Is a few hundred dollars worth all the acrimony?

The soon to be awarded cash from the arbitration has created a monster.  The monster is called jealousy, greed, rapacity, avarice….none of the terms are  flattering and yet this has become the defacto behaviour since the arbitration decision was made.

Just remember…..everyone played a role.  Everyone stood together.  Everyone went without during the strike.  Some suffered more than others. Some went deeper into debt.    The drivers are not the only people who are involved.  Office staff did not have the opportunity to work extra shifts.  The office staff is not responsible for the arbitration decision….

The money should be more about the struggles during the strike than what the drivers perceive as making up for future loss.  Some people had to go to food banks.  Some people were going hungry. Some needed hardship help from the union. Some needed to find part-time work so they would not lose their homes.  Some had to dip into their retirement savings to keep afloat.  Some lived off credit cards or a line of credit….which has to be paid back.  Everyone lost sleep.  Everyone supported each other and yet now this bit of cash is dividing everyone. 

Suddenly a lot the drivers talk as though they were the only ones affected by the transition to MVT, the strike and the arbitration.  There may be 9 times more drivers than office staff, but that does not make them more important or deserving.  Every role  is important.  Every person works hard in their position.  Every person received MSP bills which have to be paid. 

The squabbling that has happened is reminiscent of siblings at a will reading where the monster rears its head yet again and a few hundred dollars splits up the family.  

Everyone stood side by side for ten weeks and now it’s time to rid yourselves of the hostility towards each other and work together to create a harmonious environment. 

Is it calm, chaos or confusion north of the 49th?

It has been 8 days since the HandyDART workers made their way back to work.  Surprisingly, the management seemed genuinely happy to see the staff arriving.  The expected tension and possible hard feelings did not surface. 

As expected there was not much work to do on the first couple of days back, so much of the first couple of days was spent getting re-acquainted with co-workers and getting re-acquainted with how the computer system worked.

It was clear the clients were as caught off guard by the sudden return to work as the workers; the phones hardly rang.  Over the past several days though, there has been a steady increase in the requests for rides.  The biggest problem was the lack of buses available to accomodate the requests. 

It would seem the request to staff the office was a few days premature, however, the return to work pains have passed now and people are gradually finding their rhythm again. 

The mechanics have been hard at work servicing and inspecting the buses so that they could be put on the road again.   It has been a  monumental task, but they have succeeded in bringing the fleet up to standard.  Most of the buses are back into service. 

It has been a challenging week for the office staff and managers to try to get everything organized again.  Many things had changed over the 10 weeks away. 

Monday, January 11, marks the first day back to work for most of the drivers.  There are some who have chosen to take a couple of extra days before returning because they needed time to recover from the stress of being on strike.  The extra few days will help to make the transition into working full-time again.  Over the ten weeks on strike, many people lost their sense of routine.  Sleeping patterns were altered, regular meals were a thing of the past, and tension was felt every waking moment.  The few extra days will help to bring some sense of  normalcy to an otherwise chaotic life. 

An interesting side note……One can only hope that the appearance of the American managers in the Cloverdale office means that some changes are being made.  Fingers are crossed that the strong message made by clients and employees……the message that the system did not work the way it was set up……has gotten through.  Let’s hope they fix what they broke. 

Drivers….start your engines!

The End is in Sight

Wednesday December 30, 2009

The ATU Local 1724 and MVT Canadian Bus met with mediator/arbitrator Vince Ready today.  The final result is that MVT has finally agreed to go to binding arbitration for the remaining few issues left unresolved.

Members of the union would rather swallow the bitter pill of arbitration than keep chewing on the same old regurgitated swill offered up by MVT.   Workers will return to work soon while Vince Ready prepares his report. 

As a show of good faith, the picket lines will be removed at 9am Thursday December 31, 2009.  It somehow seems appropriate for the last day of the year. 

The details of the return to work are yet to be worked out, but it is expected that it will be within 2 weeks. 

It will be a relief for the workers to start earning a regular pay cheque again.  Some people were close to being on the street because of the loss of income.  Landlords are not sympathetic if they don’t get their rent.    Amazingly enough, they stayed strong and united for the cause. 

