RDO

We have heard numerous stories from the membership about losing Regular Days Off (RDO) due to being stuck in the snow. Also whether those members would be entitled to get paid in addition to not losing their two days RDO, and whether this snowstorm can be considered as emergency work.

We will try to explain as per our contract section 2.17 - Emergency Work which does not specify whether it is the New York State Governor, New York City Mayor or simply the MTA head who can declare it. Also whether this snowstorm was raised to the level of emergency work or whether it was declared as such is unclear. However we here in why did you join the union believe that this snowstorm was not declared as emergency work.

It would be great if the management declared this snowstorm of December 26, 2010 as a Snow Work which requires snow pay premium payments. There is no question that there was snow on the ground.

If a member who is performing his assigned regular work is stuck in the snow and has completed his assigned work but is required to stay in the vehicle into his RDO then should they get paid as well as get two days RDO? That would be the best kind of scenario because then the answer to the above question would be yes. However it would be impractical because you should either choose the money or take your RDO whatever your preference.

The time stuck will be overtime paid at the rate of time and one half which will be considered as further continuation of your assigned work. The other question that the members posed was what if they got stuck for over one day. It is not clear if it will be considered as a complete second tour of duty however as we mentioned earlier it can be considered a continuation of your assigned duty.

These scenarios need to be included in the contract of 2012 so that whenever there is a snowstorm the snow pay premium payments are able to apply. Specifically only if the snow on the ground reaches six inches.

Winter driving

We understand that winter is the most difficult driving time because you have to deal with snow, ice and fewer hours of daylight. However it is always good to practice safe driving. The following advice can make it easier as well as safer to drive during the winter.

Adjust space to conditions especially on the right side but don't be close to the snow banks because you might get stuck. Don't give too much space allowing for other cars to squeeze in. Also watch out for the sanitation snowplows, as well as salt and sand trucks. Remember to always give them plenty of room.

If you are pulling out generally the heat will take an average of 15 minutes to warm up the vehicle. Remember that if at the sixteenth minute the vehicle is not warm then that vehicle is defective and you should call command. Follow commands instructions but if they give you any instruction other than to pull in you should ask for their pass number and name and report it to the union representative to file a grievance safety resolution form.

If you are relieving on the road and the vehicle is not warm with the temperature being under 45 degrees Fahrenheit then the vehicle is defective. In this case you should also call command to follow their instructions. However if they give you any instruction other than to pull in you should ask for their pass number and name and report it to the union representative to file a grievance safety resolution form.

If you cannot see it is unsafe to drive. Therefore make sure that the windshield wiper blades are in good condition and that they press against the windshield wiping it clean.  Also make sure that the windshield washer antifreeze is full. If the windshield wipers do not work then call command to follow their instructions. However if they give you any instruction other than to pull in you should ask for their pass number and name and report it to the union representative to file a grievance safety resolution form.

Stuck

If you get stuck in snow please follow this recommended advisory. First inform the customers that the vehicle is out of service. If you can observe your follower inform the customers to transfer to your follower. Then contact command center to advise them of your location and whatever their instructions are make sure to follow them. Also be sure to take into account your well being.

It may be a while before the truck shows up because we have heard some stories about members being stuck out on the road for incredible hours. It is outrageous that members had to stay out in the cold for long periods of time because it is unhealthy, unwarranted and unrealistic.

If you are an unfortunate member that is stuck out in the snow please find a source of nutrition for your well being. If you need to take a personal please contact the command. The best way to do so would be to use your cell phone due to the fact that the radio response takes awhile. In addition your cell phone will document that you have spoken with command. Also remember that a personal means a personal it has no time restriction-no minimum or maximum time limits. Human beings bodies are not identical thus one member may take half an hour on a personal while another may take an hour. Also for our sister members who have special needs take the necessary time. No one will fault you if you take the above advice.

Remember to eat healthy because it is often hard for members to find healthy food on the road since there are tons of fast food. Your calorie intake is important therefore try fruits instead of fattening snacks. We want you the members of Local 100 to be healthy, strong and alert. 

Sick lines

Booking sick following a holiday

If you work for the TA or OA and had Christmas off and then booked sick on your next scheduled day of work, you must have doctor's line for the sick time.  If you don't, the TA will deny you pay for the holiday. 

This is covered in Section 2.5 of the TWU/TA/OA contract.  Arbitrator's have ruled that the language about "bona fide illness" means that management can require doctor's lines in this situation.  Please note -- the doctor's lines are required in order to be paid for the holiday, not the sick day.  Unless you are on the Sick Leave Control List, you do not need doctor's lines to be paid for one or two days sick.  You need them to be paid for the holiday if you were off on the holiday and booked sick on your next scheduled work day.

