The skanner., May 30, 2012, Page 3, Image 3

2012 C AREERS E DITION
Willie Jack: TriMet Master Operator
B y B r u c e P o in s e tte
O f The Skanner News
n o r d e r to o b ta in M a s te r O p e r a to r s ta tu s
a s a T r i- m e t b u s d r iv e r, o n e h a s to g o
1 ,9 6 0 h o u r s w ith o u t a c c id e n t o r in c id e n t
te n tim e s . W illie J a c k h a s d o n e it 3 0 .
“ T h e r e is n e v e r a d u ll m o m e n t a s a b u s
d r iv e r, a n d I h a v e e n jo y e d m y 3 5 y e a r s o f
s e r v ic e ,” s a y s J a c k . “ I a m m u c h h o n o r e d to
b e th e f ir s t r e c ip ie n t o f th e G o ld e n M a s te r
O p e r a to r a w a r d .”
T r i- m e t c r e a te d th e h o n o r s p e c if ic a lly f o r
J a c k , w h o b e c a m e th e f ir s t d r iv e r in th e h is -
to r y o f th e in s titu tio n to c o m p le te M a s te r
O p e r a to r r e q u ir e m e n ts th r e e c o n s e c u tiv e
tim e s .
J a c k , w h o h a s b e e n w ith T r i- m e t f o r 3 5
y e a r s , is a c o m m itte d b u s d r iv e r w h o v a lu e s
tim e w ith h is f a m ily a n d g iv in g b a c k to th e
c o m m u n ity.
H e g r e w u p in M is s is s ip p i d u r in g th e 5 0 s
a n d 6 0 s , w h e r e h e s a y s th e r e w a s m u c h le s s
o p p o r tu n ity f o r B la c k p e o p le .
J a c k r e m e m b e r s w h e n c iv il r ig h ts w o r k e r s
I
Willie Jack
J a c k m o v e d to O r e g o n in 1 9 6 8 a f te r h is
m o th e r p a s s e d a w a y. H e s ta y e d w ith a n a u n t
th a t liv e d in N o r th e a s t P o r tla n d a s h e w a s
tr a n s itio n in g f r o m h is h ig h s c h o o l g r a d u a -
tio n in to th e p r o f e s s io n a l w o r ld .
T h e f ir s t jo b J a c k h a d w a s p a in tin g c a r s .
H e w o u ld w o r k o u ts id e n o m a tte r
h o w c o ld o r w a r m it w a s .
B e in g a b u s d r iv e r w a s n ’t o n h is
m in d b u t h e u tiliz e d a d v ic e h e g o t
w h e n h e w a s a c h ild a b o u t w o r k
e th ic .
“ I d id n ’t lo o k th a t f a r a h e a d a t th a t
tim e ,” h e s a y s . “ A n o ld m a n
o n c e to ld m e th a t n o m a tte r
w h a t y o u d o , b e th e b e s t th a t
y o u c a n .”
W h e n J a c k f ir s t s ta r te d w ith
T riM e t, th e tra n s p o rta tio n
in s titu tio n w a s m u c h d iff e r e n t
th a n it is to d a y. T h e r e w a s o n ly o n e
g a r a g e , c o m p a r e d to th e th r e e th e y
have now, and no M A X .
S in c e th e r e w e r e f e w e r e m p lo y e e s ,
J a c k s a y s th a t th e d r iv e r s h a d to m a k e a ll o f
th e r u n s .
J a c k a ttr ib u te s h is s u c c e s s to p r e p a r a tio n .
H e s a y s h e ’s le a r n e d to lo o k f o r p o te n tia l
p r o b le m s b e f o r e th e y h a p p e n .
S o m e o f th e m a in is s u e s h e h a n d le s o n a
d a ily b a s is a r e tr a ff ic , r u d e p a s s e n g e r s , p e o -
p le g e ttin g s ic k d u r in g th e c o u r s e o f b u s
Jack attributes his success
to preparation. He says
he’s learned to look for
potential problems before
they happen
J a m e s C h a n e y, A n d r e w G o o d m a n a n d
M ic h a e l S c h w e r n e r w e r e m u r d e r e d in 1 9 6 4
in o n e o f th e m o s t in f a m o u s ly n c h in g s o f
th e C iv il R ig h ts E r a .
