Pick Practice Arbitration

Today we had Arbitration on MaBstoa Pick Practices. At issue was whether the changes the DOB was trying to institute was actually a violation of the current practice. Pick reliefs as we know it was under heavy scrutiny. The Arbitrator Richard Adleman's thinking was that the elimination of the pick teams wouldn't effect the practice because we would still be able to pick runs, rdo's and vacations. Managements position was based on a 2005 Decision  that hurt the support departments. Our positions was based on years of consistent practice that carried over during bus consolidation! Before that the OA pulled off the road to pick as ruled on in the Zucotti award!  Under testimony Brian Clarke VP of MaBstoa gave credible evidence of what our practice is! Donald Yates ripped Eddie Melendez as a lier while catching The TA's lawyer with inconsistency's, contradicting   GS Pierre! Frank Austin and Brian Clarke gave good testimony while Eddie Melendez CTO gave testimony making the Unions argument! Being that Its hard for me to read The arbitrator, I will reserve my thoughts till he renders a decision on Friday! However I will say that thank you to all our counterparts who showed for support! LaTanya Crisp Rec/Sec, Liz Wilson Div1 Rec/Sec, Bronx and Manhattan Chairman Div Chair Richard Davis 2nd vice Chair Rei Rios,TA Surf Div Chair Willie Rivera, TA Surf VP JP and Branda White from the women's committee! Stay Tuned for The Arbitrators Decision

Management Snakes

Brothers and Sisters of MaBstoa; the fight to maintain our pick rights has not been created in a vacuumed. Managers such as Eddie Melendez (Former TWU Vice President) and Daryl Irick Senior Vice President of the Department of Buses have been planing to abolish the one thorn in their financial sides( MaBstoa Pick Rights)  Eddie Melendez was a former Vice President of the TA Surface Bus Division who worked very closely with all the MaBstoa Reps of that time, his very involvement is the exact reason why we have to put language in our ByLaws preventing folks from giving away our secrets! Sellouts such as Melendez won't materialize to later give away union secrets! Daryl Irick is another story altogether. Educated and wise to the game of chess. Daryl's African American heritage give easy way for him to deceive while attacking the very fabric in which he himself benefited from.  This is no attack against Mr Irick but an acknowledgment that he does his job well! Daryl has managed to maintain many relationships where many of our own members report directly to him, which is in itself a destruction to our union ways! For those who have given away our secrets I suggest you either get on the unions page, or take the Dispatchers exam! Next time MCH Depot comes up in conversation or the quest for part-time Bus Operators remember who's at the top of the Department of Buses food chain! Lets stand together, because together we make a difference!   

Workers Compensation And The Transit Authority

Workers compensation and the Transit Authority Brothers and Sisters; it's very unfortunate how this Agency treats its injured workers. Time after time when a member gets injured, there is a legitimate concern on timeliness of payments! In the Department of Buses the bureaucracy is as thick as the London Fog! Case in point, a member gets assaulted and follows all the proper procedures and fills out the proper injury on duty forms. Fills out the waiver and election form to use accrued vacation and or sick time for 20 days. Goes to compensation doctor brings paperwork back on Authority forms. Goes to Independent Medical Examiner Known as the (IME) and is approved for time off and therapy. Brings those forms back to the department. All these actions that are handled as far as the forms are concerned must be faxed to 130 Livingston Street the Line Safety Superintendent (LSO) sends over assault verification forms for those on that type of injury. But if 130 Livingston doesn't check the fax or somehow the fax is malfunctioning, you can expect a pay interruption which makes absolutely no sense, and can be detrimental to our families households! In the end this is all done on purpose as a deterrent to keep lost time accidents at a minimal! What I haven't mentioned, is the fight the TA will conjure up to deny your differential. Safety is the primary concern of everyone, if you hurt yourself no matter how minor report it and fill out an IOD report and let the reps deal with management on your behalf.