The Canadian men and women who stood side by side and walked the sidewalks wearing “ON STRIKE” signs can be very proud of their strength and courage while looking into the face of adversity. 

When the contract is signed, we cannot become complacent.  We have experienced first hand the tactics used by MVT to break the rules and contravene collective agreements.  It is imperative to remain vigilant at all times to be sure that all workers and the clients get treated with respect, integrity and dignity.  Those three things were seriously lacking in the MVT management of the HandyDART system. 

We stood up against an American corporation who tried to bully us into submission.  We did not back down from them.  As a Canadian who believes in keeping our country Canadian, I was very saddened by the awarding of the contract to this company.  I sincerely hope that they learned a lesson about the Canadian people. 

We may be polite; but we’re not pushovers.

 

Food for Thought

According to Ken Hardie, the spokesperson for TransLink, getting rid of MVT is not an option.

Why not?

Legally, TransLink can rescind the contract now…………………or does MVT have some sort of hold over them???

With so many problems with MVT since day one, doesn’t it make you wonder why TransLink won’t do the right thing and send MVT back to the USA? 

The claims that TransLink or Coast Mountain do not “have the expertise” to run the custom transit system are ludicrous. 

The infrastructure is already in place. 

• TransLink owns the buses.
• TransLink owns (or leases)the properties
• TransLink owns the office equipment.
• The drivers and office workers know how to do their jobs. 
• There is a training department in place.
• There is an accounting and payroll department with qualified people
• There are managers from the various HandyDART offices who could form their own management team.
• It is basically a turn-key operation.

It would save TransLink money to have it run as a subsidiary than having it run by a for profit management company.

TransLink would have everyone believe that the issues currently are between MVT and the union.  HandyDART always had overseers from TransLink; and still did even after the arrival of MVT.  TransLink is still setting policies, some to the detriment of the clients.   TransLink is wholly responsible for allowing MVT to do what they did and to allow it to get as far as it did.

Why is TransLink afraid to let MVT go?  What is holding TransLink back from making that decision?  How much more elder abuse will MVT be allowed to commit before TransLink will take a stand?  The clients and the workers have complained long and loud about how poorly MVT has run the system since their arrival in Canada, and yet, MVT still has a green light to operate. 

The current labour dispute is a consequence of MVT’s poor management style, bullying tactics and disrespect.  disrespect for the clients, the workers and the Canadian way of life.

They are not the Borg (StarTrek);we will not be assimilated; resistance is not futile.  We are and will always be Canadians and proud of it. 

 

 

Christmas and all is calm

The International VP, Bob Hyckaway has flown home to his family.  The mediator has gone home for Christmas.  John SiragUSA, has apparently flown home to California.  The executive committee is getting a well deserved break and a much-needed rest over the Christmas time off. 

For a few days, it will be good for all members of the ATU local 1724 to clear their heads of all things strike, job, union, and just be in the moment of Christmas. 

For the picketers that are keeping the burn barrels burning, you are to be commended.  Your dedication to the cause is an inspiration and will hopefully help to keep people motivated to continue the  protest after the Christmas holidays.  

Merry Christmas to all the readers and to all the clients of HandyDART and the  workers of HandyDART. 

 

 

The “NO’s” win by a slim margin

The votes were counted last night after the polls closed.  The membership voted not to accept the contract offer.  It was a slim margin though.  42 percent wanted to accept it. Some of the reasons included wanting desperately to start earning a pay cheque again, which is understandable, but others were worried about what the media might have to say or what the general public would think.

Everyone wants to get back to work, but the 58% who voted “NO” knew the contract offer was too full of vague language.  Aside from getting back what MVT stole in the first place, and the insult to the drivers with the lowest paid employee wage offer, (There is one exception, but that job exists only on paper. ); the offer left too many loopholes for MVT to play with. 

MVT and the ATU must get back together and not be pressured into putting together a substandard contract.  The drivers need to be treated as valued employees and the language must be clearly defined. 

The typos in the offer made it obvious that there was pressure to get it out for a vote.  Something as important as the historical event that is under way, cannot be taken lightly. 

A substandard contract offer with typographical errors in it deserved a no vote. 