W h ile th is m o m e n t a n d o th e r in s ta n c e s o f
J im C r o w r a c is m s to o d o u t to J a c k , h e p u ts
m o r e e m p h a s is o n la c k o f e c o n o m ic o p p o r -
tu n itie s a s th e b ig g e s t o b s ta c le f o r h is p e e r -
a t th e tim e .
“ T h e jo b s w e r e n ’t a s e a s y,” h e s a y s . “ Yo u
h a d m o r e o p p o r tu n ity h e r e ( O r e g o n ) th a n in
M is s is s ip p i.”
r id e s , lo s t c h ild r e n a n d g a n g
a c tiv ity o n th e b u s .
B e y o n d p r e p a r a tio n , J a c k
a ls o s a y s h e ’s b e e n lu c k y.
“ M y w if e s a y s I ’ v e b e e n
b le s s e d ,” h e s a y s . “ I ’ v e h a d
v e r y f e w s ic k d a y s .”
T h e la c k o f s ic k d a y s
a llo w e d J a c k to c o m p le te
h is f ir s t 1 ,9 6 0 h o u r s o f d r iv -
in g te n tim e s w ith o u t in c i-
d e n t, a c c id e n t, o r lo s t tim e
a n d p a s s th r o u g h T r iM e t’s
M a s te r P r o g r a m . S im ila r ly,
h e c o m p le te d th e n e x t 1 ,9 6 0
h o u r s te n tim e s to b e c o m e a
G r a n d M a s te r, w h ic h w a s
T r i- m e t’s h ig h e s t h o n o r a t
th e tim e .
L a s t m o n th , T r i- m e t h a d a
p r iv a te p a r ty f o r J a c k to c e l-
e b r a te h is m ile s to n e o f c o m -
p le tin g th is ta s k f o r th e th ir d
tim e , w h ic h c a m e o u t to
Willie
5 8 ,8 0 0 to ta l h o u r s w ith n o
in c id e n ts , a c c id e n ts o r lo s t
tim e . H e b e c a m e th e f ir s t
a n d o n ly d r iv e r to b e c o m e a G o ld M a s te r
O p e r a to r.
A lth o u g h J a c k ta k e s p r id e in h is w o r k , h e
is q u ic k to tu r n th e a tte n tio n to o th e r s .
“ E a r n in g th is a w a r d w o u ld n o t h a v e b e e n
Jack has three daughters and five
grandchildren
n ie d h im f o r h is in te r v ie w w ith th is r e p o r te r.
H e s a y s h is g r a n d c h ild r e n ta k e u p th e
m a jo r ity o f h is f r e e tim e .
W h e n h e ’s n o t s p e n d in g tim e w ith h is
g r a n d c h ild r e n , h e s a y s h e e n jo y s la n d s c a p -
in g a n d c a te r in g f o r f a m ily e v e n ts w ith h is
s p e c ia ltie s o f f r ie d tu r k e y, f r ie d f is h
a n d B B Q r ib s .
I n a d d itio n to f a m ily e v e n ts , h e a ls o
c a te r s f o r th e c o m m u n ity J u n e te e n th
c e le b r a tio n .
T h is is o n e o f th e m a n y w a y s h e
tr ie s to g iv e b a c k . J a c k w a s a n a c tiv e
v o lu n te e r f o r C o m m u n ity C a r e a n d
h a s o ff e r e d h is d r iv in g s e r v ic e s f o r h is
c h u r c h ’s v a n . H e h a s a ls o h e lp e d b o y
s c o u ts c o lle c t C h ris tm a s tre e s fo r
r e c y c lin g a n d p r o v id e d la w n c a r e f o r o ld e r
c itiz e n s w h o w e r e u n a b le to d o it th e m -
s e lv e s .
“ I lik e to s p e n d tim e g iv in g b a c k to m y
c o m m u n ity w h e n I c a n ,” h e s a y s . “ I e n jo y
d o in g w h a t I c a n f o r o th e r s .”
The first job Jack had was
painting cars. He would work
outside no matter how cold or
warm it was
p o s s ib le if it w a s n ’t f o r th e s u p p o r t a n d
e x c e lle n t r e la tio n s h ip f r o m a ll o f m y f e llo w
b u s o p e r a to r s ,” h e s a y s .
T h is a ttitu d e e x te n d s to h is f a m ily a s w e ll.
