2009-2012 Contract, Attachment A -- Miscellaneous - pages 36 - 37
- A new Station- Maintainer Helper (“SMH”) position shall be created subject to the following conditions:
- SMH duties -- Assigned to stations to clean the station, work with Structure and Lighting
Maintainers to make repairs of the station, and perform the following minor repairs, after receiving training by Structure and Lighting Maintainers to perform these housekeeping skills:
- Lighting: Replaces light bulbs and cleans lighting fixtures.
- Plumbing: Clears clogged drains, toilets, floors drains, and waste traps and replaces faucet washers, flush kits, toilet seats, and towel and soap dispensers.
- Carpentry: Repairs and replaces door and cabinet hardware, such as hinges, knobs, and door closers.
- Painting: Performs spot and incidental painting.
- Masonry: Makes minor masonry repairs and replaces individual tiles.
- Air conditioning: Replaces filters
Additional duties are subject to the agreement of the parties.
- The SMH positions will be promotional opportunities for incumbent cleaners.
- Station Maintainer Helpers will be paid top Cleaner rate plus $1.70 per hour.
- Structure Maintainers will instruct and work with Station Maintainers. Consistent with training pay practices in other departments, Structure and Lighting Maintainers will be paid a $4.00 per hour differential for time spent working with and instructing Station Maintainers. These assignments will be posted on the Structure and Lighting Maintainer picks.
We here in why did you join the union believe our Station Department brethren from the Take Backward Our Union - TBOU - are full of drama by their inability to interpret clearly the above section of the contract. It is clear now why we are losing a majority of contract grievances due to the inability to interpret the contract. We here in why did you join the union would recommend reading comprehension classes for Take Backward Our Union. In addition to those who have time (Transit 25/55 Plan) to retire due to the fact that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
First once you sign on the dotted line you must hold to the end of the bargain. Imagine if one goes to buy a Hummer vehicle but after driving the vehicle has buyers remorse - what would a dealer or the bank say? It is your car! Keep on driving! Make those monthly payments! Now if the brethren in the Station Department feel otherwise we advise them to wait till the next contract of 2012 by voiding this section - show us your haggling skills.
Second our Station Department brethren have not taken into consideration what the management reaction will be in their strategy to make this program fail, delaying or prolonging the implementation of this section. It is obvious that they are putting the membership in harms way which goes against every union principle, objective or goal - the question is are those members sacrificial lambs?
Third SMH position is a new position which indicates that it will add more members to the TWU Local 100. Who is against adding new union members when the union density among the workforce is dwindling? Take Backward Our Union conflates between ‘cleaner’ with ‘Station Maintainer Helper’ - one is a Mustang while the other is a Corvette, clear as day and night.
Fourth lets imagine the Station Maintainer Helper has a task to repair and replace a door - can Take Backward Our Union give us an estimate time that would be required to accomplish the above work or task? Maybe Take Backward Our Union does not get it - this task alone will add another member to the TWU Local 100. Clearly the Station Maintainer Helper based on the above contract will take them away from cleaning duties thus we will still need a cleaner - that is an additional new member to the TWU Local 100.
Fifth the argument that this is labor class workers that do not have the protection of the civil service laws - we here in why did you join the union would point to the Take Backward Our Union. Now they have the baton, they have to run with it and convert it to their liking. However Take Backward Our Union are unable to run or pass the baton thus resulting in a dropped baton outside the take-over zone which shall result in disqualification in track and field. Therefore the TWU Local 100 membership may pay dearly.
Sixth on the remuneration side alone two titles would benefit. They are the Structure Maintainers - instructors, and the Station Maintainer Helpers. Why would anyone be against it? However this is John E Samuelsen’s Take Backward Our Union who are occupied in utilizing union credit cards in addition to flying overseas.
In conclusion we believe this section of the contract is good because the benefits to the members of TWU Local 100 outweigh the drama from John E Samuelsen’s Take Backward Our Union.
Before I start I want to stress that this is my opinion and no one else's.
ReplyDeleteI think the SMH was a complete and utter failure and a huge giveback in our contract of 2009.
It is nothing it is supposed to be.
It is supposed to be a promotional title but it is not.
It actually is a title that DCAs does not and will not recognize. So it is a non-civil service title. It is NOT a promotion. Let's make that clear.
It is not a way for "unskilled" labor to learn "skills". The training will be a matter of days to attempt to learn things that it takes years to learn.
It is a disaster in regards to safety. The safety of the SMH, the public and every Union member.
If you have untrained or limitedly trained workers doing safety sensitive work like electrical, masonry, carpentry, plumbing etc it poses a danger to anyone who would come into contact with anything the SMH works on.
Be aware this is not to attack the member doing the job, but the MTA who really as you all know, have no concern for our safety.
The SMH is a not-subtle attempt by the MTA to broadband jobs and to cut the number of MOW structure members.
After all why would they want to pay a legitimately trained and qualified mason who is full civil service for example to work when they can have a SMH, who is a limited version of civil service and gets paid WAAAAYYYY Less.
to be continued.
Part 2.
ReplyDeleteThis SMH title is an example of a huge and horrible giveback negotiated by the prior administration.
If you remember, it was not the only one but merely the only one the MTA was smart enough to hold on to.
Can anyone forget One Person Train Operation was also in the original deal?
That was until the MTA dropped it on the assumption the TWU would drop its demand to lower and make steady the 1.5% HBT.
Big mistake by the MTA, a good job by the prior administration for capitalizing on it.
You may have forgotten but I have not Manhattanville.
You again in your post have made so many mistakes that I would be re-miss not to answer them:
#1 buyer's remorse; since you made it a Automobile question I will respond in kind: Have you ever heard of the Lemon Law?
If you are sold a piece of junk under false pretenses you can get your money back.
I think the promotional aspects of the SMH qualifies for that.
#2 Possible discipline in strategy: Unions are a colective movement. Shared sacrifice, shared pain. We win or lose together. We stand as one against the abuses of Management. Did you forget what you learned in Shop Steward class?
I suggest summer school for you.
#3 Adding members to TWU: Jeez if the SMH has one member doing the work of half a dozen how exactly is that ADDING members? Summer school in math for you too.
#4 Adding more cleaners. See the above response. and summer school again for not reading your own post.
#5 Civil service status: something about batons and disqualifications. I have never been a fast runner. DCAS will not recognize SMH as civil service. It will be a labor class job. Bad deal for CTAs. Good for MTA.
#6 The pay is good: Really? To do a job that easily makes around $30 an hour and get paid about $5 less is your idea of a good wage? And on the MOW side training people who the MTA plans to re-place you with is a good idea?
Blood mney is what I call it.
You have expressed your idea of no-givebacks in this up coming contract. I disagree this SMH title is something we should give back.
The MTA can have their blood money.
Let me make one correction to my statement.
ReplyDeletethe entire former administration is not responsible for the debacle that SMH is.
If you remember our contract WAS sent to a panel of arbitrators, and one of the arbitrators was Roger Toussaint.
So to be fair the blame should lie there.
Adding members to TWU: Jeez if the SMH has one member doing the work of half a dozen how exactly is that ADDING members? Summer school in math for you too.
ReplyDeleteDrain Line Maintainer