It is starting to feel surreal. Is it really true that we may have to go on STRIKE? What will we do? What will my family do? I thought we were "Team LTD"? It is true that the District is trying to roll back everything? Certainly they must feel that I am worth what they pay me and that there ought to be certain rules to work by? Right?
LTD must know that I work not for LTD, but for what LTD provides me in exchange for my labor! Can they be so foolish as to think that we work because we love being on the "Team"? I’d say this is déjà vu all over again, but you know what, we ain’t been here before.
It is true that LTD expects us to pay for the terrible mismanagement of the District that Ol’ Joe has told you of previously. If you need a reminder, just check back a few messages ago. In my day in 1915, we used to talk about Mr. Block. This was a code word for putting a block in the gears to slow down, or bust up the gears of the Company. We didn’t have many rights in those days, so we had to do what we could. Mr. Block is gone today. Plus we have to be a lot more careful. LTD watches what we do all the time with their supervisors, cameras on the bus, and their other hidden cameras. Betcha didn’t know that the operators lounge at Eugene Station has a secret camera watching us? Yep, they do. Heard about it from a very reliable source. As you go in the lounge look to the corner on the far left side, and you will see what looks like a motion detector. Nope …it is a secret camera! If you are in the Union and have access to LTD email be careful. They have the right to read anything you send on email from LTD. These are the wonderful "Big Brother Hamm" innovations.
Plus don’t forget rats and supervisors. A rat is someone with loose lips about our union activities to the bosses. Supervisors aren’t rats, but as the song says, they might "be goons and ginks and the Company finks." Be careful, cause they are watching and taking names and notes.
Some say "well Joe you are scaring me." "Are we really going to have to Strike?" Sadly, it may come to this, and that is why I have said to you, be prepared. What can we do to be prepared? Well, let me tell you a few things.
Joe Hill’s Top Ten Things to Do to Prepare for a Strike
Number 10
Talk to your family and friends about the possibility now. This should not come as a surprise to your parents, brothers, sisters, wife, husband, partner, friends, or any other people in your close relationships. Tell them you will need moral support. You might need to turn to them for other help. If you are a person of faith, include your fellowship there as part of your support network. Build your relationship circle of strong support and belief in you, and what you might have to do to for Dignity, Fairness and Justice.
Number 9
Get out of debt if you can. Debt is a killer, and if you are living from paycheck to paycheck like most of us, sit down and figure out a worst case scenario budget. Stick to it, if and when the time comes.
Number 8
Consolidate debt now, if you have equity in your home. Refinance, or take a second mortgage. Ditech.com only charges $395.00 for home re-fi and second mortgages. They are owned by GMAC, a good union company. Stay away from high interest finance companies.
Number 7
Learn about E-Bay if you haven’t yet already. This online perpetual yard sale is how some folks make their living. You will always make more money on Ebay than a yard sale, on junk that you don’t need anymore, that someone else will treasure. I know, because I made $20,000 selling my junk and other’s stuff on Ebay last year. It is a true story.
Number 6
SPEND LESS and SAVE MONEY NOW! Make a commitment to save as much money as you can for the foreseeable future. Saving money means don’t spend money now. You can wait for the Plasma 46 inch TV for a while. The prices are falling anyway. Repair your car, don’t buy a new one.
Number 5
HELP KILL BRT BEFORE IT KILLS YOU. Write or call your Congressman Peter DeFazio. Write to Senator Wyden and Gordon Smith. Give them your opinion. Help kill the BRT Project by writing to every city councilor and Mayor in Eugene and Springfield. If you know a business owner on Pioneer Parkway or Coburg Road, tell them that LTD plans to interrupt their business access by building a BRT – By the way, a dedicated driver and union member has dubbed BRT - - Boondoggle Raising your Taxes. Be sure and tell these businesses that LTD is raising taxes to build BRT.
Number 4
Store Non-Perishable Foods. Now I know this sounds hokey or scary, but look for sales and build up food stores that you usually eat. Buying it now and storing it will cut your expenses when money might be tight. You can buy 25 lbs. of rice at Costco for under $7.00! Rice, if you like it, is cheap and very storable. Case lot sales are a thing of the past it seems to me, but sometimes they happen. Stock up now. If there are other essentials that you use regularly (oil for the car, ink jet ink or things like that) store a few extra.
Number 3
Attend your Union Meetings. YOUR union is working for you, and the only way you can get the straight scoop rather than the regurgitated poop, is to be there and hear it. Speak up for what you think and believe. But know this, the Union officers are working for the good of the all, not the few or the one. Solidarity starts and ends with you. If you don’t show, or worse, scab if and when there is a strike, you are only hurting yourself.
Number 2
Take Care of Yourself. If you are scared, worried, angry, fighting with your spouse or partner, troubled, not sleeping, or any of these things, then contact the Employee Assistance Program. They are free, supportive, helpful and confidential. You need to have your head screwed on good for what may lay ahead.
And the number one thing to do to get ready for possible strike is:
NUMBER 1
BE PROUD TO BE UNION AND COMMITTED TO THE END! Margaret Mead said "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has." Now is the time for you to look your co-workers in the eye – with that knowing look – the one that says, I am with you. Together we sink or swim. Comfort the uncertain. Inform those that lack information. Stand united. Believe me if the worst happens because LTD’s mismanagement, and we do go out, it will be the proud story that you tell your kids and grandkids. Fighting for your rights will make them respect you even more. That swelling warm feeling in your chest will be your heart swelling with pride. Make Mr. Block proud by sticking together and honoring your commitments to each other. We will be ready!
Joe Hill # 12 You can contact Joe Hill directly at Joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Monday, June 28, 2004
#11- Oh My God…
If these are LTD’s non-economic issues, then I am not sure I could stand to see the economic proposals. These roll back proposals from LTD are motivated by the worst possible motives. Proposals that include losing the over time for over eight hours per day alone will change the nature of our work across the board. When you include the increase in the number of min-schedules –up five percent you will no longer see "hog Runs" but a bunch of DOG runs. Thinking of it gives me the runs. So what you get is a bunch of long runs with no overtime. If you get overtime for your work now, you can kiss that goodbye if the LTD gets its way. So lets see that certainly isn’t an economic item.
Oh and now we have to personally care for the property of LTD by maintaining the uniforms and never mind the shoes – no allowance for that. And how about the big cut in safety boots in the shop? The District’s concern for our safety is touching don’t you think? Of course, this is not an economic issue. Since it isn’t an economic issue for us according to LTD, then it is not economic issue for them? So why make the change? Is it because LTD is an employer of choice and cares about its image? Or is it because LTD just wants to be cruel to workers? I think that if there are standards for the uniform then they should pay us for the time it takes to "maintain these uniforms." Oh and by the way, if it is requirement of the job, then it is the law that they pay us to maintain these uniforms. I have never been paid $18.45 an hour to wash and iron shirts and pants before, but I might be willing. Oh, and it will likely be overtime for me, so make that $24.65 an hour to wash and iron my uniforms. If they don’t pay me then I think I will just take the issue to the Wage and Hour Division. Then LTD will have to pay me double as liquidated damages. Has the management of LTD lost their minds – no they seemingly never had them. I predict it cost two hours per week for me to maintain my uniform in the condition expected. Hand over $49.30 per week please, or if they refuse that will be $98.60 per week please. But this is not an economic issue.
And speaking of safety, the 15 minute prep time is what it takes to do the job. So cut the prep time and sacrifice safety in the process. The Bosses also are saying take away the five-minute turn in time. It takes this long to do these jobs they require of us. So LTD wants us to give them ten minutes for free for free. Not only is that against the law, but it is stupid. LTD better learn now that we will not work for free. Slavery is unconstitutional. There is so much crap in this, ol’ Joe can hardly speak. This is so bad, that it must be remembered whom the heartless creatures that make such proposals for our labor. So lets see, this will cut some workers to the tune of $799.50 per year. Nah, this is not an economic issue, is it.