Stay united in your efforts to bring MVT to the Canadian way of life. 

Contract confusion Day 1

After such high hopes for a decent contract offer, many members were very disappointed with what was offered. 

While it is true that the MPP was once again being offered, it only returns what was taken away by MVT in the first place.  It is also true that they finally offered guaranteed hours, however, once again, they are only returning what they stole.

There are several areas in the contract with vague language, which means the company has big loopholes to skew things to their satisfaction without any regard for the employees.  I, for one, cannot in good conscience vote on vague language.  In order for me to accept the contract, the language has to have very clear definitions so I know exactly what it means. 

The wages were a shock.  The offer to the drivers was an insult to the work they do and the value they have to the system.  If the contract gets accepted, the drivers will be the lowest paid employees in the system and the lowest paid paratransit or custom drivers in Western Canada.

MVT has once again shown its disdain for the drivers.  Without drivers there would be no system.  The offer to the drivers was very disrespectful to the work they do.  In fact, a new booking clerk will get more than a driver with over 25 years experience.  Being a booking clerk is an integral part of the system, but drivers have far more responsibility than a booking clerk.  The drivers are out in traffic every day. They deal with tailgaters, red light runners, cell phone talkers and other complex traffic situations. 

Drivers also deal with frail people, sick people, people in wheelchairs that require using a lift; putting themselves at risk to do the job properly.  Many people get sick on the bus, or urinate while travelling. Others have had heart attacks or major bleeding and even died on the buses.  Drivers have to deal with behaviorally challenged and mentally challenged people, people who smell badly, people who are blind or deaf; people who cannot speak or communicate.  

The drivers do this in all kinds of conditions.   They are out there in the pouring rain, wind, ice and snow, blistering heat, traffic congestion and pollution. 

Being a custom transit operator is not always an easy job; more often than not, it can be very challenging.  A custom transit operator actually has more responsibility than a conventional bus operator and yet their work is not recognized as such. If it were, the wage offer in the contract, would have reflected it. The offer should have at least been the same if not more than a booking clerk. 

There was a lot of tension in the auditorium today.  People are suspicious that MVT won’t honour the contract anyway.  MVT has shown that since they arrived in Canada, and many people don’t think they will change. 

It is too early to tell whether it will accepted or rejected.  many people voted today, but many more are waiting until Wednesday.  They want to go vote with a clear head without being energized by negativity.  At the time of this writing, it is still anyone’s guess as to which way the vote will go.

Until next time…………..

V is for Vigilance

V-DAY

It’s V-Day today.  Voting day.  It will be V-Day regardless of the outcome… One of these options may be heard over the next while.  

• Vote…you must vote to have your voice counted (if you don’t vote Tuesday, then go back and vote on Wednesday)
• Victory.
• Vindicated,
• Vanquished,
• Victorious,
•  Vicissitude,
•  Vigilant.

• Vigilance Committee . A vigilance committee is a group of citizens who agree voluntarily to watch for any infringements of a law or of their rights and privileges.

Not one single member can afford to be complacent today and tomorrow.  Regardless of how you feel about the contract offer, ALL votes count.  Good, bad or indifferent, there needs to over 500 ballots marked. It shows that the ATU members are still united. 

Please do not spoil your ballot.  It could skew the results.  One or two spoiled ballots could be enough to change the numbers.   Cast your vote with knowledge instead of just anger.  Read the  contract offer before marking your X.  If you are still enraged, then you will have voted on the content and not just emotion.

After all is said and done, the formation of a vigilance committee will help to keep the company adhere to the contract and the employees alert.  It’s something to ponder and consider.

Keep the faith today and tomorrow. 

Voting Day Tuesday Dec. 22 & Wednesday Dec. 23, 2009

History is in the making.  Whatever the outcome on Tuesday December 22, it will be an historical event. 

ATU members must read the contract offer with a fine tooth comb.  ATU members must vote based on the offer and not what is no longer in their bank accounts. 

If the contract offer is accepted based on the desire to eat steak instead of beans, then everyone loses except MVT.