If you book sick during a snowstorm

Some members who booked sick on 12/26 or 12/27 were told that, because of the snowstorm, they would have to bring in doctor's lines to verify that they were sick.  This is NOT true.  Unless you would otherwise have to bring in lines (you're on the Sick Leave Control List or you're in the 30% sick category and are out for more than two days -- more than three days if you're in the 70% category), the TA cannot require you to get doctor's line just because of the storm.  The contract defines the circumstances when you're required to bring doctor's lines.  The contract does not require you to bring lines because of a snowstorm or other emergencies.  If you have to book sick and it happens to be on the day of a snowstorm, and the person who takes your sick call tells you that you need to provide doctor's lines, don't get into an argument with them.  Simply acknowledge the information and feel free to ignore it.  You must still submit a sick form any time you're out sick.  But you don't have to bring doctor's lines just because of the storm.  

Submit your sick form like you usually would.  If you are not paid for the sick day, contact a union rep and file a grievance.  The arbitrator has already ruled that the TA cannot require doctor's lines for any reason other than the ones specified in the contract.  Remember, if you're on the Sick Leave Control List and you were hired after April 1988, you will not be paid for the first day of sick leave any time you book sick.

Steve Downs

Safety

It is important that every member of Local 100 practices and follows all the safety guidelines without any exceptions. As a member it is your duty to follow the safety guidelines because if you do not then you will be putting Local 100 at a disadvantage in dealing with the MTA.

We recommend that you do a vehicle inspection. There are three that should be done: one pre-trip, two during the trip, and three post trip. The following advisory is recommended for winter driving. While doing the pre trip inspection please pay attention to the following items: 1)Antifreeze should be full to protect from freezing 2)Defrosting and heating equipment are working for safe driving 3)Make sure the windshield wipers blades are in good condition and that the blades press against the window enough to wipe the windshield clean. Most importantly if you cant see well enough while driving stop and call the command and inform them.

For the tires you need to make sure that they have enough tread. The front tires must have tread of 4/32 inch, and the rear tires 2/32 inch for safe driving. Also check that the tire chains are not broken or worn out. Lights and reflectors should be clean and working properly. Remove any ice on windows and mirrors. If any of the above requirements are not in good condition or working properly then it is not safe to drive. No one will fault you if you make sure to do the complete pre-trip inspection which is mandatory for a safe trip.

We applaud our brethren from Mabstoa for their courage and leadership in adhering to the safety guidelines. It important that all other departments of Local 100 adhere to the safety guidelines because no one will be faulted for that. If we follow the safety guidelines, it is for our own safety, for the customers safety and for other road users as well.

Do not accept any vehicle that has any defect. You are not going to get any gold medal from the management, but rather you will be ridiculed and penalized in the event of a problem that may occur later. You are the union which can strengthen the Local 100 by following all safety guidelines.

Snow

A reminder about speed management when the road is slippery: it will take long to stop and in turn it will be harder to do so without skidding. If there is snow reduce your speed and drive slower to have control of your vehicle. If you do not have control of the vehicle then stop and call the command to inform them that you have stopped. That is the right thing to do and no one can fault you.

New tier

It is obvious the governor elect Andrew M Cuomo, has higher ambitions than the governor’s office because he wants to appease the republicans at the expense of the civil service employees. Thus the best option to proceed would be to have counter policies that would keep the future membership’s benefits intact and those policies should not be short sighted but infinite.

We are not going to second guess why the state stock portfolio did not do well since 2008. That by itself is a mortal sin, and the state comptroller should answer questions  about its performance. When employees entrust their pension monies to the state comptroller they believe that their money would flourish so that they can be able to enjoy it at retirement. Therefore that is not the whole problem but rather part of it.

The other part of the problem with the current political hysteria is directed towards civil service employees pension and retiree healthcare coverage. It is important to be ready with policies that will keep the membership’s benefits intact. We should have preemptive policies than reactive policies. We cannot sleep at the switch because then the new policies will be dictated to us and we do not want that to happen.

We have to stick with the basics of protecting the membership’s benefits and we must redefine those benefits so that they can extend from the current employees, future employees and retirees. Local 100 should be about doing and having a slow-burn energy that can sustain us so that we can stay focused. Its the way we can accomplish our goal in protecting the membership’s benefits.

Happy Holiday

Adamant

When you are dealing with a spoiled child who does not listen to reason who is used to getting their way what do you do? In the MTA’s case that would be our boss Jay H Walder. It is obvious that he has received indications from governor elect Andrew M Cuomo, that he may not be the head of the MTA in the future. Therefore he wants to muddy the water to whomever will relieve him in riling up the labor relations to a rancid level.

Jay H Walder, who thrives in utilizing high conflict methods against the blue collar employees especially after using them in London, UK believed that he can bully the American blue collar workers in New York. However he is finding out that the TWU Local 100 membership are capable of rendering him useless and running him out of town. Since we ran him out off of 105 Duane Street, in Lower manhattan, it is obvious he has no courage to stand up and face the blue collar workers thus he resorted to moving to 96 Street. 

We are also troubled by our president John Samuelsen befriending organizations that  are staunch defenders of Jay H Walder. “We feel the attacks directed toward Mr. Walder during the gubernatorial campaign have been unwarranted,” the letter says from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. We caution our president John Samuelsen not to befriend Walder’s defenders. He cannot say he is not aware of their objectives or goals, thus he is guilty by association and as an old idiom says ‘tell me who are his friends, and I will tell you who he is’.