J a c k h a s b e e n m a r r ie d to h is w if e M a r s h a
f o r 3 7 y e a r s a n d h a s th r e e d a u g h te r s a n d
f iv e g r a n d c h ild r e n , tw o o f w h ic h a c c o m p a -
Five Tips for Young Workers Taking
Summer Jobs
B y T h e W a s h in g to n S ta te
D ep a rtm en t
of
Labor
I n d u s tr ie s
and
T U M W A T E R — A m o n g th o s e
k ille d o n th e jo b in W a s h in g to n la s t
y e a r w e r e f iv e y o u n g m e n u n d e r th e
a g e o f 2 5 , in c lu d in g o n e w h o w a s ju s t
1 8 . A n a v e ra g e o f 7 9 y o u n g m e n a n d
w o m e n b e tw e e n 1 6 a n d 2 4 a r e h u r t o n
th e jo b e v e r y d a y a c r o s s th e s ta te .
W ith th e a p p r o a c h o f th e s u m m e r jo b
s e a s o n , th e s ta te D e p a r tm e n t o f L a b o r
& I n d u s tr ie s ( L & I ) is u rg in g y o u n g
w o r k e r s to b e m in d f u l o f th e w o r k -
p la c e h a z a r d s a r o u n d th e m .
“ S o m e th in g th a t h a p p e n s to y o u
w h e n y o u ’ r e a y o u n g w o r k e r is g o in g
to a ff e c t y o u w h e n y o u ’ r e 3 0 , 4 0 , 5 0
y e a r s o ld . I t c o u ld a ff e c t y o u f o r th e
rest
of
your
life ,”
s a id
M a tt
P o m e r in k e , w h o lo s t a n a r m to a n
in d u s tr ia l a c c id e n t w h e n h e w a s 2 1
a n d n o w s p e a k s to te e n s a b o u t w o r k -
p la c e s a f e ty f o r L & I ’s I n ju r e d Yo u n g
W o rk e rs S p e a k e rs P ro g ra m .
Yo u n g w o r k e r s te n d to b e h u r t a t
w o r k a t a h ig h e r r a te th a n a d u lts . I f
y o u ’ r e a y o u n g w o r k e r a b o u t to s ta r t
y o u r f ir s t jo b th is s u m m e r, h e r e a r e
s o m e tip s to s ta y s a f e :
1 . A lw a y s g e t p r o p e r tr a in in g o n h o w
to c o m p le te a jo b o r u s e e q u ip m e n t
p r o p e r ly b e f o r e y o u b e g in th e w o r k .
2 . Yo u h a v e th e r ig h t to s a y ‘ N o ’ to
ta s k s y o u f e e l u n s a f e d o in g , s u c h a s
c lim b in g a la d d e r o r o p e r a tin g a n e w
p ie c e o f e q u ip m e n t. Yo u r b o s s c a n n o t
r e ta lia te a g a in s t y o u f o r r e f u s in g h a z -
y o u r r ig h ts o n th e jo b b y v is itin g
w w w .Te e n W o r k e r s .L n i.w a .g o v.
5 . I f y o u a r e in ju r e d a t w o r k , e v e n a
s m a ll c u t, b e s u r e to r e p o r t it. T h a t w a y
y o u ’ ll b e c o v e r e d b y w o r k e r s ’ c o m -
p e n s a tio n if th e p ro b le m b e c o m e s
m o r e s e r io u s .
“ I te ll th e s tu d e n ts I
... ask lots of questions and
get all the training you can.
That’s really the key. You’re not
going to know all the hazards
with your job just walking into it.
— Matt Pomerinke
a rd o u s w o rk .
3 . L o o k f o r h a z a r d s a t w o r k , lik e
s lip p e r y f lo o r s , h o t g r e a s e , d a n g e r o u s
m a c h in e r y o r la d d e r s . I f y o u s e e a h a z -
a r d o r a p r o b le m th a t n e e d s f ix in g ,
d o n ’t tr y to d o it y o u r s e lf , a s k a s u p e r -
v is o r f o r h e lp .
4 . T h e r e a r e s p e c ia l la w s th a t p r o te c t
te e n s u n d e r 1 8 – m a k e s u r e y o u k n o w
ta lk
to
th a t y o u
s h o u ld a s k lo ts o f
q u e s tio n s a n d g e t a ll
th e tr a in in g th e y c a n .
T h a t’s r e a lly th e k e y,”
s a id M a tt. “ Yo u ’ r e n o t
g o in g to k n o w a ll th e
h a z a rd s w ith y o u r jo b
ju s t w a lk in g in to it.”
The Skanner News Careers Edition
M ay 30, 2012 Page 3