Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2012)
TriMet uses its public e-mail list to score points against union A government agency e- mails the public to say its employee compensation is out-of-line By DON McINTOSH Associate Editor TriMet, the Portland-area public transit district, has a well-developed Internet presence: Online users can plan trips, see when buses are coming, and sign up for e-mail updates. But now it seems the agency is using its public e-mail list to bash its union — Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757. A Dec. 15 e-mail, sent to over 20,000 subscribing members of the public, drew readers in with its subject line: “Budget Dis- cussion Guide now online – we want your feed- back!” “Tough budget choices are ahead,” explained the unsigned email from TriMet, “and we want to know what’s most important to you when it comes to service on the street and the price you pay to ride.” It sounds like a public agency seeking public input, right? But click through, and TriMet ex- plains that the projected $12-17 million budget shortfall is brought on by lower payroll revenues, likely federal funding cuts … and because “nego- tiations with the transit union over health care ben- efits and other cost-cutting measures are at an im- passe.” “The current trend in the cost of wages and benefits for represented (union) employees is un- sustainable,” TriMet declares. “A recent Employ- ment Relations Board decision removed certain cost-saving proposals from our final labor con- tract offer, so some measures we were hoping to implement—such as bringing wage and health care costs under control—likely will have to wait for a future negotiation.” TriMet doesn’t explain, but the Employment Relations Board (ERB) is a state agency that ad- ministers Oregon’s public employee collective bargaining law. In September, ERB determined that TriMet broke state labor law — when it sent a different “final offer” to arbitration than the real final offer it had made to the union in bargaining. That contract is heading for binding arbitration, which TriMet calls “a forum in which it is ex- tremely difficult to make significant changes no matter how out-of-line union wages and benefits are.” To sum up: TriMet asks for public input on service cuts and fare increases, and then uses that as an opportunity to tell the public its own union employees’ wages and benefits are “unsustain- able,” out of control, and “out-of-line.” There’s more. Click on “Tell us what you think,” and that leads to “Common Questions” like “Why not just cut pay and benefits for em- ployees like everyone else has?” The answer, says TriMet, is that 87 percent of its employees are in the union, and TriMet can’t unilaterally change their wages and benefits. “Union leadership has refused to consider reasonable changes to wage increases and benefits that would bring them more in line with other transit/government workers,” TriMet continues. “ATU has also been successful in its legal maneuvers to delay or exclude arbitra- tion on TriMet’s cost-saving wage and benefit pro- posals.” TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetch told the La- bor Press that the e-mail had over 800 responses in the first day. She offered no support for the con- tention that TriMet wages are out of line, but said Teamsters Dental Center 1890 NE 162nd Ave. Portland, OR health benefits — which TriMet provides for union members and their dependents — cost $16,000 a year. The budget discussion will continue with pub- lic meetings in February. TriMet operates bus and light rail service in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington coun- ties. It’s funded by fares and local payroll taxes, and is governed by a seven-member board ap- pointed by the governor. You don’t have to be a Teamster to enjoy the benefits of our dentists 503-257-9836 WE OFFER A COMPLETE RANGE OF QUALITY SERVICES WITH LITTLE OR NO OUT OF POCKET COSTS TO YOU *: PHOTOSTOCK • Comprehensive Exam and Diagnosis • Tooth-Colored Fillings • Porcelain Veneers • Crown & Bridge • Dentures & Partials • Root Canal Therapy • Invisialign • Implants • Oral Surgery, IV & Oral Sedation • Cosmetic Dentistry • Complimentary Second Opinion * Depending on your insurance plan $100 credit towards any dental procedure (Limit one per person) JANUARY 6, 2012 Expires 1/31/2012 11103 SE Main St., Suite B, Milwaukie 503-654-0613 9 Monroe Parkway, Suite C Lake Oswego 503-635-3431 NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS serving you at four additional locations 8070 SW Hall Blvd. Beaverton 503-644-1110 570 SE Baseline Rd. Hillsboro 503-844-0777 PAGE 3