The membership has won contract from 2009-2012 and the contract was ratified. The awards were as follows in 2009: 2% raise from April 16, 2009 then 2% raise from October 16, 2009. For 2010: 2% raise from April 16, 2010 then 2% raise from October 16, 2010. For 2011: 3% raise effective January 16, 2011 with the health benefit contribution to be 1.5% based on 40 hours. However Jay H Walder rushed to court initially rejecting to honor the contract and he has been rebuffed from the lower court and now the court of appeals has rebuffed him again. When you are dealing with a spoiled child who does not listen to reason, he feels that asking the court to hear the case will make a difference by getting his way.

If this is an indication from Walder that for the contract negotiations of 2012 he will be utilizing high conflict methods then we the blue collar workers will definitely run him out of town. The rat will come out soon when the membership will descend on 96 street, and maybe he will move back to his villa in France.

Corruption tracking report

The Department of Labor has not released their annual report tracking labor unions and evidence of corruption in union leadership. We are awaiting for this report patiently to assess whether TWU Local 100 is an A board organization. We are not going to form any opinion before the report is released, but once it is released we would be able to form an opinion. We believe president John Samuelsen is a decent person and is governing to the best of his ability.

We do not believe there is corruption in the Local 100 however reviewing the report is good to see how we fare with our union brethren. We have no way to know how we will fare except we hope for the best. We have no knowledge of what is in the report, but the suspense and the mystery that shrouds this report since it’s delay it has irked some. However we here in why did you join the union will wait patiently.

We do not believe the delay is politically motivated as others have claimed. In addition we do not believe that the Department of Labor is owned by anyone but rather it is a department that is looking out for citizenry and specifically labor. We will withhold prejudging the report however the suspense is incredible, it lets the imagination run wild.

Saint Stupid

Imagine if a parent is befriending the enemy of his own child, then the child will view that parent as an idiot and they would hate him for that. As a result their relationship would be strained, and the child would probably move out of the house. Clearly that parent does not see what is in the best interest of his child and that the child would have negative feelings against their own parent. We know that our president John Samuelsen has been duly elected, thus he has to govern without any interference, and we the members have to abide by whichever policies he implements. In addition he has the right to align the Local 100 with whomever he likes at his whim, however we the membership do not approve of that.

The Straphangers Campaign has been doing antics, stunts, and gimmicks against all cross town buses by walking and claiming that they are faster than the bus. Those gimmicks have been major grievances to the bus operators. The Straphangers Campaign ignores the fact that bus operators have to observe safety guidelines and not speed. Now coming back to Samuelsen maybe he isn't aware - why would a president of a union side with an organization isn’t looking for the benefit of the membership? This organization wants the Local 100 membership to ignore the safety guidelines by speeding up, so that they could get across town faster. That is completely in contradiction with the mission of the union.

Secondly when the Local 100 membership are verbally attacked or physically assaulted,  the Straphangers Campaign has never ridiculed the rider or even come to the defense of the Local 100 membership. For instance the recent attack on the bus operator Jacqueline Benjamin in Brooklyn, a bus operator on the select bus service M15 was spat on and did you hear the Straphangers Campaign come to defense of the blue collar?

We have heard numerous excuses such as ‘we and the riders need the same thing’, and ‘an enemy of our enemy is our friend’. Those may be Samuelsen’s views and we will abide by his wishes however we do not like them. We are also aware that it is his time, however when the membership is attacked verbally or physically - an organization which is not coming to the aid the blue collar, to befriend them then it is wrong. The excuse is that they are media savvy, and that they have participated in a letter to the governor elect those excuses are ridiculous. Lets imagine that a landlord association and a tenants advocacy group are getting along, that wont happen due to the nature that they have different objectives. We TWU Local 100 and the Straphangers Campaign have opposite goals. It is Samuelsen’s time if he wants us to participate in the Saint Stupid's Day Parade, the annual parade that takes place in San Francisco we will not participate.

Work rule slowdown

TWU Local 100 members should scrupulously follow every rule, regulation, directive, permanent & temporary memorandum governing the performance of our work in every way shape and form. This will effectively slow down work and bring it to a crawl. It is very important for Samuelsen to shopgate or inform all the membership that it is for our benefit that we all follow the guidelines. That would in effect halt Walder’s rhetoric coupled with his high conflict tactics that he utilized in London since they didn't work in New York.

If we the blue collar workers follow all the regulations that govern our work then this tactic will tie management’s hands, thus enhancing our bargaining and haggling powers. It is true that Walder and management are laughing at us due to the reason  that we are making them look good by being expeditious and exemplary workers. As a result it is important that we be slow and follow all the safety guidelines.

Walder has tied our 3% raise in court, plus the 1.5% health deduction based on 40 hours. Now it is our turn to teach him a lesson by following the guidelines which is a tried and proven tactic. A recent example of this tactic was the work slow down instigated by air traffic controllers prior to their strike in 1981. It was a source of bargaining power. This approach was pioneered by the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union in its 17 year battle with J.P Stevens Co.

