Amalgamated Transit Union Newsletter

JUNE 2008

 

 PRESIDENT/BUSINESS AGENT                                   MIKE MAHAR  

            For a number of years the City of Calgary pro-rated an Operator’s hire date for vacation entitlement when they moved from Community Shuttle to Conventional operation.  This caused a false anniversary date for many Operators and reduced their vacation entitlement.  The City had developed this practice in direct contrast to the language in our Collective Agreement so prior to the 2006 negotiations we sent them a letter of estoppel stating they would need to follow the agreement upon completion of negotiations.  They refused and the estoppel provided us with an opportunity to grieve.

          We have some good news for all those members that were negatively impacted by this practice.  I am pleased to inform you that the Director of Human Resources upheld our grievance and has directed the employer to calculate vacation entitlements based on your year of hire and your current anniversary date (e.g. June 12).  Effective with the vacation sign-on in March 2009 your vacation entitlement will be based on your actual years of service and this anniversary date.  Enjoy your vacation, you’ve earned it.

          Most of you will probably remember the concerns we raised over monies paid to employees hired from the Ontario area as a hiring and retention incentive.  We don’t have a problem with the City paying the right rates to be able to hire and retain, we just want them to pay those rates to everyone involved.  We have language in the Collective Agreement that was supposed to be used in this event.  This language allows the employer to increase the start rate for hiring and increase the top rate for positions where they can’t retain staff.  This language was negotiated in good faith and we just want the employer to follow that language.  We grieved this and it went to arbitration on June 25^th.  We have asked for the same $1,500.00 retention bonus to be paid to all affected employees.  This would include anybody that is on the job in the same position that they have hired someone into and paid this bonus to.  The Arbitrator hopes to provide his decision within the next three months.     On June 20^th our Local hosted ATU delegates from across the Western United States and Western Canada for a training seminar and exchange of information.  Vice-President Doug Johannes, is also the Vice-President of this Conference and on behalf of Local 583 I would like to thank him for taking charge to insure everything unfolded as planned and coordinating all the volunteers.  I’m sure his dual role caused some sleep deprivation but he showed the Conference and us in a very good light as a result.  Also, thank you to the Executive Board, the Social Committee and all those volunteers that always pull through for us when needed.

          The Civic Labour Coalition is looking for volunteers to staff the Stars Air Ambulance parking lot for the Stampede.  If you have a couple of hours you can provide for this very worthy cause please contact Karen Stoshnof at 403-247-9456 (home) or 403-816-7040 (cell) or Sarah Hughes at 403-516-3578 (work) or 403-809-1513 (cell).  There may only be a few days left by the time you get to read this but any help would be appreciated. 

          Have a very safe summer.

 

EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT/ OPERATIONS                               DOUG JOHANNES

                First I would like to thank Fred Wong and Calgary Transit for their assistance in June with the Northwest Conference. It was held in Calgary and Management supplied us with buses to transport the delegates from location to location, Show and Go passes and pins.  Mr. Wong also addressed the Conference and brought us well wishes from Calgary Transit.  The Conference was successful in no small part due to the assistance from Calgary Transit.

          During the Conference we had a demonstration from a company that is attempting to sell assault shields for drivers compartments.  While the product of today would not be of any value to us, it has the potential of being a viable product in the future.  The concept is good and we are committed to working with them to see if a better shield could be constructed.  I think the company presenting the shield is moving in the right direction.  If one assault to our members could be avoided it would be worth the cost.

          Calgary Transit has a Rewards and Recognition program that rewards employees for service to the City.  It also carries with it a number of infractions that would disqualify a person from receiving it.  The City goes to great lengths to advertise this program and tell us how much the employees are appreciated.  A large number of employees have called the office to try and find out where their awards are.  This office has attempted to find this out on your behalf.

          As stated, this is a City program.  However, calls were made to Operations, Training and Safety to see if we could find out where the awards are.   To date we have not been able to trace down not only who is in charge of the program but also when the 2007 qualifying employees will be receiving this well deserved recognition.   We will continue to attempt to find out this information on your behalf.

