ATU Local 689 begins bus safety push/slowdown

[Scrabbleship]

As seen in today's Post, Examiner, and on DCist

The "no passing other buses" part of this is disconcerting and I'm impressed Catoe hasn't had a fit over it since it absolutely kills the point of the 79/S9/37 & 39/et. al. and breeds bus bunching. There's being safe and then there's being too safe and this is the latter.

[ir0cq09]

Slightly off topic but, Which union. Does ride on employee have?

[79MetroExtraMD]

Slightly off topic but, Which union. Does ride on employee have?

ATU as well.

[DCT S9Z4Z6]

Slightly off topic but, Which union. Does ride on employee have?

MCGEO local #400
Montgomery County Government Employees Org Local 400

That comes from the days when they were part of the UFCW local 400 (Think Giant & Safeway workers)

[WMATAGMOAGH]

As seen in today's Post, Examiner, and on DCist

The "no passing other buses" part of this is disconcerting and I'm impressed Catoe hasn't had a fit over it since it absolutely kills the point of the 79/S9/37 & 39/et. al. and breeds bus bunching. There's being safe and then there's being too safe and this is the latter.

I wonder if the WMATA rulebook actually forbids limited buses passing local buses, and if so, I hope they rewrite that part soon.  IIRC, in New York, the rule is that you can't pass a bus of the same route.  For example, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, an M1 could overtake an M2, M3, or M4, and an M1 limited could overtake an M1 local, but an M1 local could not overtake another M1 local.

[Scrabbleship]

If you're right and somehow Catoe was able to let these many limited stop routes exist and get made without being told otherwise, it shows that the communication lines within WMATA are broken. The fact that there has been no public statement on WMATA's end on this matter is sad and deafening.

Why do transit operators have to be unionized? Unions in the 21st century are broken and protect many neglectful and subpar workers. A threat to fire everyone and hire non-union workers who give a darn about their jobs and aren't kidnapping their passengers or punching McGruff would be a daring and needed action that would speak volumes.

[79MetroExtraMD]

If you're right and somehow Catoe was able to let these many limited stop routes exist and get made without being told otherwise, it shows that the communication lines within WMATA are broken. The fact that there has been no public statement on WMATA's end on this matter is sad and deafening.

Why do transit operators have to be unionized? Unions in the 21st century are broken and protect many neglectful and subpar workers. A threat to fire everyone and hire non-union workers who give a darn about their jobs and aren't kidnapping their passengers or punching McGruff would be a daring and needed action that would speak volumes.

Do you even understand why unions were created in the first place?

[metrodriver]

ok !! I got a prime example on this we were giving letters yesterday sayin something about this but when you pull out/or relieve a bus the operator do not put the defiicts or anyother info on the manifest, or when the clerk assisgn u a bus they give u 4017 to do a P17 with no headlights or back up lights then u call for a replacement they tell u to "TO KEEP ON GOING" or "  the famous one " WE DONT HAVE EQUIPMENT". Then street supervisor ask u why u aint call it in then want to give u a penalty . Metro is getting all these new buses but some garage are not getting them or they dont want them running over in certain areas cuz they just let the 6100's from my garage (southern) run on dc routes that we operate we get treated like the step child of metro.

[Scrabbleship]

If you're right and somehow Catoe was able to let these many limited stop routes exist and get made without being told otherwise, it shows that the communication lines within WMATA are broken. The fact that there has been no public statement on WMATA's end on this matter is sad and deafening.

Why do transit operators have to be unionized? Unions in the 21st century are broken and protect many neglectful and subpar workers. A threat to fire everyone and hire non-union workers who give a darn about their jobs and aren't kidnapping their passengers or punching McGruff would be a daring and needed action that would speak volumes.

Do you even understand why unions were created in the first place?

Unions made sense in the era when there were no labor laws. Nowadays unions are just relics that protect subpar workers. If WMATA was to hypothetically go non-union, would it have half the conduct problems it has now?

Maybe I am biased because I make more now (even for cost of living adjustments) in a non-union job in MoCo than I did in a union job where I was bullied and framed in the northeast, but unions have outlived their usefulness. Non-union labor that gives a damn > union labor that doesn't care.