Unofficial EBoard Notes

Report of 4/29/13 Executive Board meeting Steve Downs, T/O This is NOT an official record of the meeting. It is based solely on my notes. President’s report Pres. Samuelsen opened his report by commenting on the death of Signal Maintainer Louis Moore and the bitter irony that it coincided with the anniversaries of the deaths on the tracks of Track Workers Daniel Boggs and Marvin Franklin. He emphasized that these incidents underlined the inherentt danger of our jobs and the importance of working carefully and safely. As reported at the March Executive Board meeting, the national TWU is exploring the possibility of an affiliation with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Samuelsen is the chair of a committee looking into the advisability of such an affiliation. The committee has met twice and heard presentations from within the TWU. In May, they will be meeting with representatives of the CWA. Their report is likely to be made over the summer. TWU President James Little recently told a meeting of the CWA that he expects the issue to be addressed at the TWU Convention in Sept. Speaking of the TWU Convention, the Executive Board will have a special meeting to discuss the Local’s goals at the convention and possible resolutions once the Convention Call is issued. Endorsements of candidates in races in NYC will be made at the May Board meeting. Bargaining on the TA/OA/MTA Bus contracts will resume once the new MTA Chair, Tom Prendergast, is confirmed by the State Senate. Judicial Panel The Local 100 By-laws require that a panel be appointed to hear charges brought by one member against another. Charges go to this panel only after they are reviewed by an attorney and the Board votes that they are proper charges. The panel members are: Tony Utano (Chair), Richard Davis (Vice-Chair), Chris Magwood (OA), Richard Holley (MoW), Janice Carter (RTO), Kevin Cadigan (Private Lines/MTA Bus), Johnnie Joyner (TA Surface), Markeith Woolford (Stations), Grigory Dunichev (CED) Bargaining for new contracts is taking place at Supertrans, White Plains Bus, Mile Square, and part of Royal Coach. The sign-up card that members who owe back dues can use to authorize the MTA to deduct double from their checks until their arrears are paid should be ready within a few weeks. Charges Three sets of charges were presented to the Executive Board and all were found not to meet the definition of a valid charge, so no hearings will be held. They were: Paul King charging David Francis and Maurice Jenkins; Kendra Hill against Derick Echevarria and Maurice Jenkins; and Wayne Bryan against John Day. A member from CED has claimed that he has not been granted his proper seniority. The Board ruled last year that his complaint against the officers in CED did not qualify as a proper charge. G Dunichev will make a report on the matter to the May Board meeting. Minutes of the February Board meeting were read and approved. -- Steve Downs Chair, T/O Division TWU Local 100

Hurricane Sandy Relief Forms on MTABSC

Brothers and Sisters; Since the Hurricane Sandy disaster hit our area, their has been programs put in place on the MTA BSC which allows members to donate time from their leave balances. These benefits haven't been widely known. I myself just found out from a struggling member that these programs exist in order to get through these difficult times. Below are the forms that you can obtain from the MTA BSC by Login in with your BSC # and password  and clicking Hurricane Sandy in the Employee News. The forms available are HR BEN 391A Request for Vacation Buyback                                                  HR BEN 392A Request for Emergency Leave                                                 HR BEN 393A Request to donate leave  

Putting Your House In Order

Brothers and Sisters; Over the weekend I had an interesting conversation with one of my brother operators from Gunhill Depot. The conversation was about putting your house in order. For about 30 minutes we discussed things like 401k's to working overtime. Then we discussed dues and the importance of a Union! The membership is the strength behind any union though it seems that many would want to do without one! For any member who has went on workers compensation or has been disciplined either wrongfully or out of progression knows why we must maintain our union. Many criticize for not negotiating a contract. Any contract! Our Union has said no to the pattern contracts that have been negotiated for other unions, while anti worker laws have been passed in neighboring states. What will it take for us to wake up and see what's really going on. Many befriend the senior vice president of the department of Buses expecting him to remember where he came from, you folks got it all wrong, he's about the best interests of business and efficiency. We on the other hand are about health and safety, enforcement of our collective bargaining agreements your families, and getting you paid for every piece of work or training that you do. If we truly stood together instead of the many rats that want to hold hands with the bosses including some Union Reps, we would be better off! Let's get our house in order and do this damn thing together. Thank you Brother Jackson for the encouraging words, I know that you are truly a union man who cares, and for that I have to go harder! Together we make a difference in all things! In Solidarity Donald Yates MaBstoa 