          Zul Vira was sent to Toronto for an Advanced Schedulers course.   It is imperative that we have an understanding of how management does the things that they do.   During the course a number of things became apparent with the way that Calgary Transit writes their schedules.   The most interesting is that we have no layover or make up time in our runs.   Other properties have breaks built in where the bus actually goes out of service for a few minutes at the end of the line or a designated place.   This gives the Operator time to recover from any number of things, a couple of minutes to clear the mind and get back at it.   This is in no way a coffee break, it is intended to help the driver with their frame of mind and to assist with schedule adherence.

          One of the most talked about issues in some locals is the interlining of routes.   With the schedules as tight as they are interlining only increases the problems.   It is also a challenge when it comes to relief, when you are assigned a different route than what you are actually relieving.

          I have been receiving a number of calls lately about the way that supervisors are talking to you the members.   I guess that they forget that they were once drivers as well and that if you ask someone to do something they are more likely to do it as opposed to being ordered.   The general comment is the rudeness of the responses.   Please, if this is happening to you write down the time it happened and the name of the supervisor.   A brief description of the issue and give it to me, I will follow up with management.

          In closing, a complaint was brought to Occupation Health and Safety pursuant to the heat in the cabs of the trains.   Recommendations were made to the City to help recognize the effects of heat exhaustion.   The main suggestion was to add air conditioning to the cars.   Management is now looking at this, however it would not be a quick fix to the problem and they could only retro fit the new SD 160’s.   Another was to advise the employees of ways to avoid it, like being sure to hydrate yourself and clothing.  These are all good suggestions, however that does not recognize the problem at hand and that is the unbearable temperatures in these cars.   If you are scheduled to operate a train, or a bus for that matter, and it is too hot for you to safely drive it call Control and inform them that it is unsafe for you to carry on.   You need to be able to recognize the effects on you.   Management has a handout that will assist you in this matter.   Please request one, but again if you feel it is unsafe do not drive, it is your license and your career.

          In closing I hope you all have a safe and happy summer.

 

FINANCIAL SECRETARY-TREASURER                  RICK RATCLIFF

The most prevalent issues coming to the office lately that I have been dealing with are fare disputes and the fare box line up at Spring Gardens.     The job of a Transit Operator is to use their interpersonal skills to provide quality “customer service” while providing a safe and comfortable ride.   Nowhere in our mandate does it say we have to “enforce” fare collection.   In the spirit of good customer service we should advise a non-paying passenger that they may pay double next time and the next and the next if need be.   This procedure wards off third party complaints of unwanted observers and puts the non-payer in an obliging situation.

   Some Operators feel the “customer” is putting one over on them.   How could it be one over on us if we know.   The system that drives us tells us not to force fare disputes and there is a mechanism to collect fares if collection is truly warranted.   The mechanism is to advise Control who in turn should contact Protective Services.   If you have a regular fare evader call Control and advise them.   The fare collection is now in the Controller’s hands and will be passed along to Protective Services for enforcement if the Controller feels it is required.   If Protective Services can get there and secure a fare, great, if not who cares if the fare you have isn’t paid, you have done your due diligence.  

During my tenure as an Operator I came to realize it wasn’t so much about collecting the fare but getting people on my bus to make it look busy.   I was going to do my best to fill my bus for fear of the route becoming another conversion casualty.   I was driving that direction with the other passengers anyway.   

I sometimes found my personal biases impacting the length I would go to pursuing a fare as well.   All transit riders are human beings and deserve to be treated as such whether drunk, young, special needs, needy, yuppies  etc.   You have a right to expect the same back from them!   Remember our fare collection is based on customer honesty and as Operators you should not put yourselves in a compromising position to collect fares!

Finishing your shift on time is another source of frustration for Operators.   Working out of Spring Gardens it seems the system can’t handle all the buses returning to the garage in a relatively short period of time.    The procedure for handling the evening flow at Spring Gardens has changed recently.   There is apparently no official number of buses “on the fence” anymore when there used to be six.   A meeting (and hopefully a resolve) is happening this week.   Until a resolve is reached Operators please follow the fare box pullers direction and don’t get into a confrontation with them.   The pullers are just doing as they are told by their supervisors.   If an Operator doesn’t oblige the pullers then the pullers might document the bus number if they have time to and there may be repercussions.