I am so mad about these proposed rollbacks that I am up for the fight. I stand with the Union. We must be united. We must be ready to defend our ground gained. And we cannot, must not and shall not give in.
Never forget that the fish rots from the head down. So look to the Board of Directors first. They are supposedly calling the shots. But whom are they telling. Well, lets start with Ken Hamm. Rumors have it that Hamm has run everyplace he has been into the ground, and gets away just in time for the damage to show up. But lets face it, Hamm knows nothing about LTD, doesn't care about LTD, has no history with LTD and has no vision about employees who make things happen.
Former Screen Actor Guild President Ed Asner said it best when he said "I can be a patient man with stupidity, but not with those who are proud of it." This is how I see Hamm. Because of his stupidity and mismanagement Hamm likes to blame everyone else in his sight. He seldom takes responsibility for failures. We must speak out about this misguided hapless leader, and soon.
I will speak more to you about the management proposal in the near future. But trust me brothers and sisters – the money is there and is being saved for the BRT Boondoggle which we must do all we can to stop. Have you contact Congressman DeFazio. DeFAZIO: E-mail Me (00991) Do it now! The Boondoggle bleeds us and takes from our families and does nothing for the future. It has a dubious future and no committed funding, unless they get it from us. I don't intend to give them my paycheck for this Boondoggle.
Well, now you can see why Joe has been calling for solidarity.
Joe Hill #11 You can contact Joe Hill at joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Oh and now we have to personally care for the property of LTD by maintaining the uniforms and never mind the shoes – no allowance for that. And how about the big cut in safety boots in the shop? The District’s concern for our safety is touching don’t you think? Of course, this is not an economic issue. Since it isn’t an economic issue for us according to LTD, then it is not economic issue for them? So why make the change? Is it because LTD is an employer of choice and cares about its image? Or is it because LTD just wants to be cruel to workers? I think that if there are standards for the uniform then they should pay us for the time it takes to "maintain these uniforms." Oh and by the way, if it is requirement of the job, then it is the law that they pay us to maintain these uniforms. I have never been paid $18.45 an hour to wash and iron shirts and pants before, but I might be willing. Oh, and it will likely be overtime for me, so make that $24.65 an hour to wash and iron my uniforms. If they don’t pay me then I think I will just take the issue to the Wage and Hour Division. Then LTD will have to pay me double as liquidated damages. Has the management of LTD lost their minds – no they seemingly never had them. I predict it cost two hours per week for me to maintain my uniform in the condition expected. Hand over $49.30 per week please, or if they refuse that will be $98.60 per week please. But this is not an economic issue.
And speaking of safety, the 15 minute prep time is what it takes to do the job. So cut the prep time and sacrifice safety in the process. The Bosses also are saying take away the five-minute turn in time. It takes this long to do these jobs they require of us. So LTD wants us to give them ten minutes for free for free. Not only is that against the law, but it is stupid. LTD better learn now that we will not work for free. Slavery is unconstitutional. There is so much crap in this, ol’ Joe can hardly speak. This is so bad, that it must be remembered whom the heartless creatures that make such proposals for our labor. So lets see, this will cut some workers to the tune of $799.50 per year. Nah, this is not an economic issue, is it.
I am so mad about these proposed rollbacks that I am up for the fight. I stand with the Union. We must be united. We must be ready to defend our ground gained. And we cannot, must not and shall not give in.
Never forget that the fish rots from the head down. So look to the Board of Directors first. They are supposedly calling the shots. But whom are they telling. Well, lets start with Ken Hamm. Rumors have it that Hamm has run everyplace he has been into the ground, and gets away just in time for the damage to show up. But lets face it, Hamm knows nothing about LTD, doesn't care about LTD, has no history with LTD and has no vision about employees who make things happen.
Former Screen Actor Guild President Ed Asner said it best when he said "I can be a patient man with stupidity, but not with those who are proud of it." This is how I see Hamm. Because of his stupidity and mismanagement Hamm likes to blame everyone else in his sight. He seldom takes responsibility for failures. We must speak out about this misguided hapless leader, and soon.
I will speak more to you about the management proposal in the near future. But trust me brothers and sisters – the money is there and is being saved for the BRT Boondoggle which we must do all we can to stop. Have you contact Congressman DeFazio. DeFAZIO: E-mail Me (00991) Do it now! The Boondoggle bleeds us and takes from our families and does nothing for the future. It has a dubious future and no committed funding, unless they get it from us. I don't intend to give them my paycheck for this Boondoggle.
Well, now you can see why Joe has been calling for solidarity.
Joe Hill #11 You can contact Joe Hill at joehill_1915@hotmail.com
#10 - Learn for your Mother
My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing."
Mother Jones
You know Joe Hill never met Mother Jones, but he is sure glad she was there for the United Mine Workers. Look at this quote – it is decades old, but never more true than today. We are facing a challenge to our solidarity sisters and brothers TODAY. It is time for us to join together in greater strength than ever before. As our employer sits on millions of dollars in their accounts for foolish projects, they clamor for us to give back. Did they talk to us about these projects – NO. Did they listen to us about anything on these expensive projects - NO. Do they care how it affects current service and our jobs today or tomorrow – NO. Did they already announce to the world their intention in this contract negotiation – YES. Does it matter to them that this is not bargaining in good faith - NO most absolutely NOT! Do they have ethics or honest concern for those that make the District work – YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!
Some have written to Joe Hill and said that they are being scared by the messages that Joe sends you. I do not intend to frighten anyone. In the words of the Boy Scouts we must "Be Prepared". The intent of the Joe Hill messages is what Mother Jones says (to) "solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together". Our strength to gain and not lose is bound by our solidarity. In other words a chain is only as strong as our weakest link. Our welds in this chain must be perfect and flawless. If the chain breaks we lose and go back. Going back cannot be an option. Not now in these times of LTD abundance and false poverty claims.
It is time for the internal differences that any union has to now be set aside for the time being. It is time for the talk at our tables be of building "our team". We need to be looking to each other and making sacred pledges of solidarity. Once we prevail – and we shall then we can return to the critique and dialog on how we can be better. But we must show any weakness for they will fasten upon it, exploit it and divide us. They know what makes us divided but I promise they are clueless about what makes us strong. The bosses look out for themselves, padding their pockets and building their names – it is a personal and calculated greed of the individual.
But we enjoy the strength of many with the interests of the many. And we shall overcome.
Remember, to write Congressman Peter DeFazio about skipping the BRT ground breaking. Tell him that the BRT groundbreaking is the same as worker back breaking and this is unacceptable. I can’t tell you how important this is. Every worker must join this effort. If you are off duty, protest by standing on the sidewalks on both sides of Franklin with a sign saying NO BRT or BRT Unfair to Workers or something like that. The media will cover this and the "image" of BRT may be brought into question and raise the community dialog. Don’t wear your uniform in this activity unless you want a date with the Rob Montgomery Hangman.
Gather…Gather…Gather, brothers and sisters. Join hands in solidarity. It is the only way for jobs of dignity and justice at LTD.
Joe Hill #10 You can contact Joe Hill directly at joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Mother Jones
You know Joe Hill never met Mother Jones, but he is sure glad she was there for the United Mine Workers. Look at this quote – it is decades old, but never more true than today. We are facing a challenge to our solidarity sisters and brothers TODAY. It is time for us to join together in greater strength than ever before. As our employer sits on millions of dollars in their accounts for foolish projects, they clamor for us to give back. Did they talk to us about these projects – NO. Did they listen to us about anything on these expensive projects - NO. Do they care how it affects current service and our jobs today or tomorrow – NO. Did they already announce to the world their intention in this contract negotiation – YES. Does it matter to them that this is not bargaining in good faith - NO most absolutely NOT! Do they have ethics or honest concern for those that make the District work – YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!
Some have written to Joe Hill and said that they are being scared by the messages that Joe sends you. I do not intend to frighten anyone. In the words of the Boy Scouts we must "Be Prepared". The intent of the Joe Hill messages is what Mother Jones says (to) "solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together". Our strength to gain and not lose is bound by our solidarity. In other words a chain is only as strong as our weakest link. Our welds in this chain must be perfect and flawless. If the chain breaks we lose and go back. Going back cannot be an option. Not now in these times of LTD abundance and false poverty claims.