[Tristan]

Unfortunately, Scrabbleship, what's done is done - unions can only be removed if the employees vote to do so...or if they're found to be exceedingly corrupt.

2701 on the 7F this morning doing 65 on 395 North...well that's my best guess anyway, because the speedometer was pointing to 0.

[Tritransit Area]

As seen in today's Post, Examiner, and on DCist

The "no passing other buses" part of this is disconcerting and I'm impressed Catoe hasn't had a fit over it since it absolutely kills the point of the 79/S9/37 & 39/et. al. and breeds bus bunching. There's being safe and then there's being too safe and this is the latter.

I'm sure this is a tongue in cheek type of protest on behalf of the drivers, and I support them.  It has been horrendous down there for the drivers, with everyone who has a cell phone camera photographing and video-taping the operators if they even looked like they were doing something slightly wrong.  One driver almost got FIRED for a misunderstanding!

I mean, there's reporting a concern for something to get fixed, and doing it because it's:
a) what everyone is doing
b) will give the person 15 minutes (well, seconds) of fame

The latter is just not right.

People are running scared down there, and are out for blood.  John Catoe is quick to throw his employees under the bus to save face.  So, this is the way for the union to show how bending the rules a little here and there actually improved the service...perhaps because nobody listened before!

[WayneNYC]

I do understand the need/purpose for labor unions, but (in my opinion) they do a lot more bad than good.  From what I've seen and heard, unions breed a culture where many members are actively looking to do as little as possible, but continue to draw paychecks.  It's amazing the things they'll file a grievance for.  At my job there's actually a certain group of people in the union who can't stand them, hate that they have to join/pay dues and would like to see the unions gone.  This group of people have a reputation for showing up to work on-time each day and doing their job.  However, it seems like the slackers are often looking for a free ride, a way to get over on the system and always threatening to call the union. 

Just my two cents.

[Tristan]

DASH is, I think, the only non-union TA in this area, and not only are our operating costs lower than many of them (not because our wages and benefits are worse, save for Metro, Ride On, and I think CUE), but our turnover rate is less than 2%.  Our operators generally leave if they move, decide they don't like working transit anymore, or --since we're not union-- when they get fired.  I'm not saying unions are bad, but they certainly aren't a requirement for a good operation.

[Tritransit Area]

Indeed!  If the employees get treated fairly, for the most part there isn't really a huge need for unions.  Honestly, in some instances, unions can cause quite a stirr.  Up here in SEPTA territory, there are rumblings of a call to strike....again.  That interrupts people's cash flow.

In most cases, people just want to work, get paid, and live their lives...especially in this economic disaster, where people are fortunate to be employed.

[btconet]

I spent 11 years as a dues paying ATU Member, and as such heard quite a bit about the "Company vs. Union" stances.  I actually think that there is a need for Unions like ATU, but from what I saw, too much of the effort was expended by them in fighting for people's jobs as opposed to making working conditions better for the majority.

I'd say 80% of the Operators in the Union came to work every day and did what was asked of them without the need or cause to have to go to the Union.  Another 5% of these did their jobs well, but encountered special circumstances along the way (sickness, high profile accidents) that necessitated arbitrations in order to keep their jobs.  The remaining 15% were the self-centered batch who cared not to do their jobs or deal with people, and at any one time, were always finding ways to ride comp cases and protracted arbitrations into getting paid without turning a wheel.

Sadly, the 85% of right-doers saw little fight from the Union on issues like Restroom facilities at terminals as their efforts were lodged behind pushing arbitrations that may or may not have been justifiable.

This much said, I support such a backlash, given that media outlets have been all too quick to try to villify the Operators for every little thing that happens, and WMATA lets it happen. 

Transit Operation is heaviest in morning and afternoon peaks, and as a result has shifts that engage some of the longest hour spreads you will find anywhere.  It was normal for me to come to work DAILY at 545am and not get off until 630pm.  The result is that your life is basically sacrificed for the job, and when you get off, you only have time to head home, eat and lay down so as to awaken again at 415am and do it all over again.  Just how a Single Parent is able to do this work and still raise a child(ren) is beyond me.