   Operators should book every minute of their overtime (I hear standing in line to book gets lucrative)   When I booked my overtime I always attributed it to the schedule not allowing me enough time to fulfill my prescribed duties.   That way it summarized all the shift issues from leaving the garage late because of a B.O. door, to heavy traffic, to giving passengers directions, to going to the washroom, to detours on route, to lineups at the fare box and a world of other reasons that don’t seem to appear to be written into our schedules.   Please be courteous to each other at the fare box, we are all just trying to do a job under overloaded conditions.   The system doesn’t seem to have taken its growth into account.   Spring Gardens needs to become a bigger maintenance facility to deal with all the buses housed there.   More staff and more service lanes would probably suit our needs.

Hope to see you at the ATU 583 Family Picnic on July 20 and have a good summer.

 

RECORDING SECRETARY – MAINTENANCE/OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE              WALTER MOODIE

             I would like to thank the membership and Executive Board for giving me the opportunity to attend both the Canadian Council Conference and the Northwest Conference.  Both conferences provided valuable up to date educational sessions along with priceless network building that can be useful for all delegates.

          The majority of delegates came away from the Canadian Council Conference feeling that the Canadian Council is addressing Canadian issues as strongly as possible and we have a stronger and more united Council and affiliates.  Canadian Council Director, Robin West and Executive Vice-Chair, Mike Mahar along with the Canadian Council members have pushed forward the directive of addressing assaults on transit workers.  This very important bill has been introduced to parliament in Ottawa as a member’s bill.  Hopefully the change for stiffer jail sentences and more convictions on perpetrators will put a stop to these attacks.

          The Council is also involved with the Motor Carrier Passenger Council of Canada addressing Operator’s certification as an industry type apprenticeship.  Skill trades and the apprenticeship programs are also being addressed with how to tackle the near crisis situation this country is in for skilled trade workers.  Attraction and retention along with promotion of skilled trade apprenticeships on ATU properties needs to be promoted and endorsed by Management and CUTA.  These are only a couple of directives your Canadian Council are actively working on.

          One common thread at both conferences is that what is going on in one Transit Property is happening in another.  Numerous properties are watching the upcoming Community Shuttle arbitration ATU 583 will be going through in October this year.    

          For those members at Anderson garage, please fill out the poll to see who wish to go to the Oliver Bowen building.  This is only to see what percentage of members wish to stay at Anderson or move to Oliver Bowen when it is opened next year.  Your co-operation is requested and will help you and others with this move.

          I have had the privilege of doing the Union orientation sessions for new members recently and want to invite any new members to come down to the Union Hall.  Hearing your concerns is the only way we can address issues you raised about your new job or career.

          With the constant rising price of gas, I am sure most members will be traveling less in your vehicles for their holidays and staying close to Calgary or this province.  I wish every member a safe, enjoyable summer and if you are driving, always be aware of the other guy!

 

FOR YOUR INFORMATION…..    

       Newly retired Calgary and District Labour Council Executive Secretary, Gordon Christie, has sent a card thanking Local 583 for our support over the years and expressing his appreciation for an ATU jacket and donation made to the Women’s Emergency Shelter in his honor.  Gordon dedicated his entire career to organized labour and we wish him a long and happy retirement.

 

                     THANK YOU CARDS RECEIVED

Peter deCrom                  Family of Ed Lichkowski           Bill Dods          

Jean Dumolin                 Family of Al Singer                   Family of Randy Fischer    

Karin Venables                Roxanne Fuller                        Banks Omole

 

CONGRATULATIONS   On Their Retirement

 Bill Morris – Operator – May 2008

Rudy Mijkes – Operator – June 2008

Tony Shapkin – Operator – June 2008

Randy Blood – Maintenance – June 2008

Garry Hall – Operator – June 2008

Robert (Dennis) Oddie – Operator – July 2008

Lanny Delaurier – Operator – July 2008

                RETIREES CORNER

    Just a Reminder:  There will be no meetings in July and August.  The next meeting will be September 8, 2008 @ 7:00 p.m. (Second Monday, this month only).  The next luncheon will be September 16, 2008 @ 1:00 p.m. at New Dynasty Restaurant – 400 – 388 Country Hills Blvd. NW

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