It is time for the internal differences that any union has to now be set aside for the time being. It is time for the talk at our tables be of building "our team". We need to be looking to each other and making sacred pledges of solidarity. Once we prevail – and we shall then we can return to the critique and dialog on how we can be better. But we must show any weakness for they will fasten upon it, exploit it and divide us. They know what makes us divided but I promise they are clueless about what makes us strong. The bosses look out for themselves, padding their pockets and building their names – it is a personal and calculated greed of the individual.
But we enjoy the strength of many with the interests of the many. And we shall overcome.
Remember, to write Congressman Peter DeFazio about skipping the BRT ground breaking. Tell him that the BRT groundbreaking is the same as worker back breaking and this is unacceptable. I can’t tell you how important this is. Every worker must join this effort. If you are off duty, protest by standing on the sidewalks on both sides of Franklin with a sign saying NO BRT or BRT Unfair to Workers or something like that. The media will cover this and the "image" of BRT may be brought into question and raise the community dialog. Don’t wear your uniform in this activity unless you want a date with the Rob Montgomery Hangman.
Gather…Gather…Gather, brothers and sisters. Join hands in solidarity. It is the only way for jobs of dignity and justice at LTD.
Joe Hill #10 You can contact Joe Hill directly at joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Thursday, June 24, 2004
#9 - So What’s Next Now?
I wrote this poem nearly 100 years ago. It seems appropriate now…
If the workers took the notion they could stop all speeding trains;
Every ship upon the ocean they can tie with mighty chains;
Every wheel in creation, every mine and every mill:
Fleets and armies of the nation, will at their command stand still.
Joe Hill 1915
We have an important meeting to attend and prepare for. The time may be coming where union members need to stand up and be counted. But what can we do to show that we mean business with the management. Maybe we have something very important we can do. We can write letters. Well, to who Joe? Let me write one for you, and you can see what I mean.
The Honorable Peter DeFazio
Member, United States Congress
Dear Congressman DeFazio:
I am an employee and member of the Amalgamated Transit Union local union representing employees at LTD. I am a member of the community in Lane County. Each year that you have run for Congress, our union, which is a member of the community fabric, has supported your election to Congress. Your record of supporting the workers and the middle class is historic and important. I want to thank you for your diligent past support.
I noticed that you plan on attending the groundbreaking of the Bus Rapid Transit system for LTD, on July 1, 2004. In 1999 you said that you would not support BRT unless there was broad community support for the system. I want you to know that the workers at LTD are important stakeholders in BRT, and we have not been engaged in the planning or development of BRT. Our involvement is merely token, and one way conversation. Worst yet, the District, having raised fares, raised taxes, and now demanding worker concessions in collective bargaining, is losing ridership from the public, and morale from the employees is low because of these poor management decisions. LTD has put forward a façade of public support for BRT. But I do not think that this support is there. I can tell you as a member of this community, that I do not support the BRT boondoggle.
LTD has been plagued with bad decisions. They bought untested and untried hybrid electric buses from a company now bankrupt and apparently out of business. The $2.4 million spent for these buses is my federal taxes being wasted. The buses are not in use and are not accessible. Now LTD wants me to pay more in a back door tax by demanding concessions at the bargaining table for a new gimmick. The LTD has joined forces with those political forces trying to destroy the middle class. They want to have employees pay the price for bad decisions they have made. They want us to help pay for BRT, and we don’t even agree with it as a solution.
You might check with the business community, especially, those businesses on the BRT planned routes. I know for example that Coburg Road business owners are really upset about the prospect of BRT interrupting their business street access. I’ll bet that LTD never gives you the real scoop on how the project is proceeding. Why don’t you ask them to show you the time line that was in their Broadway office window for months, showing the start of service would be September this year? Mismanagement has caused this delay and BRT’s ever increasing costs.
But now, we must also ask ourselves about the reality of this project even being continued by a loss of federal funds. With a mounting deficit, war in Iraq, and billions planned for years to come in the Iraqi nation building experiment – a failure not unlike the BRT project – how likely will future federal funds be for this silly project? I suspect you can’t say, and would be unwilling to make any commitment to LTD about this prospect.
Please don’t support this BRT disaster. It will take money out of my pocket through taxes and concessions that LTD will demand, or worse, a loss of income because of a strike. LTD is sitting on millions of taxpayer dollars planning for this, but we may loose our family wage jobs to a strike just months before the election. Great timing don’t you think?
Congressman DeFazio, you are a respected and gifted leader, who has always supported workers. Don’t stab us in the back by further support of the bad management of LTD and this irresponsible BRT project.
Sincerely, Joe Hill
Well, brothers and sisters, that is what I think we all need to do. Your letter should be copied to each member of the LTD Board and Governor Kulongowski. Three Board members are going to be replaced by January. The Governor needs to be made aware of the problems here at LTD. Do it now. The date July 1 is getting close. If you don't write letters, call his office and let him know. LTD is trying to tape our mouths closed - you know, no talking to the Board of Directors. Well that's BS. Has Hamm forgotten what the first amendment is? This is America, Tovarich, and we don't need no stinkin' permission or badges.
I think that the Lane County Central Labor Council should join us in solidarity opposing BRT to Defazio. I think that the State AFL-CIO should get on board with this idea, and I think our International Union should make it abundantly clear to Congressman DeFazio and Senator Wyden how we feel about BRT, and the plan to make us pay for LTD’s share by making us pay for it in concessions. We must take an active part to stop this crap. We can't rest on our buts and expect our capable union leaders to do this job alone. They need our help. So write those letters or make those calls.
We cannot go back, brothers and sisters. If we let them do it now, when they have millions in the bank, their plans for future liberties against us will be devastating. Time to link arms and to not let this happen.
Yours in Solidarity
Joe Hill
You can contact Joe Hill by emailing to joehill_1915@hotmail.com Joe Hill LTD Project #9
Monday, June 21, 2004
#8 - I love Synchronicity ....
LTD just announced two vacant positions. This time it just happens to be one of those times of Synchronicity. LTD is hiring two positions: one union, and one non-union. The interesting thing is, if you look at the announcements closely and do a comparison, you will see that the difference between these jobs is not very different in their requirements or the job. In many ways they have similarities. In fact some might say that they are more alike than they are different. That, in the job duty description, and the essential function requirements, these jobs would be considered equally difficult and challenging. The union position probably requires working nights, (something that usually merits more pay) and doesn't have Saturday and Sunday off, which is often preferred. Yeah, that admin job is certainly tougher by a long stretch. Thank goodness the District has fairly recognized this hardship of preferred schedules, not working nights, and getting unbelievably rich, and healthy retirement benefits
Please study the chart below for a side by side comparison of these jobs as posted on the LTD Web site at www.ltd.org. You don’t have to be too clever to see that these jobs are similar enough not to merit the huge difference in pay and especially in benefits.
Union Position
Guest Service Representative
Non –Union Administrative Position
Administrative Secretary
Union Job
The essential functions of this position include:• Providing route and schedule information via the telephone, or personal contact• Selling and distributing the fare instruments• Maintaining the fare inventory and the cash fund• Answering questions regarding District services• Providing assistance with the special District programs, and• Processing Customer Service Forms
Non-Union Job
The essential functions of this position include:• Typing, proofreading, editing, and formatting a wide variety of documents such as correspondence, contracts, agreements, reports, bid proposals, grant applications, minutes, and other technical information;• Designing and preparing presentation materials for Board of Directors and community meetings;• Designing, editing, and producing LTD marketing and other materials such as posters, flyers, coupons, promotional pieces, organizational charts and maps, using various graphic and desktop publishing software;• Arranging for staff travel and related registrations for conferences, legislative lobbying, and other business-related trips;• Coordinating and participating in a variety of meetings for and with LTD staff, including recording, transcribing, and distributing meeting minutes;• Providing back-up support to reception as well and the Executive Secretary; and• Providing exceptional customer service to staff and the public.
