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!