucus ConferenceDeborah Sievers
This year’s ATU International Women’s
Caucus Conference was held in Las Vegas,
Nevada. ATU women from around the U.S.
and Canada came together to discuss the issues
that transit union women face every day.
Because this year there’s a presidential
election hanging in the balance, some of the
talk was about needing volunteers to go phone
bank, door knock and act as political
advocates. We are hearing more and more about
“If I help, what is in it for me?” What is in it
for you, is the ability to have a job, wages and
benefits that we have and the protection to
ensure that we have these jobs. A paycheck,
that is what is in it for you.
President Hanley’s Remarks
ATU President Larry Hanley spoke about the Transportation Bill that is being discussed on the federal level.
He also spoke about Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat on a bus to a white man in Montgomery,
Alabama in 1955 helped spark the civil rights movement. She was educated and trained on how to be an
advocate, to stand for what she believes and to fight for her civil rights. She got on that bus and took her stand,
for which she was arrested. We all need to follow her example of courage. In the new In Transit magazine, there
is more information on Rosa Parks and a challenge for all union members to stand up and volunteer. There is a
page with the statement “I’M IN!” Please cut the page out, take your picture with it and send it to the ATU
International Union at International Headquarters, 5025 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20016.
President Hanley spoke about bathroom breaks, assaults against transit workers and the work that is being
done on these very important topics.
He then spoke about Weston, Wisconsin where the city shut down their transit service. Even in the wake of
the recall election in Wisconsin, the small village voted overwhelmingly to provide transit service for at least five
days a week beginning January 5, 2013. The vote overturned the decision by the village board that had ended
funding for the Metro Ride services, driven by fellow ATU Local 1168 members.
Federal Transit Act, Section 13(c)
International Vice-Presidents Janice Borchardt and Yvette Salazar spoke about Section 13(c) which protects
transit workers.
Under Section 13(c) of the Federal Transit Act, an employer who receives federal mass transit funds must
protect all covered mass transit employees affected by the use of the federal money. The U.S. Department of
Labor (DOL) must approve the arrangements made to protect these employees. For covered employees, these
arrangements include:
Preserving their rights and benefits
Continuing their collective bargaining rights
Protecting them against a worsening of their employment conditions
Assuring jobs for employees of acquired mass transit systems
Providing priority of reemployment if the employee is laid off or his job is eliminated; and
Providing paid training.
For more information on this, here is the website: http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-masstransit.htm
I had the privilege of being at this conference with Michelle Sommers and Kari Sachs.
ATU Local 1005 will be hosting the 2013 ATU Women’s Caucus!
Page 34
- Keep the picket line moving during a strike
- Door-knock and phone-bank during an election campaign
- Participate at union meetings
- Establish relationships with community-based organizations, politicians, clergy and other allies that will help get a fair and equitable contract
- Make a number of other contributions of planning, time and energy
Please contact the union office to volunteer, or
contact your board member.
The ATU 1005 Union Picnic will be taking place on
Sunday, August 12. This will be a good chance to get to
know one another and have pictures taken holding the
sign, “I’M IN.”
The text of this article is taken primarily from the
previously-mentioned issue of In Transit.
I’M IN continued from p. 1
In Memoriam
Page 35
Jeff Miller "Big Red," age 53, of Brooklyn Center, died in a motorcycle crash on I-94 on
June 9, 2012. Jeff, MJR Driver #2556, was hired part-time November 26, 1984 and went
full-time on December 9, 1985. Coworkers remember him for his friendliness and his
devotion to his sons.
Meryl Seils, 87, retired. No further information was available.
Kenneth E. Alston, age 74, passed away June 21, 2012. Kenny was hired by the MTC
on May 2, 1975 and retired January 26, 2002, after 26 years. A longtime resident of
North Minneapolis, Kenny spent most, if not all, of his career at Northside/Heywood
Garages. Kenny was a member of the "Just Us" M.C.
Paul Kubic #137 of South Garage Retires
Paul rode up to the garage for his retirement party on his beau-
tiful motorcycle, so we were not surprised when he announced
that he will be doing more traveling on his bike out west. Paul
Kubic #137 started January16, 1984 and retired July 15, 2012
from South Maintenance.
Left: Tim Dixon, Executive Board Member (Maintenance)
from South, presented Paul with the union apparel of his
choosing.
Ming Lu died in a motorcycle accident July 10, 2012. He is survived by his wife
Doree, children Christopher and Justin, and Daisy, his beloved dog. As a part-time
driver, Ming Lu, FTH Driver #2414 had worked weekends and holidays for almost
11 years after being hired October 27, 2001.
Above: Keith Stein, Manager of South
Maintenance, helps Paul show the cake.
ATU PicnicSunday, August 12
11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.Prizes will be drawn 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Magic show, clowns, face painting,
games, infl atable jumper, prizes
Water Park next door (additional cost)
Bring the whole family!!!!
Hot dogs, hamburgers and chips
will be supplied. Please bring a
salad or dessert to share. Bring
Your Own Beverage.
Volunteers for one-hour increments wel-
comed. Call Mark Lawson at 612-379-2914,
or email at [email protected]
Battle
Creek
Park is
located
just south
of I-94 and
McKnight
Road.
Play Area