The basic idea is to jeopardize the on time performance and schedule or the public image of our boss. When every blue collar worker follows the safety guidelines the schedules go out of the window bringing down Walder from the high horse. Thus it will empower Local 100 to get all the laid off brethren back to work. Therefore we recommend to our fellow blue collar workers to follow all the safety guidelines in your work practice.

Management right

As you are aware on December 15, 2010 the management has come out with a new policy of ‘zero tolerance for mobile communication devices and other electronic devices’. With this new policy we have heard numerous stories and some wild ones being perpetuated by the management. Our Local 100 president John Samuelsen has not come with a forceful response against this new policy, and we will give him the benefit of doubt by saying that he might be considering all his options. However if that is not the case then the management has thrown its weight around and the new policy will take effect on January 12, 2011.

Samuelsen must curtail the management and the Local 100 must strike down this policy because it will only create headache for Local 100. Samuelsen must force the management to share in their decision making especially in matters that may affect members of the Local 100. This should not be viewed as a ‘management right’ and Samuelsen should limit what the management can do. We have heard stories that members were required to sign acknowledgement for this new policy, and if they refused then they would not receive their paychecks. Local 100 must respond immediately in a manner of protecting the membership before this policy takes effect.

There is no question that the tenor of the new policy is tough and in your face. Now the Local 100 must be bold, brash and intelligent in dealing with this policy. However Samuelsen cannot allow management to have a totalitarian mentality. Instead he should present an assessment of this ‘zero tolerance for mobile communication devices and other electronic devices’ that is different from the management’s point of view.

We support food service workers at Emory University

It is shameful that an academic institute will tolerate a corporation to hold a session that was deemed to be anti union. The session was tilted heavily toward presenting the negatives of unionizing, in the aim of thwarting the wishes of food service employees to organize and become a union.

It is refreshing to see that the students are standing in solidarity with the blue collar workers. However the administration was silent, maybe taking the approach of wait and see which is not appropriate. We here in why did you join the union believe those workers have the right to organize and create a union to get a fair representation. It is also disturbing to note that the workers were so afraid to even reveal their identity.

We here in why did you join the union are very proud of the students and it is true that their parents pay for their education. Thus the administration may keep their workers around even though they realize that those food service workers are seasonal employees due to the solidarity of the students.

Christmas party

Christmas Party

2010 TA Surface Christmas Party 

Where: 

The Eastwood Manor

3371 Eastchester Road

Bronx, NY 10469

Time:

9 PM onward

Date:

Friday December 17, 2010 

Congratulations

Dwayne Ruffin of the 100th Street Depot, Richard Thorne of the Flatbush Depot and Jack Desena of the La Guardia Depot for winning the goodwill of the membership. It is up to you all to work for the benefit of the membership.

Shoulder to shoulder

When Samuelsen drew the line in the sand by rejecting Walder’s ‘net zero’ we here in why did you join the union thought that all the departments would adhere to his edict and wishes. We will either stand shoulder to shoulder with Samuelsen or we can undermine him. The MTA and specifically Walder are aware of our soft spot and by trying to get our laid off brethren back to work they have dangled carrots in front of our eyes thus hoping we would betray our own cause.

The station department understandably rushed to get our laid off station agents back to work and therefore took the bait. However that does not show solidarity with the membership of Local 100. Fellow members from Mabstoa that were laid off such as bus operators, maintainers as well as others held out and did not appease the MTA & Walder thus demonstrating that they are for the solidarity of the membership. In time you learn about people because they tend to reveal their true colors, there are those who you can rely on and then there are those who run into the MTA’s hands, cut corners and compromise. We here in why did you join the union despise the latter, and we applaud those who toughed it out while getting no check. That type of membership which does believe in solidarity can outweigh the principle of money. Mabstoa could have appeased MTA & Walder by withdrawing the case and getting all their laid off members back to work, however they believed in Samuelsen. They are standing shoulder to shoulder with him holding the line drawn in the sand which is admirable and their courage should be applauded. That is chivalry and solidarity. The question is why cant the station department hold out like Mabstoa?

This reminds us of the strike of 2005 where there were some that could not stomach standing outside in the bitter cold but rather wanted to rush back in their warm workplace. We are sure there was a temptation for getting the check but what was lacking was solidarity. We have a beautiful thing which is our brotherhood, however sometimes beautiful things are strangely in the wrong hands. We are in one ship rowing in one direction, and cant fathom why the station department was undermining Samuelsen’s edict. Whether the station department has Samuelsen’s approval of this appeasement of the MTA to get their laid off station agent back to work is true then his rhetoric would be meaningless and we do not want to believe that. If the station department went at it alone with its own initiative then there should be consequences. This behavior should not be repeated especially in the contract of 2012, we cannot have a department crossing the line.

Screening

Lets assume that there are two groups of laid off station agents of equal size in the MTA applicant pool, low ability group X of laid off station agents and high ability group Y of laid off station agents. Because individuals in group X have a lower innate ability their marginal revenue product for the MTA will be $10 per hour, while the marginal revenue product of the higher ability group Y is $20 per hour.

