Thursday, June 18, 2009

JOSEPH ROSE REPORTS ON HIS RIDE ON MY 67

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/06/riding_the_67_with_al.html

JOSEPH ROSE OF THE OREGONIAN RIDES MY 67-long playlist, 110 mins

DUMP the pump day?

punkrawker4783 blogs on: TriMet "Dumped" the pump day?

UNION ACTIONS

ARY | The region's largest public bus system was thrown into chaos Monday as
Gary Public Transportation Corp. bus drivers called in sick to protest stalled
contract talks.

"I'm not going to make it to work in time," GPTC rider Latasha Amos said as she
waited for the Tri-City Connection at the Metro Center on Monday morning. "All
we know is there is only one bus running this route, and we don't know when it
will be here."

Hundreds of other GPTC riders were in the same position as Amos, as some began
hiking miles to work or other bus stops when buses didn't show.

On Monday night, GPTC General Manager Daryl Lampkins said all buses should be
running on a normal schedule today. He indicated he had talked to the union
about its work stoppage.

"Full service is expected," Lampkins said. "Maybe we kissed and made up."

GPTC routes serve six communities, stretching from Hammond to Hobart.

To make matters even worse for riders on Monday, planned service reductions
started on six GPTC routes. Those service reductions have been in the works for
months due to the city's budget crisis.

Stephan Mitchell, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 517, said
about 40 of the city's 52 bus drivers stayed home Monday, with many calling in
claiming they were ill.

He said GPTC "refuses to bargain in good faith" on a new contract for drivers.
He said the previous contract expired earlier this month.

"Even to get a meeting set up is a problem," he said.

Lampkins said the bus company has "made every effort" to negotiate in good faith
with the union. He said he wanted to start negotiations as early as December,
but union officials took months to review GPTC's initial offerings.

"We are willing to work with the union," Lampkins said. "But every time there is
a problem, this is their reaction."

Mitchell accused Lampkins of "running a dictatorship" and instituting changes
without consulting with the union.

Lampkins said he has conferred with the union at every turn and has abided by
the contract.

"But I have changed many things," Lampkins said. "We are trying to survive.
Things just can't stay the same."

Lampkins said about 95 percent of drivers called in sick on Monday and that
supervisors and others were filling in and keeping as many buses running as
possible. Lampkins was working as a dispatcher Monday and answering calls from
frustrated riders when a Times reporter called.

Early in the morning, some routes were barely covered, with one bus making stops
along several of them.

Lampkins said some recent back-and-forth negotiations on an overtime provision
in the contract might have led to Monday's work stoppage by drivers.

GPTC will suffer an estimated $511,707 cut in revenue due to state-mandated
property tax caps.

FAT CAT BUREAUCRATS!

A CONVERSATION WITH JOSEPH ROSE

CONVERSATION WITH JOSEPH ROSE from al m on Vimeo.

Another day, joseph rose rides