We are reposting this article that was posted on December 13, 2010 - this is labor - management cooperation - we disapprove it then - definitely we will never embrace it now however John Samuelsen TBOU lackeys still call it major victory - simplistic this is labor - management cooperation by definition.
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.
as usual manhattanville you decide to shoot off at the lip than understand the facts.
ReplyDeleteI will develop a fact sheet to dispel your accusations.
2 major points.
the station agents who were hired as CTAs had no civil service claim to the CTA job. As you know workers can be deployed only to comparable titles. (or should know)
When the railroad clerk title was changed to Station Agent in the 1990's the only comparaable title for Station Agent was Station Agent, because of the defined duties of a station agent. Unlike buses where a bus driver is a bus driver, hence the MTA permitting laid-off drivers to go to MTA Bus, the s/a title is different, and much more of a challenge to get people back to work.
Let me explain further, because sometimes you just don't seem to get it. And because you have on numerous occasions shown your distatse for the station agent title.
Because there was no DCAS ruling that laid-off agents had claim to any other title in MTA, those agents wishing to be CTAs were offered jobs but as "new" hires.
And as you know (or should know) new hires go through a battery of criteria going through the hiring process.
Everyone who is hired by the MTA goes through a medical exam. EVERYONE.
You did. I did.
So there is nothing new there.
What you have to realize about the S/A who came back as CTAs is that is seen as a tempoary title for them.
You see ALL laid-off agents who come back as a CTA RETAIN their eligibility to be re-called as a S/A in seniority order.
(continued)
Point two:
ReplyDeleteThis is very simple and to the point; when agents are called back to their original S/A title, they lose NOTHING. Full pay, Full seniority, Full benefits, Full everything. As a matter of FACT (something your post has little of) those agents already back to work recieved a .50 raise upon showing up to a refresher class whne they came back.
Top pay had changed when they were out due to TWU negotiated pay increases and they went out at top pay and came back in at (better) top pay. NICE.
Let me repeat this again for those who do not understand. (apologies for the CAPS)
EVERY S/A WHO GOT LAID-OFF AND COMES BACK AS A STATION AGENT LOSES NOTHING, THEY ACTUALLY GAIN. THIS INCLUDES THOSE WHO TOOK THE new hire CTA JOBS. THEY ARE ALL ON WHAT IS CALLED A reduction in force list (RIF) KEPT BY DCAS THAT WILL CALL THEM BACK IN SENIORITY ORDER.100%
Even those who took the CTA jobs.
We expect everyone to be back to work way before the end of the list.
(continued)
The question for us was do you leave someone who is laid-off out in the street or get them a deal where they can work, make money, get health benefits for them and their families, contirbute to their pensions etc.
ReplyDeleteIt was a no-brainer. Except for those with little brains.
We had a list of 450 plus agents laid-off. The average rate of opening in the S/A title per month is 10-12.
At that rate the people on the back of the list would have to wait 3-4 years to get recalled.
We had to afford them an oportunity to feed their families.
That is what a UNION does.
Do we like every aspect of the deal? Of course not. We'd love them to get comensurate pay with their service time. But as new hires that could not be done. Would we have liked to get them into other titles? Of course, but DCAS rules prevented that.
At the present time over 80 S/A agents are fully back to work at their title. About 50 more have recieved letters to come back in the VERY VERY near future. We're talking weeks, not years. Over 80 S/As chose to come back as CTAs. Gainfully employed and providing for their families.
EVERY SINGLE LAID-OFF member in stations has recieved a letter from MTA to come job for the process of getting a job. ALL 456 of them.
Some delined the CTA job, some had medical issues preventing them from getting the CTA job. Some had sevre disciplinary problems that (like current open arrest cases) that prevented them from being hired as a CTA. But evryone got a letter.
And may I add NO ONE has been prevented from getting their original station agent job.
NO ONE.
one more point;
In proof that this deal was a major victory for TWU, those original clsses of S/A who took the CTA job, will be among the first members called back in full seniority order to their original S/A title.
That is the essence of the deal; the top of the list in seniority order come back as station agents 100%. The latter part of the list has the opportunity to come back as CTAs temporarily and then when their number comes up in senority order, come back to their original title, if they decide to.
It's about options,caring for members and thier families and providing members a means to an end.
Yet you secure in your bus, continues to twist the story for your own political motives. Not good.
You saw first hand on Thursday laid-off people who took the CTA job and how happy they were. You did not question them or tell them their being hired as a bad process.
Why Not?
I expect a full retraction and an apology for your post.
This was a major victory for the TWU and it's members I stand by what I said in the Chief. Those who continue to paint it in a less favorable light can be only seen as political opportunists who wish thier Union total ill will while THEY are not in office. They have my my scorn and ridicule.
When you mess with my members in stations, I take it personal, just ask Jay Walder. Members of stations were outside his house every day until we made him move.
You showed up once, proving you willingness to assist us. Congratulations for that. But this will not stand.
A retraction and apology is fully warrented.