If the MTA possessed no data on the personal characteristics of each laid off station agent, it would randomly select a worker from the laid off station agents from the pool with a probability of .5 of getting a laid off station agent from group X and group Y. The expected value or average level of each laid off station agent would be .5($10)+.5($20)=$15 per hour. Given that the MTA will pay laid off station agents a wage commensurate with their marginal revenue product, the wage paid would also be $15 per hour.

The reason the MTA will engage in screening is obvious from the above example. At the going rate the wage will be $15 and the MTA would find some characteristic that identified a high productivity laid off station agent group Y from a low productivity laid off station agent group X. It would reject all group X workers and hire only group Y workers, paying a wage of only $15. Thus of course the MTA has the incentive to engage in screening.

Accepting that will only validate Walder’s theory of the ‘net-zero’ approach to employee wages and benefits. Is that the right move forward in dealing with the blue collar workers? We understand the point of view of the station department of getting the laid off station agents to work but we do not like it. Samuelsen has rejected Walder’s ‘net zero’ theory and has drawn the line on the sand. However when we begin to make compromises in skirmishes before the 2012 fight begins it will lead to no good, because by compromising we may undermine our cause.

Pre selection process

The question is not how many workers to rehire which is what the station department is counting and banking on but of whom to rehire (the right of whom to rehire should have not been granted). If all workers were identical the MTA would presumably be indifferent as to which worker was taken on since the productivity of each would be the same.

Since we are far from being identical us workers are differentiated one from another on the basis of numerous and sometimes hard to measure characteristics such as age, race, sex, education, motivation, skill and so on. Given the decision to rehire the laid off station agents back, the MTA claimed the ‘revolving door’ theory that is associated with training cost. We here in why did you join the union could care less about MTA training costs. It was a red herring and our prodigies in the station department went along with it.

They acquiesced and gave the MTA the right to screen the laid off station agents and it is obvious that the MTA will choose the worker who will be the most productive. The stations department should have never agreed, instead it should have been a call back without any conditions.

What will be the process that the MTA will use to perform this screening function and what are its implications for rehiring the laid off station agents? We are all aware the MTA’s object is to choose from the laid off station agents pool the workers with the highest marginal revenue product. However, the problem is that each laid off station agents productivity is uncertain prior to rehiring. It is clear that the rehiring decision will resemble a contest where the MTA attempts to pick a prize (laid off station agent) with the highest expected return.

The station department believe this is a slam dunk because they think that every station agent laid off will get back to work while they overlooked the ‘pre selection process’ for rehiring. This screening tool will be in the advantage of the MTA because they can gather a plethora of personal data in the form of observable characteristics and attributes of the laid off station agents that collectively will give the image of each laid off station agent. Of these observable characteristics some are immutably fixed such as age, sex and race. Others such as years in education, military service, scores on job placement tests and to some degree personal appearance are capable of being changed. The immutable characteristics are known as indices and the alterable characteristics are known as signals.

There are many screening tools the popular one is the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and many critics have accused designers of the verbal SAT of cultural bias toward the white and wealthy. A famous example of this bias in the SAT I was the oarsman-regatta analogy question. A growing number of colleges are joining the SAT optional movement due to the fact that it can have a devastating impact on self-esteem and aspirations of young students thus harming American education. Lets assume the MTA screening would not impact on self esteem of our laid off station agents if that happens it will harm the Local 100.

Buyer’s remorse

If Darlyne Lawson the former chair of stations was around she would not have accepted  the current agreement of redeployment of the laid off station agents that was reached between the MTA and Local 100.

The current elected officials of the station department are Maurice Jenkins vice president, Derrick Echevarria chair, Harold Crawford vice chair collecting agents, Joe Bermudez vice chair CTAs, Anthony Atria vice chair station agents, Paul R. King vice chair supply logistics, Christine Williams recording secretary, and executive board members Annie Hallahan, Michael Morales, Paul Piazza, and Kathryn Taylor-Davidson. 

They happen to talk big and are drama queens, we would remind them that President Barack Hussein Obama dislikes drama queens. On his administration no drama is allowed and he wants people who can deliver. However in our station department we have drama. They have delivered sesame seeds to the membership and the membership can not live on sesame seeds.

It is obvious that they have been outflanked by the MTA. We here in why did you join the union demand the head or heads who approved this agreement. We reject theories - yes in theory the drama queens of the station’s department claimed it is a major victory and we will get all our people back. However the membership’s livelihood should not be based on theory but on facts and practicality.

This agreement is a self inflicting wound and a precedent setting that will harm all other titles. Why accept to numerous screening tools that may harm the membership? The MTA used a simple strategy to deal with the station department in reaching this agreement which is the carrot and stick principle.  Our drama queens from the station department took the carrot and forgot the stick, and now the MTA stick will haunt all future titles with these screening tools.