Union Job
Qualified candidates must have the ability to:• Account for the cash and the inventory in an accurate manner• Read and interpret the written District documents, such as route and schedule information and policies and procedures• Relate effectively with the public in a variety of circumstances, and• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing
Non-union Job
Qualified candidates must have:• Knowledge of advanced principles of business English, including word usage, punctuation, and grammar;• The ability to type at least 60 words per minute;• The ability to use a personal computer in a LAN environment, including advanced word processing skills using Microsoft Word or Word Perfect and a working knowledge of other computer software such as graphic arts, desktop publishing, spreadsheet, and database applications;• The ability to take and transcribe detailed meeting minutes; and• Time, priority, and project management skills.
Union Job
Qualified candidates should have:• A minimum of two (2) years of work experience that exhibits direct sales to the public and dispensing information• Knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet programs• An associates degree from a recognized college or university in a related field or any equivalent combination of experience and education, and• A valid Oregon Driver’s License
Bilingual communication abilities are preferred.
Non-Union Job
Qualified candidates should have:• One year of secretarial training in an approved school or training program, including computer skills, business English, and priority management; and• A minimum of five years of secretarial experience with increasing responsibility in a customer service, team oriented environment.
Union- Compensation starts at $13.15 to $17.48 per hour
Non-Union - Compensation starts at $14.07 to $18.76 per hour
Union - Compensation is $2,279 to $3,030 per month
Non-Union - Compensation is $2,439 to $3,252 per month
Union - Maximum High Pay per Year – $36,360
Non- Union - Maximum High Pay per Year – $39,024 (7.3% more)
Union - Good Benefits (for now)
Non-Union - Extremely Rich Benefits
Union Plan
Family Health Plan
Family Dental Plan
Family Vision Plan
$30,000.00 Life Insurance
Very SHORT Term Disability Insurance
Defined Benefit Plan (much less than Admin)
Inflexible leave plans
Non Union Plan
Family Health Plan
Family Dental Plan
Family Vision Plan
$50,000.00 Life Insurance
LONG Term Disability Insurance
Very excellent Defined Benefit Plan
6% Defined Contribution Plan (Employer Paid)
Flexible leave plans
So there you have it, even more proof of the disparity of pay and benefits between union and non-union employees at LTD. The District paid off these admin employees not to join a union a few years back, and you know what, they did ok just making the threat to join a union. I guess Will Mueller is wiser than some give him credit for.
So where does that leave us? We can continue to sit with our tin cups out, and say "please massa be good to us po’ folk drivin’ them buses and fixin ‘em good so they run. We be so sorry that we can’t fix them AVS buses. But we can’t hep’ that you went south and bought FUBAR buses." This is what the bosses expect. They want us to roll over, and give deep appreciation for their generosity. But remember, according to Pangborn, trained monkeys could do our jobs. And don’t forget, Mark Johnson made real clear a year ago loudly to one of our brothers, that some of us were just lucky to have a job at all.
Best of all in the last issue of "the inside lane," (May 2004), Ken Hamm gives us a "heads up from our General Manager." After explaining the road map for negotiations, employees are directed to Mary Neidig or Mark Johnson for answers to our questions, and not any of our union officers. Yes the one-way propaganda war has begun.
All I ask you to do its stick by the union. All you have to do is look at the differences in fairness between us and our "fellow workers" in admin, to see the level of unfairness and inequality we have at LTD. The proof is out there. The documents of LTD prove it. All through the boom years of the 90’s we fought tooth and tong for anything from LTD, and our battles were tough. We see the reason is because they saved all the money for BRT and none for the rainy day when employees would need to keep up. As for me, I am solid for the Union, and I am ready to back up our words with the collective action our Union. Rally, brothers and sisters rally, for the dignity of your jobs and the work you do.
Solidarity Forever,
Joe Hill
Joe Hill #8 You can respond to Joe Hill directly at Joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Please study the chart below for a side by side comparison of these jobs as posted on the LTD Web site at www.ltd.org. You don’t have to be too clever to see that these jobs are similar enough not to merit the huge difference in pay and especially in benefits.
Union Position
Guest Service Representative
Non –Union Administrative Position
Administrative Secretary
Union Job
The essential functions of this position include:• Providing route and schedule information via the telephone, or personal contact• Selling and distributing the fare instruments• Maintaining the fare inventory and the cash fund• Answering questions regarding District services• Providing assistance with the special District programs, and• Processing Customer Service Forms
Non-Union Job
The essential functions of this position include:• Typing, proofreading, editing, and formatting a wide variety of documents such as correspondence, contracts, agreements, reports, bid proposals, grant applications, minutes, and other technical information;• Designing and preparing presentation materials for Board of Directors and community meetings;• Designing, editing, and producing LTD marketing and other materials such as posters, flyers, coupons, promotional pieces, organizational charts and maps, using various graphic and desktop publishing software;• Arranging for staff travel and related registrations for conferences, legislative lobbying, and other business-related trips;• Coordinating and participating in a variety of meetings for and with LTD staff, including recording, transcribing, and distributing meeting minutes;• Providing back-up support to reception as well and the Executive Secretary; and• Providing exceptional customer service to staff and the public.
Union Job
Qualified candidates must have the ability to:• Account for the cash and the inventory in an accurate manner• Read and interpret the written District documents, such as route and schedule information and policies and procedures• Relate effectively with the public in a variety of circumstances, and• Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing
Non-union Job
Qualified candidates must have:• Knowledge of advanced principles of business English, including word usage, punctuation, and grammar;• The ability to type at least 60 words per minute;• The ability to use a personal computer in a LAN environment, including advanced word processing skills using Microsoft Word or Word Perfect and a working knowledge of other computer software such as graphic arts, desktop publishing, spreadsheet, and database applications;• The ability to take and transcribe detailed meeting minutes; and• Time, priority, and project management skills.
Union Job
Qualified candidates should have:• A minimum of two (2) years of work experience that exhibits direct sales to the public and dispensing information• Knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet programs• An associates degree from a recognized college or university in a related field or any equivalent combination of experience and education, and• A valid Oregon Driver’s License
Bilingual communication abilities are preferred.
Non-Union Job
Qualified candidates should have:• One year of secretarial training in an approved school or training program, including computer skills, business English, and priority management; and• A minimum of five years of secretarial experience with increasing responsibility in a customer service, team oriented environment.
Union- Compensation starts at $13.15 to $17.48 per hour
Non-Union - Compensation starts at $14.07 to $18.76 per hour
Union - Compensation is $2,279 to $3,030 per month
Non-Union - Compensation is $2,439 to $3,252 per month
Union - Maximum High Pay per Year – $36,360
Non- Union - Maximum High Pay per Year – $39,024 (7.3% more)
Union - Good Benefits (for now)
Non-Union - Extremely Rich Benefits
Union Plan
Family Health Plan
Family Dental Plan
Family Vision Plan
$30,000.00 Life Insurance
Very SHORT Term Disability Insurance
Defined Benefit Plan (much less than Admin)
Inflexible leave plans
Non Union Plan
Family Health Plan
Family Dental Plan
Family Vision Plan
$50,000.00 Life Insurance
LONG Term Disability Insurance
Very excellent Defined Benefit Plan
6% Defined Contribution Plan (Employer Paid)
Flexible leave plans
So there you have it, even more proof of the disparity of pay and benefits between union and non-union employees at LTD. The District paid off these admin employees not to join a union a few years back, and you know what, they did ok just making the threat to join a union. I guess Will Mueller is wiser than some give him credit for.
So where does that leave us? We can continue to sit with our tin cups out, and say "please massa be good to us po’ folk drivin’ them buses and fixin ‘em good so they run. We be so sorry that we can’t fix them AVS buses. But we can’t hep’ that you went south and bought FUBAR buses." This is what the bosses expect. They want us to roll over, and give deep appreciation for their generosity. But remember, according to Pangborn, trained monkeys could do our jobs. And don’t forget, Mark Johnson made real clear a year ago loudly to one of our brothers, that some of us were just lucky to have a job at all.