When you go vote tomorrow, remember that MVT has shown they have no respect for collective agreements. They had signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) stating they would honour existing agreements until a new first agreement was in place. 

I don’t think the ink was dry before they broke the agreement.  If they did it before, they may do it again. 

Go with an open mind, but if there are any questionable clauses, be sure to get clarification before you mark your ballot.

As Canadians, we have shown we have morals and ethics.  MVT clearly has not shown that.  Don’t forget they lied about the pension plan, they lied about the medical coverage, they wreaked havoc on the lives of the clients, they constantly made errors in the paycheques, they made the drivers runs almost impossible to maintain, they changed client’s times to give the impression of “on-time” performance, they created an environment so toxic in the office that workers were in tears sometimes, they created bogus reports to TransLink regarding client complaints in an effort to make statistics look good, they tried to make drivers take out buses with fraudulent license plates,(that just shows their lack of integrity) and so on and so forth. 

When you go vote tomorrow, remember that your brothers and sisters did not stand out in the cold, wind and rain for 8 weeks,  go to food banks, cash in investments, went hungry, lost sleep, re-mortgaged homes, etc.,  to take a step backwards. 

The offer must be “stellar” as one driver coined it before it can be accepted.  Remember that word tomorrow as you go into the booth to mark your choice. 

Stellar

Is no news good news?

In an effort to make MVT sit up and take notice, the ATU organized an information picket in Redmond Washington.  That is where MVT has its shuttle buses that transport Microsoft employees  to work and back.  Other unions in Washington were also on board to help provide support for the striking Canadian ATU members. 

Solidarity is international.  All over the world, unions don’t make union members; bad companies make union members.

Many people often question the validity of being in a union.  People wonder why they are necessary and if they serve any purpose in our modern world.  The answer is an unqualified “YES”!

Here is a link to The BC Federation of Labour’s site about unions.  It is worth the moment or two it takes to read it. 

http://www.bcfed.ca/organize/myths

Back to the story about the ATU members and their Washington brothers and sisters……someone leaked it to John Siragusa who in turn was not going to have anything to do with negotiations if the Canadians went south to picket.  The trip across the border was called off.  

The ATU Local 1724  was more interested in bargaining in good faith than in disrupting the morning rush hour out of MVT in Redmond.

Fast forward to Thursday December 17.  The ATU and MVT were once again back to negotiations with a mediator.  This time, however, some union members planned their own surreptitious journey.  They were prepared to go if the talks went badly or not.  They did not ask for any other unions to be involved.  The need for secrecy was paramount to masses of members. 

The clandestine group of folks left the lower mainland very early Friday morning and were in Redmond Washington by the time the MVT – Microsoft shuttles were starting their day.

The group was there to provide information.  They were not picketing and had no signs.   They handed out leaflets and talked to people.  What they did was managed to get supervisors and managers very nervous.  The surprise visit had its purpose met.  John Siragusa received a phone call.  Apparently he was apoplectic.   The element of surprise is a lovely thing.    

The talks continued.  It is easy to believe that with the pressure from TransLink “encouraging” MVT to “settle this thing”, combined with the tenacity of the Canadians, that maybe, just maybe MVT was finally grasping the big picture. 

Canadian workers have courage.  Canadian workers have strength.  Canadian workers have integrity.  Canadian workers stand up for what is right and will not be bullied by an amoral corporation. 

The mission south must have had its desired effect….talks continued until after 4:30 am Saturday morning.  By Saturday afternoon, the word came out that the ATU will be presenting a contract offer for consideration on Monday afternoon.  They will be providing an afternoon of questions and answers.  The negotiating committee was very clear about the fact that they would not even bring an offer to the members if they did not think it was reasonable.  As of this writing, they had 95% of the details dealt with.  Until Monday afternoon, nobody will know what the contract offer is.  The media blackout is still in effect. 

The brothers and sisters of the ATU Local 1724 can be very proud of themselves for standing up for themselves.  The executive members and the negotiating committee worked long and tirelessly throughout the ordeal.  The dedication and determination of all members was a motivating factor to keep up the pressure on TransLink and MVT.  It could not have been done without the participation of  everyone involved. 

Keep the faith, stay united  and don’t let your guard down.