Traditionally there are titles that do not undergo medical examinations, laboratory assessments, drug and alcohol screenings. How does a company decide who to hire? From the employers perspective a pool of applicants competes for the job opening. The decision of which worker to hire is not based on a consideration of who will work for the lowest wage but rather who is most trainable. Because our employer by this agreement is uncertain about which applicant can be trained at the least cost, (as Walder has indicated in numerous settings) they will screen or sort the laid off station agents into a queue from the highest expected productivity to lowest based on each workers signals and indices. We here in why did you join the union believe this screening will harm the membership. Lets assume for argument’s sake that all the laid off will pass those screening tools in flying colors then this agreement works. But what if one member failed to overcome those screening hurdles then this agreement would be harmful to the membership. It is obvious the drama queens of the station department did not think this through and obviously they do not adhere to the principal ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’. We demand from our president John Samuelsen to be a referee and he should hand us those drama queens to our adhoc grilling.

Rates of pay

Generally payment plans based on individual output provide the strongest incentive for individual effort and most closely tie pay to performance, while these features would seem to be attractive to both workers and firms, the use of traditional piecework pay plans has decreased significantly over time until today they cover no more than 21% of the work force. 

Some reasons can be highlighted, one is that a piecework system is only practical for jobs where the amount of output is both directly measurable and subject to worker control. Those types of jobs are becoming increasingly rare however as a greater number of workers produce hard to measure services such as teaching or management or work at jobs requiring considerable teamwork such as on assembly lines. Here it is becoming obvious is that piece work plans often fail to deliver the anticipated increases in production because workers collectively restrict output fearing that increased production will only cause management to raise the output quota further or lower the compensation per unit produced. A third problem is that a piecework payment plan encourages workers to emphasize quantity produced rather than the product quality.

Piece rates have declined in significance time rates have grown more popular. Usually blue collar and lower level service workers have been paid on an hourly basis, while white collar workers have often received monthly or annual salaries. Time rates are easy for the company to administer, but they reward workers for the time spent on the job rather than for the actual amount of work accomplished however this is from the management point of view. Lack of work effort on part of the employees is potential problem with time rates this is also from the management view, thus they have resorted to spur work effort of workers on time rates through carrot and stick mentality. The stick translates to a close supervision of workers with the threat that a worker can be fired for less than adequate effort.

Ridiculous

It is wrong for Local 100 to embrace or align with the Straphangers Campaign. It is clear that the Straphangers Campaign in its history has not advocated for the blue collar workers. Its mission is to advocate for the riders and not for the blue collar workers, especially for the members of Local 100. We here in why did you join the union, understand it is Samuelsen’s time and he has been duly elected thus he can dictate with whom the Local 100 must align itself with. However the Straphangers Campaign has never advocated for a wage raise for Local 100 membership. We also understand Samuelsen’s desire to align with the Straphangers Campaign but we fail to see the nexus that will benefit the membership.

Everyday members of Local 100 are verbally assaulted by riders and we have never seen the Straphangers Campaign come to the aid of the blue collar and rebuke the riders. Currently they have come out with their news release ‘pokey award’ clearly portraying certain bus lines as slow and unreliable. As a result the riders perception use those awards to verbally assault Local 100 membership, and it would be wrong for Samuelsen to align Local 100 with the Straphangers Campaign. By doing so Samuelsen would be taking advantage of the high regard even reverence rightly bestowed upon Local 100 with the warming of the relationship.

It is Samuelsen’s duty and job to defend the membership by highlighting the variables that may have not been taken into account or the methodology used by the Straphangers Campaign in making those awards. For example the buses must adhere to Vehicle and Traffic Laws. Can you imagine how many emergency vehicles (ambulance, fire, law enforcement and VIP cars that head to the UN?) which go through 42nd street? The bus has to legally stop for those emergency vehicles. The other variable that must be taken into account is disabled riders who need time and care getting into and out of the bus. What about the elderly who have trouble walking fast and count their dimes and nickels then after drop each coin singularly into the fare box. Then there are those who have twenty or twenty five metrocards with no funds and would dip each one to find out that they do not have funds. There are other variables not mentioned as well such as the traffic pattern, taxis stopping in front of the bus to pick and drop a fare, constructions that eliminate a lane or two, then there are those who completely block the bus from forward movement.

We are troubled by Samuelsen not responding and defending the membership against this report and we also understand it is his time to govern. We would like to believe he is a responsible leader and it is his duty to mention the elephant in the room which is the fact that buses do not have dedicated lanes like the train. If Samuelsen feels it is alright for bus operators to be chastised unnecessarily by the riders as pokeys, schleppies and so forth then his silence is a clear signal of acquiesce. We will never accept the excuse I am from the subway side of the house and I know nothing of the buses or we are moving and preoccupied with other matters. We here in why did you join the union will challenge Sameuelsen as stated in the scriptures (Proverbs 27:17), ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’. Lets be clear it is his duty to defend the bus operators because they are the face of Local 100 that the public sees and interacts with intimately than any other title.