Best of all in the last issue of "the inside lane," (May 2004), Ken Hamm gives us a "heads up from our General Manager." After explaining the road map for negotiations, employees are directed to Mary Neidig or Mark Johnson for answers to our questions, and not any of our union officers. Yes the one-way propaganda war has begun.
All I ask you to do its stick by the union. All you have to do is look at the differences in fairness between us and our "fellow workers" in admin, to see the level of unfairness and inequality we have at LTD. The proof is out there. The documents of LTD prove it. All through the boom years of the 90’s we fought tooth and tong for anything from LTD, and our battles were tough. We see the reason is because they saved all the money for BRT and none for the rainy day when employees would need to keep up. As for me, I am solid for the Union, and I am ready to back up our words with the collective action our Union. Rally, brothers and sisters rally, for the dignity of your jobs and the work you do.
Solidarity Forever,
Joe Hill
Joe Hill #8 You can respond to Joe Hill directly at Joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Friday, June 18, 2004
#7 - Barbecue Boycott
Greetings fellow workers! July 1, 2004, a Barbecue Day that will live in infamy. Well, my fellow workers Joe Hill got his first email recommending from a fellow traveler that the Barbecue on July 1 at the Barn be boycotted. This person suggested that we tell them to save the cost of the barbecue and add it to our bottom line. While this concept is very tempting there is a far better way to roast this Hamm. You should also as a rule never turn down a semi free meal. I never turn down a free meal even a semi free one.
Well, Joe why are you saying semi free? Because this barbecue is like how they want our health benefits. We have to bring something to the table. I recommend that you bring ice, every party needs more ice – plus it will be hot and we need to give them something cold other than our shoulders. Its cheep and you can make it your self. So bring something to the (potluck) and we (your ever so appreciative bosses and Leadership Council) will slip you the weenie. Just another way to get screwed by the bosses at LTD.
But as ol’ Joe says "don’t mourn, organize." The boycott idea while admirable is not the way to send the message. Attached to this organizing note to our loyal brothers and sisters is a meal ticket for the barbecue. Stand up and be counted as you fill your plate and laugh with the bosses. There will be lots of admin employees to swap retirement planning stories with at this event. You get to ask Pangborn and Hamm they plan on making it on their 6% slush fund. You can also tell them my favorite labor leader quote:
If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich (and my I respectfully add the bosses) would have kept it all to themselves.
Former AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland
If you don’t feel like chatting it up try just giving the management chefs a meal ticket, because the message should be clear. In fact everyone should deliver a meal ticket to the barbecue whether you eat or not. The message could never be more clear. If you are afraid to personally hand it over just give it to a union leader and say could you give this to THEM. We will all know who THEM is. The message needs to be clear to LTD that when Jon Hunt, ATU Vice President says we are not going back, we mean it. Times are going to be harder before they are easier. The bosses have cast their die. A 4% limit in pay and benefits and SERVICE CUTS! That’s sounds like job cuts to me.
Solidarity Forever
Joe Hill
Joe Hill #7 You can reach Joe at joehill_1915@hotmail.com – suggestions and feedback welcome
Well, Joe why are you saying semi free? Because this barbecue is like how they want our health benefits. We have to bring something to the table. I recommend that you bring ice, every party needs more ice – plus it will be hot and we need to give them something cold other than our shoulders. Its cheep and you can make it your self. So bring something to the (potluck) and we (your ever so appreciative bosses and Leadership Council) will slip you the weenie. Just another way to get screwed by the bosses at LTD.
But as ol’ Joe says "don’t mourn, organize." The boycott idea while admirable is not the way to send the message. Attached to this organizing note to our loyal brothers and sisters is a meal ticket for the barbecue. Stand up and be counted as you fill your plate and laugh with the bosses. There will be lots of admin employees to swap retirement planning stories with at this event. You get to ask Pangborn and Hamm they plan on making it on their 6% slush fund. You can also tell them my favorite labor leader quote:
If hard work were such a wonderful thing, surely the rich (and my I respectfully add the bosses) would have kept it all to themselves.
Former AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland
If you don’t feel like chatting it up try just giving the management chefs a meal ticket, because the message should be clear. In fact everyone should deliver a meal ticket to the barbecue whether you eat or not. The message could never be more clear. If you are afraid to personally hand it over just give it to a union leader and say could you give this to THEM. We will all know who THEM is. The message needs to be clear to LTD that when Jon Hunt, ATU Vice President says we are not going back, we mean it. Times are going to be harder before they are easier. The bosses have cast their die. A 4% limit in pay and benefits and SERVICE CUTS! That’s sounds like job cuts to me.
Solidarity Forever
Joe Hill
Joe Hill #7 You can reach Joe at joehill_1915@hotmail.com – suggestions and feedback welcome
Thursday, June 17, 2004
#6 - Who is LTD's Joe Hill?
Does it really matter? It is what is said that is important. You may agree you may disagree. You may not llike the tone and style. If not just don't read it. But Joe HIll is just like you. Trying to do the job and understand why the atmosphere is so toxic at LTD. It was for this reason that Joe Hill is anonymous. LTD higher-ups are seldom concerned about "our Team", they are concerned about "Their Team". These teams are very different you see. In fact they are more different than they are alike. And the boosses like to believe that they are the same team. How silly is that. Sadly some of the folks who you think are on your team are playing for both teams or secretly just the other team.
The reason Joe Hill must remain anonymous is that LTD has a long history of acting against employees who don't think like them. I need this job and I know that speaking out results in people disappearing eventually. But if you support the bosses, even when they are dumb, you will go far my friend.
I hope that you my fellow brothers and sisters are not wringing your hands in worry, or sit trembling at the prospect of the contract negotiations. As a group we shall decide our fate and we shall do so democratically. If we vote to fold to unreasonable demands of the employer - so be it. I would be no less proud or disturbed by that prospect. BUT, I will not stand silent at the notion of take aways, reductions in service meaning a loss of our jobs, the erosion of contracting out service for more job gone, and in these troubling times the thought of taking away benefits and creating an under class among workers at LTD. 43 million Amercians have no insurance, and look to becoming a permanent American underclass. We should not voluntarily join their ranks.
LTD workers arise to these messages and realize that you having nothing to lose by being one in spirit and joined in solidarity. Your dignity is in question by the management. When their attitudeis we the bosses are better than you, thus deserve more, it is your dignity as a person that is called into question. For me, I grow tired of lip service at "team meetings". Perhaps most curious is the number of supervisors and admin employees who I have heard grumble. Think how they would howl if they had our prospect to deal with.
We need to begin in earnest to talk to each other. We must understand out hearts for ahead we must have heart. If we lack this, then we might as well let them place the yoke upon us and the feedbag of oats, for we will be no better than the dumb animals they expect us to be.
Remember the words of Mother Jones:
"My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing."
In Solidarity,
Joe Hill
Joe Hill LTD Project #6 Feedback to Joe at joehill_1915@hotmail.com
The reason Joe Hill must remain anonymous is that LTD has a long history of acting against employees who don't think like them. I need this job and I know that speaking out results in people disappearing eventually. But if you support the bosses, even when they are dumb, you will go far my friend.
I hope that you my fellow brothers and sisters are not wringing your hands in worry, or sit trembling at the prospect of the contract negotiations. As a group we shall decide our fate and we shall do so democratically. If we vote to fold to unreasonable demands of the employer - so be it. I would be no less proud or disturbed by that prospect. BUT, I will not stand silent at the notion of take aways, reductions in service meaning a loss of our jobs, the erosion of contracting out service for more job gone, and in these troubling times the thought of taking away benefits and creating an under class among workers at LTD. 43 million Amercians have no insurance, and look to becoming a permanent American underclass. We should not voluntarily join their ranks.
