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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2020)
April 3, 2020 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS (International Standard Serial Number 0894-444X) Established in 1900 in Portland, Oregon as a voice of the la- bor movement. Published on a semi-monthly basis on the first and third Fridays of each month by the Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc., a non-profit mutual benefit corpo- ration owned by 20 unions and councils including the Ore- gon AFL-CIO. Serving more than 120 union organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Office location: 4275 NE Halsey St., Portland, Oregon Mailing address: P.O. Box 13150, Portland, OR 97213 Phone: (503) 288-3311 Web address: http://nwlaborpress.org Editor & Manager: Michael Gutwig Senior staff reporter: Don McIntosh Office manager: Jill Lukens Printed on recycled paper, using soy-based inks, by members of Teamsters Local 747-M. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Individual subscriptions are $15 a year for union members, $23 a year for all others. Pay by credit card online at nwlaborpress.org/subscribe, or send a check to our mailing address (above) along with your name, address and union affiliation, if any. Group rates of 48 cents an issue per member — $11.52 a year are available for 25 or more subscriptions; call 503-288-3311 for details. CORRECTIONS: See an error? Please let us know at editor@nwlaborpress.org or by phone at 503-288-3311. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT PORTLAND, OREGON. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: If you move, let us know at nwlaborpress.org/subscriber-services or by mail at our mailing address (above). Be sure to provide your old and new addresses and the name/number of your local union. Please allow three weeks for the change to take effect. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS P.O. BOX 13150 PORTLAND, OR 97213-0150 Low Prices! Coats, etc. Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 PLEASE SHOW OUR ADVERTISERS YOU APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS LABOR MOVEMENT NEWSPAPER! Transit ridership plummets, and cleaners work overtime Mass transit is getting a lot less “mass” since COVID-19 began keeping millions of students and workers at home. For the first time in its 50-hear history, Port- land-area transit agency TriMet is calling on the public to take transit only if necessary, and asks those who ride to maintain six feet of distance from other riders and the operator. TriMet buses board only at the front, so passengers must briefly pass within six feet of operators, but that’s not thought to be especially risky as long as passengers don’t stay in the driver area or try to engage driv- ers in conversation. Nearly half of TriMet’s buses have plexi- glass safety panels that can be closed to offer drivers greater protection from exposure, and the agency is prioritizing use of those buses. Drivers have been given hand sanitizer, but the agency hasn’t been able to pro- cure disinfectant wipes. Meanwhile, many TriMet cleaners have been working 20 to 30 hours a week of overtime: Each night, members of Amal- gamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 757 who work in mainte- nance are wiping disinfectant on all frequently touched surfaces Photo courtesy of riMet PAGE 2 | Members of ATU Local 757 wear masks as they disinfect TriMet light rail cars. in all buses and trains—includ- ing railings, straps, doors, exit buttons, seats, and all parts of operator cabins. [TriMet made a video of the new cleaning pro- tocol here.] During the day, maintenance crews are also wip- ing frequently touched surfaces at rail stations and transit cen- ters. Local 757 officer Kevin Ki- noshita—who works in the maintenance division at TriMet’s Center garage— says the enhanced cleaning was helped greatly by the just-in- time arrival of nine new fogger machines that spray a mist of hydrogen peroxide solution in vehicles. The mist touches every surface, and is then removed with fans and the vehicles’ HVAC systems. TriMet ridership is down nearly half since the crisis be- gan, from an estimated 1.9 mil- lion bus and light rail boardings a week in February to 1 million boardings the week of March 15-21. Fares make up about half of TriMet’s revenue, and a regional payroll tax makes up the other half; both sources of revenue are plummeting in the crisis, but emergency aid to transit agen- cies is in several COVID-19 re- lief bills Congress is consider- ing. TriMet spokesperson Roberta Alstadt told the Labor Press there are currently no plans for layoffs. But if you want a model for crisis response by a transit agency, look elsewhere in Ore- gon, said Local 757 vice presi- dent Jon Hunt, who’s been working from home since the union office shut down March 16. To keep drivers safe, Salem’s Cherriot transit agency and Lane Transit District in Eu- gene-Springfield made all buses fare-free, directed passengers to board through the back door un- less the wheelchair ramp is needed, and sent drivers who are over 65 home on paid adminis- trative leave (older people are at greater risk if infected by the coronavirus.)