Christmas party

Christmas party

2010 Mabstoa christmas party 

Where 

Villa Barone Manor

737 Throggs Neck Expressway

Bronx, NY 10465

Time

8 PM onward

Day 

Saturday

Date

December 11, 2010

Outsourcing Jeep

Chrysler has been bought by Fiat, now the CEO wants to build Jeeps in Italy. In the name of ‘profit’ we here in why did you join the union are dismayed that our brethren UAW are quiet. We do not believe that silence is a sign of acquiesce that would allow Jeep to be built overseas cheaply at the expense of its membership. We here in why did you join the union say no to the Fiat CEO idea on the other hand when Mercedes Benz owned chrysler they were much better because they did not build Jeeps out of Germany, and they did not want to destroy the middle class.

Profit should not supersede the membership, and if this idea becomes a reality it may be too late for the UAW to act. It is obvious the new CEO will close some domestic plant which he will deem unprofitable - this idea must be tackled at its infancy before maturing into reality. 

Outsourcing of the Jeep should not be allowed, the UAW plants will be closed and that in turn would harm the membership and increase the number of the unemployed. The CEO’s idea is to manufacture Jeep cheaply. In the 1990s Boeing and General Motors had their ideas of pursuing outsourcing which were stopped by strikes which in turn defeated those ideas to materialize. We would like to remind UAW if those strikes were successful then they would have accomplish the goal of overcoming Boeing and GM. Now is the time to stop outsourcing the Jeep to teach a lesson to the Fiat CEO that membership comes before profit.

We hope the leadership at UAW is not at sleep at the switch, and we would like to believe they are AAA(Alert And Alive) in protecting their membership. They have to keep on going where everyone else is giving up because we cannot afford to see families forced to welfare based on the idea of profit.

Mix baggage

The concept that our Local 100 has to join with other labor forces in order to advance our cause and benefit the membership sounds like a good idea and no one can object to that. The underlying message is that the current leadership under Samuelsen feels that it can not accomplish any goals single handedly and is not effective thus lets join with others. 

Lets define the goals of any union: one is to increase the wage for the benefit of the membership, two control the work practices, three protect the membership. Whether joining forces with other labor forces will accomplish those goals is debatable. However we will give Samuelsen a chance, even though the writing is on the wall.

The other issue is seeking public support or educating the general public within the realm of the political action committee and breaking away from the old style of providing funds for a politician in order to advance our cause. We agree with the latter part but object to the other.

Seeking public support or educating the general public is completely a waste of time, resources and energy. This of course is simply arrant nonsense and maybe the current leadership is trying to lead the membership astray with the Limbaugh Leap of probably finding scapegoats who don't have press or spokesmen to spin the truth. We do not recall in the history of the labor movement that such a task has ever been undertaken and we here in why did you join the union disapprove and are skeptical of this.

It is clear the current leadership is moving away from the traditional bread and butter which benefits the membership. What Samuelsen is most guilty of here is promoting the assumption that public support is nothing short of a miracle. But why shouldn’t he believe it since all of his yes man and hangers on have reinforced this myth and have egged him on with this. It is obvious Samuelsen realizes the membership are shortchanged and is being influenced by his chums. What is missing from this unremitting propaganda is the simple observation of the little boy in the table who cried out ‘But the king isn’t wearing any clothes!’ Basically someone who can call out the truth for it is.

We would recommend the following to Samuelsen, we say yes to join forces with others, yes to not giving funds to politicians but no to educating the general public because it is making our head hurt from all of the rhetorical gymnastics.

Flu

The influenza season is upon us and it is a known fact that some members will be infected by the virus and that will make them unable to show up for work. Now the question is will those who did not show up have enough sick time banked to cover those days that they were absent?

Office of Personnel Management has issued final regulations that will take effect January 3, 2011 which will allow employees to take 13 days of sick leave to care for family members who were infected or exposed to the flu or other serious communicable diseases. However there is a catch because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will decide which outbreak qualifies for sick leave. It has to be noted that last year the CDC found the H1N1 influenza outbreak did not qualify for a sick leave. In their view an employee can go safely to work if a member of his household has contracted the flu.

In addition employees will be allowed to be advanced up to 30 days of sick leave to care for family members injured on military duty.The beauty of this regulation is in the ‘Employee’s Return to Work - Agencies cannot require a medical release form from the employee's physician - however there is a catch.  If the employee's position requires a medical examination and the employee refuses the exam, he or she may be disciplined, up to and including removal’. Based on that we would recommend that all titles should not require medical examination and that should be haggled in the contract of 2012 so that the membership can be eligible to this bonanza.

We here in why did you join the union appreciated efforts of that ‘one individual’ who asked the Office of Personnel Management to provide up to 40 hours of additional paid sick leave to employees with serious infectious illnesses. We were happy that he was noted in the federal regulation however we were disappointed that he did not get his wish. Imagine if that request was granted what a beneficial impact it would have. This request was considered outside the scope of OPM's regulatory authority. A statutory change would be required to create such a new entitlement. However, under current authorities, employees without sick leave may invoke their FMLA entitlement (a serious infectious illness would likely qualify as a serious health condition) and may be granted annual leave, advanced sick leave, advanced annual leave, or leave without pay. If they have exhausted their available paid leave, they could request donated leave under the voluntary leave transfer and/or leave bank programs.