LTD workers arise to these messages and realize that you having nothing to lose by being one in spirit and joined in solidarity. Your dignity is in question by the management. When their attitudeis we the bosses are better than you, thus deserve more, it is your dignity as a person that is called into question. For me, I grow tired of lip service at "team meetings". Perhaps most curious is the number of supervisors and admin employees who I have heard grumble. Think how they would howl if they had our prospect to deal with.
We need to begin in earnest to talk to each other. We must understand out hearts for ahead we must have heart. If we lack this, then we might as well let them place the yoke upon us and the feedbag of oats, for we will be no better than the dumb animals they expect us to be.
Remember the words of Mother Jones:
"My friends, it is solidarity of labor we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: "We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing."
In Solidarity,
Joe Hill
Joe Hill LTD Project #6 Feedback to Joe at joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
#5 - So how poor is LTD right now?
Well, not very poor, if you can read the budget document. There are many millions laying around in the budget and not expecting to be spent. The Budget Message said:
"Engineering plans for the EmX Franklin Corridor were completed. This corridor is scheduled to be operational in the fall of 2006. (source Hamm 2004-05 budget message)
But the Fiscal Year 04-05 budget suggests that the BRT (I refuse to call it that most ridicules of names EmX) will be built and ready by June 30, 2005. The capital budget shows more than $21 million dollars for the BRT. It also looks like they are hiding the BRT boarding platform costs in the PBI/Facilities capital budget where there is another $2.6 million. Or they are replacing all the bus shelters this year? Ya think? I doubt it. Lest we forget, the LTD Capital Fund is buying a new building for RideSource. Isn’t that nice? Just another $1.2 million, not for LTD services, just nice new stuff for the sub-contractors of the Diamond Express. That adds up to $24.8 million. All added up, probably double the cost of the ATU payroll and benefits for the same period. Ouch!
Well, you and I both know that the damn BRT won’t be built by the end of 2005. They will start whacking away at it, but it will be mostly unfinished, is my bet – delayed by land use lawsuits or other mismanagement. Plus this budget has $1 million for construction of Pioneer Parkway – a leg that has no federal funding and not enough local funds to build it. But what the Parkway looks like to me is a place to park $1,000,000. Out of reach of public services and employee bargaining. That’s nice – lots of shade trees to keep the dough comfortable.
Now let us take a peek at the Operations hidden money. There’s a line in the budget called "Reserves – Working Capital for $5.3 million. Someone needs to explain to employees what the hell this money is for - poor management slop over maybe? Transfer to Accessible Service $1.2 million that we discovered in capital budget for nice new shiny facilities for sub-contractors and $1 million for Self Insurance reserves. What! – but we have insurance? The schedule in the budget document couldn’t use up a million no matter what. So this is at least another $7.5 million.
Now Joe Hill knows, and the rest of you know, that they will spend some of this money the way they plan to, but not all this year. And it is questionable whether they will spend the way they say they will in the long run. But the more important question is should they build the BRT now, or even ever? The District is tying up millions and millions of dollars for the BRT while making service cuts in two consecutive years. The rainy day fund – the operations contingency – now a puny $1.5 million, is still enough to prevent service reductions in regular service. But you have to have some contingency. Well, just bring back some of that capital money and build it up later as the economy improves. That way our primary service need not be cut, and employees can get a fair treatment at the bargaining table.
Could somebody please take Ken Hamm an umbrella and tell him that it raining.
Solidarity forever,
Joe Hill
You can contact Joe Hill by emailing to joehill_1915@hotmail.com
"Engineering plans for the EmX Franklin Corridor were completed. This corridor is scheduled to be operational in the fall of 2006. (source Hamm 2004-05 budget message)
But the Fiscal Year 04-05 budget suggests that the BRT (I refuse to call it that most ridicules of names EmX) will be built and ready by June 30, 2005. The capital budget shows more than $21 million dollars for the BRT. It also looks like they are hiding the BRT boarding platform costs in the PBI/Facilities capital budget where there is another $2.6 million. Or they are replacing all the bus shelters this year? Ya think? I doubt it. Lest we forget, the LTD Capital Fund is buying a new building for RideSource. Isn’t that nice? Just another $1.2 million, not for LTD services, just nice new stuff for the sub-contractors of the Diamond Express. That adds up to $24.8 million. All added up, probably double the cost of the ATU payroll and benefits for the same period. Ouch!
Well, you and I both know that the damn BRT won’t be built by the end of 2005. They will start whacking away at it, but it will be mostly unfinished, is my bet – delayed by land use lawsuits or other mismanagement. Plus this budget has $1 million for construction of Pioneer Parkway – a leg that has no federal funding and not enough local funds to build it. But what the Parkway looks like to me is a place to park $1,000,000. Out of reach of public services and employee bargaining. That’s nice – lots of shade trees to keep the dough comfortable.
Now let us take a peek at the Operations hidden money. There’s a line in the budget called "Reserves – Working Capital for $5.3 million. Someone needs to explain to employees what the hell this money is for - poor management slop over maybe? Transfer to Accessible Service $1.2 million that we discovered in capital budget for nice new shiny facilities for sub-contractors and $1 million for Self Insurance reserves. What! – but we have insurance? The schedule in the budget document couldn’t use up a million no matter what. So this is at least another $7.5 million.
Now Joe Hill knows, and the rest of you know, that they will spend some of this money the way they plan to, but not all this year. And it is questionable whether they will spend the way they say they will in the long run. But the more important question is should they build the BRT now, or even ever? The District is tying up millions and millions of dollars for the BRT while making service cuts in two consecutive years. The rainy day fund – the operations contingency – now a puny $1.5 million, is still enough to prevent service reductions in regular service. But you have to have some contingency. Well, just bring back some of that capital money and build it up later as the economy improves. That way our primary service need not be cut, and employees can get a fair treatment at the bargaining table.
Could somebody please take Ken Hamm an umbrella and tell him that it raining.
Solidarity forever,
Joe Hill
You can contact Joe Hill by emailing to joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
# 4 - Joe Hill LTD Project
Welcome to the LTD Joe Hill Project. In Joe Hill’s Last Will and Testament, Joe told labor union activists with his execution to "don’t mourn, ORGANIZE".
Organizing takes many shapes and forms. Now in this time our lives and livelihoods are in the hands of people who do not appear to respect our work. The Employer has decided to follow a course that is destined to drag on for decades before there is any inkling of success. The BRT project was a pilot project to demonstrate a point. But as another singer has said it is "the new religion that will bring you to your knees."
The High Priest of the BRT religion at LTD is jointly held by Rev. Pangborn and Father Viggiano. They have for years proven their disdain for the organized labor of LTD. They fought hard to keep the Admin employees from organizing some years ago. The high Vicar of worker viciousness is His cluelessness Ken Hamm. This leader of the BRT cult can smile and stab you and you won’t know it until you bleed out and hour later. Why such harsh words say ye to ol’ Joe. Because people matter nothing to these leaders of LTD.
Caesar Chavez said "The fight is never about the grapes or lettuce. It is always about the people." The late great Brother Chavez is correct. It is about the people. The people who work to keep the buses clean, the workers who work to maintain the buses working condition, the service workers who fuel, lube, and wash buses. The same people our operators who drive the buses and the Customer Service workers who help the PEOPLE who ride the buses. And now that we see that when all is done by the workers it is the PEOPLE who are served that should be paramount.
Abraham Lincoln said "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could NEVER have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital and deserves much higher consideration."
Joe Hill can not top this. We have seen the priorities of LTD tilt to capital and turn now away from Labor. Workers watch, be aware and prepare. As million lay in the budget for useless folly in capital projects the axe approaches. If not the axe the wall. But the hands of many cannot not be stopped any more than their hands can hold back rushing water. More is coming…Solidarity forever, Joe Hill now email at Joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Organizing takes many shapes and forms. Now in this time our lives and livelihoods are in the hands of people who do not appear to respect our work. The Employer has decided to follow a course that is destined to drag on for decades before there is any inkling of success. The BRT project was a pilot project to demonstrate a point. But as another singer has said it is "the new religion that will bring you to your knees."