MaBstoa News

Brothers and Sisters; The latest blow to the labor movement comes from the announcement that the ATU Local 1181 has withdrew from their strike. The battle will continue through the Upcoming Mayoral elections where some have pledged to sign the job protections that School Bus Operators and Matrons currently enjoy. Contract Negotiations between TWU Local 100 and MTA NYCT has been put on hold until a New MTA Chairman has been selected and confirmed by the Senate.  Local 100 stands ready to continue negotiations. Lobby Day will be on March 12, 2013, Sign up with the chairs, or sign up using the Locals website. As a reminder, we have to go in numbers and pressure the legislature to negotiate and pass laws beneficial to Transit workers and their families. Black History Celebration will be on February 27, 2013 @ the Joseph P. Kennedy Center 34 West 134th St. (Harlem) 5pm to 10pm Quill-Connolly Day Celebration March 15, 2013 6:30pm to 9pm At the Manhattan Club above Rosie O'Grady's/52nd St. Between 7th & Broadway Free Food & Cash Bar Sexual Harassment- Be mindful that sexual harassment in the workplace is illegal and won't be tolerated. All Men and Woman are expected to act professionally. If their is an alleged incident, contact EEO. Michael J. Quill operators operating on the M34 will make Westbound reliefs at 7th Ave. and Eastbound reliefs in the middle of the block between 7th and 8th Ave. Manhattanville Operators should be mindful of running red lights especially on the M11. Complaints have been made, so be mindful of safe operation. Stay Tuned!   

Week In Review January 7thmTo The 12th 2013

Good Morning Brothers and Sisters; This past week has definitely been met with interest.  I have had the pleasure of meeting with a couple of MTA Bus employees and discuss sensitive things such as the ongoing harassment or racial inequality that exist coupled with the fact that the discipline that exist far exceeds the norm of a MaBstoa NYCT Bus Operator. Without getting into too many details I think we should pay more attention to what's going on over there, because the folks who are spreading their poisons over there come from NYCT. To add insult, I'm hearing that in order to receive decent buses, the Operator has to drop money to the Supervisor which the Depot chair benefits from. If these allegations exist, we need to come together and stop these extortion like tactics. Accidents Accidents are always a concern for the Transit Authority, but for the Union, Our contract has language thats not so beneficial for a bad streak. It is very important not to rush up and down the road so as to avoid major accidents such as knock downs and fatalities. The Depot officers are aware of the Operators who play games and are not willing to pick up the people putting pressure on their co workers, you too are contributing to your brother or sisters misfortune.  The Union often talks about how running up and down the road effects scheduling, with all mentioned, the bottom line will be preventable accidents! Be mindful! Sexual Harassment Training Soon to come to the Transit Authority is a program designed to teach the many aspects of sexual harassment, the TA wants to roll out the program at the Kings Bridge Bus Depot and do the remainder of the classes in the Zerega Training facility. The Union balked at the fact of rolling the program out at Kings Bridge, because of the implication that gives notion that  King Bridge is the sexual harassment capital of the MTA which by the TA's own guideline is harassment in itself.  Daryl Irick   Senior V.P of the department of buses has stated in unpleasant terms that the program will kick off at KB like it or not, which will leave the Union no choice but to respond. Either way sexual harassment in the workplace is an obvious concern to everyone, but let's not be fooled into believing that it's the fault of anybody but the Authority and it's many bureaucracy's  Stay Tuned!