‘Ask, and ye shall receive’ in the contract of 2012. We the membership of Local 100 have the control of our destiny nothing is impossible and we will dictate the terms of the contract. We here in why did you join the union, have a favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt ‘no one can make you inferior without your consent’. We will look square into Walder’s eyes and tell him the membership of Local 100 are better than him.

2012 on my mind

Local 100 must put Jay H Walder on a tight leash especially since he has embarked ‘We will attack the MTA’s cost structure, looking at every aspect of our operation to find better and less expensive ways’. Those were his words at the January 15, 2010 - Association for a better New York’. 

In Walders mind he is transforming the MTA and he clearly states ‘And I intend to take it.’ In addition ‘there will be layoffs’ we find this troubling to the membership thus in the contract of 2012 we must be AAA(Alert And Alive). If Walder thinks he is good, then we are better and we are not going to surrender our rights or benefits.

Given that some degree of cooperation is required for anything to be produced there is a gigantic and infinite conflict that remains between Walder and we the blue collar workers. We cannot lose sight of the fact that our relationship is adversarial, since Walder’s goals can only be obtained at the expense of the blue collar workers. 

There is no common goal that could ever unite us with Walder’s flawed philosophies since he has utilized a high conflict path as he has utilized in London. We here in why did you join the union would caution Samuelsen about Walder because he views us as a commodity that should be purchased as cheaply as possible and used only as long as Walder whims and wishes in the name of keeping labor cost down. We say no to that philosophy, it may have worked in London, however it will not work in New York because we will not be a commodity.

Walder views us blue collar workers strictly as a variable cost. Implying that workers can be laid off at his discretion, which he has done so. We will never forget the layoff of 2010, and we will never forget our fellow laid off members who have to endure this holiday season being unemployed. The thought of how their daily lives struggle goes on but it will not be forgotten. We will work tirelessly for Walder’s removal, so he can go and enjoy his villa in France. We here in why did you join the union view Walder’s management style as poor and as a very authoritarian approach that should not be tolerated.

Caution to Samuelsen

Jay H Walder in his report of January 2010 ‘making every dollar count’ is flawed and in totality hostile towards the blue collar workers especially for the membership of TWU Local 100. Walder stated that his goal is to reduce the cost of providing service.

We here in why did you join the union would like to point out that on page 7 of the “Work Rules: To successfully reduce costs, our unions must be active partners. We will be asking our labor organizations to work with us to identify opportunities for savings. Our intent is to implement improvements such as cost-saving technology, streamline processes and create opportunities to provide better value to the customer and the taxpayer – while maintaining those rules that provide the essential protections employees deserve.”

We would like to warn and remind Samuelsen of Jay H Walder who was given billions of dollars in federal stimulus money in 2009. What did he do with it? Nothing except give layoffs to over one thousand fellow co workers who are exemplary and hard working employees. We cannot fathom what is in the mind of Walder and we would care less. However we know what is on our mind, and we here in why did you join the union say no to Walder’s work rules. We are not partners and our relationship is clearly defined as employer and employee. We are not going to be fooled with the “partners” rhetoric.

Since our goals as blue collar workers are in the opposite direction than those of Walder’s objectives for ‘low or no cost’  by paying as low wages as possible. We the blue collar workers objective is to obtain higher wages. Secondly the Walder authoritarian management style must be limited. We here in why did you join the union would work hard to get Walder removed because he will never slash his own salary, or take a pay freeze. However he wants us the blue collar workers to accept them in addition to taking a worse retirement deal while he has his luxurious sendoff package.

Dropped ball

One Nation Working Together 10.02.10 - Join thousands of union members and allies, as we march in Washington, D.C. this Saturday, October 2, to demand good jobs and an economy that works for all Americans. 

That was the call of duty, however the results have forced a new reality upon us. One wonders why the elections of 2010 have showed poor returns for the democrats thus emboldening the republicans with taking over the house. Clearly they are itching for a fight before even getting into the house. However we wonder what went wrong and why our labor movement was not up to the task?

Instead of ‘demanding good jobs and an economy that works for all Americans’ we are faced with threats of pay freezes and job cuts from the republicans. We here in why did you join the union believe it is time for the infusion of new and energetic blood. The current leadership has failed the blue collar workers and the future is uncertain especially with the republicans beating the drums of war against the blue collar and unions.

We cannot go forward and make believe that nothing has happened because the future holds hostilities towards our pay, work rules, health care benefits and pensions. Thus it has warranted a review of our dismal performance and we should take a hard look at ourselves. We here in why did you join the union feel that some members of the leadership have shortchanged the membership and therefore those empty suits must be antagonized.

Well we know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to believe nothing has happened is wrong and living in a class bubble will suggest we have to accept failures and the thought of that is vile. As we move forward we imagine Local 100 to be like an automobile, if some parts of the engine are not functioning then they must be removed, discarded and replaced with new parts that will function well because we have to think about tomorrow. It is Samuelsen’s duty to take those empty suits to task for their shortcomings on the bread and butter of the membership and we will not shy away from confrontation to the benefit of the membership. That should be Samuelsen’s job and goal for the members of Local 100. We will not accept mediocre performance while the membership livelihood is at stake.