The High Priest of the BRT religion at LTD is jointly held by Rev. Pangborn and Father Viggiano. They have for years proven their disdain for the organized labor of LTD. They fought hard to keep the Admin employees from organizing some years ago. The high Vicar of worker viciousness is His cluelessness Ken Hamm. This leader of the BRT cult can smile and stab you and you won’t know it until you bleed out and hour later. Why such harsh words say ye to ol’ Joe. Because people matter nothing to these leaders of LTD.
Caesar Chavez said "The fight is never about the grapes or lettuce. It is always about the people." The late great Brother Chavez is correct. It is about the people. The people who work to keep the buses clean, the workers who work to maintain the buses working condition, the service workers who fuel, lube, and wash buses. The same people our operators who drive the buses and the Customer Service workers who help the PEOPLE who ride the buses. And now that we see that when all is done by the workers it is the PEOPLE who are served that should be paramount.
Abraham Lincoln said "Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could NEVER have existed if Labor had not first existed. Labor is superior to capital and deserves much higher consideration."
Joe Hill can not top this. We have seen the priorities of LTD tilt to capital and turn now away from Labor. Workers watch, be aware and prepare. As million lay in the budget for useless folly in capital projects the axe approaches. If not the axe the wall. But the hands of many cannot not be stopped any more than their hands can hold back rushing water. More is coming…Solidarity forever, Joe Hill now email at Joehill_1915@hotmail.com
Monday, June 14, 2004
# 3 - Hard Questions for LTD
Some Facts and Hard Questions for LTD
Brothers and Sisters if you want to learn something more about the company that you work for just go the entire budget for LTD. You can find it on the Internet. It is located at:
http://www.ltd.org/site_files/budget/budget.htm
Feel free to check out the information that you have read so far from poor ol’ Joe Hill.
So what does our Finance Department say about resources for the District?
Fiscal Year Total Resources Percent Increase
01-02 $30,170,620
02-03 $30,887,801 2.38%
03-04 $32,589,770 5.51%
04-05 $34,539,430 5.98%
Source LTD Budget document
So let me get this straight, the District has been going up in resources every year. And they are complaining about not having enough to bargain with us in good faith. They want to cut service 4% and limit all union increases to a total of 4%. Union wages and benefits are running about $12.5 million. So 4% is equal to $500,000. This is about $100,000 more than previously assumed, but then the budget document does not tell us how much our union wages are in total for the year. But a 5.98% increase in revenue is equal to $1,949,000. So the Union negotiations are only eligible to get us 25.6% of the District revenue for this year. We don't want it all, but we do have more than 2/3's of the workers from LTD under our contract.
In fact more than $3,000,000 of all District Revenue is from fares that are collected only because we are there to sell fares, collect fares or empty the fare boxes. I don’t know about you but this sounds like a raw deal to me. Seems like the District could afford some more for the employees in general. (But believe me they have taken care of the Admin employees.) But as George Orwell said "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." You will see this is true later down below. Also whether the District is telling the truth or not about how poor the District is, might not have been a problem if the District had not transferred away the rainy day fund to the capital fund so that lots of fun computers, color copy machines and other great STUFF could be bought. You know STUFF is so important.
This would especially not be true if they dumped the BRT Money Pit. You know the only good thing that I think that Ronald Reagan did, was cancel the MX missile program. This was a stupid plan to truck (bus) missiles around the Nevada desert so the Ruskies could not be able to predict where to hit them. It was a major money pit. Just like our own Emx. Dump the BRT plan or at least shelve it for a while, buy cheaper buses, increase frequency, stay with proven simple technology and do a better job marketing, but then I am just dumb ol' bus driver.
Now for the Questions.
How come the budget document does not list Hamm’s pay and benefits anywhere? Are they some big secret or are we just embarrassed about how much we pay this guy.
How come in the benefits list it shows disability for Union and Admin employees? Union folks only get 26 weeks of disability benefits, but the admin folks get LONG TERM disability. They are not the same by a long stretch. If they get disabled they get paid until they turn 65. Why is that? Are these people more important than us union folks? The way the budget document is printed it looks like we are treated equally. This is a lie.
How come the budget document shows life insurance for union and non-union employees. But they are not the same, are they? How come the admin folks get $50,000 life insurance and we get $30,000? If we die we have families to take care of too you know. Or is it the same answer as number 2 – we are just not worth it? The way the budget document is printed it looks like we are treated equally. This is a lie.
How come the admin employees get 6% of their gross pay, tax-free, every paycheck all year long for retirement savings? Union workers 10 cent for every hour we work for retirement, and we never get that money? So a union employee gets $17.30 per month but admin employees who must earn on average about $5,000 per month on average put away $300 per in their retirement slush fund and they get this paid to them. Do my fellow union brothers and sisters know that? How unfair is this? Wait til you see the effect this has on retirement.
But the retirement differences do not stop there. Oh nooooo. You do know that we union folks get $55.00 per year of service a LTD worker but did you know that admin employees get 1.75% of their final high pay for every year that they have worked (until the 25th year, then it goes TURBO for Admin)? Hey, let's see how that works, Joe….
Ok ... lets say that an Admin employee made the same wage as a top paid bus driver (but most of them make more - a whole lot more). The BLOG does not support the table so if you have any questions email EPRush1@aol.com and request this report (Joe Hill 4).
Column Numbers
Years of Hard Work for Union and years of service for admin.
1. Union or Admin Wages (using the top wage rate for drivers)
2. Defined Benefit/month
3. Defined Contribution for service with no investment return
4. Pay Out of Defined Contribution plan at 240 months earning 5% annuity
5. Total Retirement paid to retiree.
6. How much better for Admin. You are getting screwed by this much!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Current Monthly 6% Slush Monthly Monthly Percent
Wages Benefit Fund Benefit Total More!!!!
Admin with 10 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 559.04 $ 23,000.64 $ 152.00 $ 711.04 29.28%
Union with 10 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 550.00 $0 $0 $ 550.00
Admin with 15 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 838.57 $ 34,500.96 $ 228.00 $ 1,066.57 29.28%
Union with 15 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 825.00 $0 $0 $ 825.00
Admin with 20 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 1,118.09 $ 46,001.28 $ 303.00 $ 1,421.09 29.19%
Union with 20 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 1,100.00 $0 $0 $ 1,100.00
The Admin Turbo Retirement Benefit Kicks for Admin 25 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 2,395.90 $ 57,501.60 $ 379.00 $2,774.90 101%
A whopping 101.81% more than us in the union!
Union with 25 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 1,375.00 $0 $0 $ 1,375.00
Source: Developed from the information in the LTD Administrative Employee Retirement and ATU/LTD Pension Trust Plans
These figures do not include any growth in the investments that the admin employees gain as they get their 6% month in and month out. So their take at retirement is even more than our conservative chart shows. Well, Joe Hill thinks that this is pretty crappy. No matter how long you work for LTD, if you are an admin employee you are better off than the Union folks, who do the heavy lifting around here. They get paid more in wages almost across the board. They get better benefits in life and disability insurance, and their retirement is 100% better for long service to the District.
Our bargaining team has to hold Hamm's feet to the fire. LTD open your clenched fist would ya, huh? Can you really look your employees in the face knowing that you, the managers, the decision makers, treat yourselves so much better than the rest of us. You decide your own pay and for your other admin pals. You then treat the union employees worse than children because our pay and benefits are almost like an allowance from our mommy and daddy.
Now there is this little thing about money. Betcha didn't know that there are quite a few employees or their spouses that are tax payers to LTD. I'll bet that Hamm and Pangborn don't pay LTD taxes. I'll bet their fancy pants lawyers from Portland, who are working at doing the bosses screwing of the workers, don't even pay taxes even though they are supposed to, when they provide services or work in the District - just like my carpenter brother's company had to when they worked on Autzen Stadium. They just get away with it cause, it makes it easier to screw us and besides the bosses don't tax their buddies.
Joe's Suggestions for Fairness and being "At Your Service":
Tax those big time lawyers that are working in our District. Don't cut service! Try being "At Your Service" for the sake of the public. Making a 4% service cut and making a limit demand of 4% in bargainiing with us is transparent and unfair to the public and us. Recent ridership records in the budget document show a decline in riders. With cuts in frequency, some runs cut altogether and other stupid changes this is not surprising. It's just bad management. Cutting service and limiting pay for workers is really wrong especially true when you are sitting on $1.949 million more than last year in resources. Driving our system into the ground to build the BRT and then think they will come is not proven and in fact it is probably foolish.
LTD needs to bargain truely in good faith! There are some real unfair things at LTD. Start by remembering that we are people, with families, loved ones and events that we like to be part of too. Other places are more flexible - LTD could be too. It certainly is for admin employees. A little creativity and fair hearted thinking on your part would be nice. You won't find it with highly paid Portland lawyers who will likely get as much money in fees as it would cost to improve our life and disability insurance would cost.
The retirement differences between admin and the union employees are outrageous. Our jobs are physically demanding - much more than admin jobs. There just does not seem to be any fair explanation that admin employees should get 101% more than union empoyees with 25 years of service! At a minimum, you should fix retirement or be ashamed.
Solidarity Forever,
Joe Hill
Brothers and Sisters if you want to learn something more about the company that you work for just go the entire budget for LTD. You can find it on the Internet. It is located at:
http://www.ltd.org/site_files/budget/budget.htm
Feel free to check out the information that you have read so far from poor ol’ Joe Hill.
So what does our Finance Department say about resources for the District?
Fiscal Year Total Resources Percent Increase
01-02 $30,170,620
02-03 $30,887,801 2.38%
03-04 $32,589,770 5.51%
04-05 $34,539,430 5.98%
Source LTD Budget document
So let me get this straight, the District has been going up in resources every year. And they are complaining about not having enough to bargain with us in good faith. They want to cut service 4% and limit all union increases to a total of 4%. Union wages and benefits are running about $12.5 million. So 4% is equal to $500,000. This is about $100,000 more than previously assumed, but then the budget document does not tell us how much our union wages are in total for the year. But a 5.98% increase in revenue is equal to $1,949,000. So the Union negotiations are only eligible to get us 25.6% of the District revenue for this year. We don't want it all, but we do have more than 2/3's of the workers from LTD under our contract.
In fact more than $3,000,000 of all District Revenue is from fares that are collected only because we are there to sell fares, collect fares or empty the fare boxes. I don’t know about you but this sounds like a raw deal to me. Seems like the District could afford some more for the employees in general. (But believe me they have taken care of the Admin employees.) But as George Orwell said "all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." You will see this is true later down below. Also whether the District is telling the truth or not about how poor the District is, might not have been a problem if the District had not transferred away the rainy day fund to the capital fund so that lots of fun computers, color copy machines and other great STUFF could be bought. You know STUFF is so important.
This would especially not be true if they dumped the BRT Money Pit. You know the only good thing that I think that Ronald Reagan did, was cancel the MX missile program. This was a stupid plan to truck (bus) missiles around the Nevada desert so the Ruskies could not be able to predict where to hit them. It was a major money pit. Just like our own Emx. Dump the BRT plan or at least shelve it for a while, buy cheaper buses, increase frequency, stay with proven simple technology and do a better job marketing, but then I am just dumb ol' bus driver.
Now for the Questions.
How come the budget document does not list Hamm’s pay and benefits anywhere? Are they some big secret or are we just embarrassed about how much we pay this guy.
How come in the benefits list it shows disability for Union and Admin employees? Union folks only get 26 weeks of disability benefits, but the admin folks get LONG TERM disability. They are not the same by a long stretch. If they get disabled they get paid until they turn 65. Why is that? Are these people more important than us union folks? The way the budget document is printed it looks like we are treated equally. This is a lie.
How come the budget document shows life insurance for union and non-union employees. But they are not the same, are they? How come the admin folks get $50,000 life insurance and we get $30,000? If we die we have families to take care of too you know. Or is it the same answer as number 2 – we are just not worth it? The way the budget document is printed it looks like we are treated equally. This is a lie.
How come the admin employees get 6% of their gross pay, tax-free, every paycheck all year long for retirement savings? Union workers 10 cent for every hour we work for retirement, and we never get that money? So a union employee gets $17.30 per month but admin employees who must earn on average about $5,000 per month on average put away $300 per in their retirement slush fund and they get this paid to them. Do my fellow union brothers and sisters know that? How unfair is this? Wait til you see the effect this has on retirement.
But the retirement differences do not stop there. Oh nooooo. You do know that we union folks get $55.00 per year of service a LTD worker but did you know that admin employees get 1.75% of their final high pay for every year that they have worked (until the 25th year, then it goes TURBO for Admin)? Hey, let's see how that works, Joe….
Ok ... lets say that an Admin employee made the same wage as a top paid bus driver (but most of them make more - a whole lot more). The BLOG does not support the table so if you have any questions email EPRush1@aol.com and request this report (Joe Hill 4).
Column Numbers
Years of Hard Work for Union and years of service for admin.
1. Union or Admin Wages (using the top wage rate for drivers)
2. Defined Benefit/month
3. Defined Contribution for service with no investment return
4. Pay Out of Defined Contribution plan at 240 months earning 5% annuity
5. Total Retirement paid to retiree.
6. How much better for Admin. You are getting screwed by this much!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Current Monthly 6% Slush Monthly Monthly Percent
Wages Benefit Fund Benefit Total More!!!!
Admin with 10 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 559.04 $ 23,000.64 $ 152.00 $ 711.04 29.28%
Union with 10 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 550.00 $0 $0 $ 550.00
Admin with 15 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 838.57 $ 34,500.96 $ 228.00 $ 1,066.57 29.28%
Union with 15 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 825.00 $0 $0 $ 825.00
Admin with 20 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 1,118.09 $ 46,001.28 $ 303.00 $ 1,421.09 29.19%
Union with 20 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 1,100.00 $0 $0 $ 1,100.00
The Admin Turbo Retirement Benefit Kicks for Admin 25 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 2,395.90 $ 57,501.60 $ 379.00 $2,774.90 101%
A whopping 101.81% more than us in the union!
Union with 25 years
$ 38,334.40 $ 1,375.00 $0 $0 $ 1,375.00
Source: Developed from the information in the LTD Administrative Employee Retirement and ATU/LTD Pension Trust Plans
These figures do not include any growth in the investments that the admin employees gain as they get their 6% month in and month out. So their take at retirement is even more than our conservative chart shows. Well, Joe Hill thinks that this is pretty crappy. No matter how long you work for LTD, if you are an admin employee you are better off than the Union folks, who do the heavy lifting around here. They get paid more in wages almost across the board. They get better benefits in life and disability insurance, and their retirement is 100% better for long service to the District.
Our bargaining team has to hold Hamm's feet to the fire. LTD open your clenched fist would ya, huh? Can you really look your employees in the face knowing that you, the managers, the decision makers, treat yourselves so much better than the rest of us. You decide your own pay and for your other admin pals. You then treat the union employees worse than children because our pay and benefits are almost like an allowance from our mommy and daddy.
Now there is this little thing about money. Betcha didn't know that there are quite a few employees or their spouses that are tax payers to LTD. I'll bet that Hamm and Pangborn don't pay LTD taxes. I'll bet their fancy pants lawyers from Portland, who are working at doing the bosses screwing of the workers, don't even pay taxes even though they are supposed to, when they provide services or work in the District - just like my carpenter brother's company had to when they worked on Autzen Stadium. They just get away with it cause, it makes it easier to screw us and besides the bosses don't tax their buddies.
Joe's Suggestions for Fairness and being "At Your Service":
Tax those big time lawyers that are working in our District. Don't cut service! Try being "At Your Service" for the sake of the public. Making a 4% service cut and making a limit demand of 4% in bargainiing with us is transparent and unfair to the public and us. Recent ridership records in the budget document show a decline in riders. With cuts in frequency, some runs cut altogether and other stupid changes this is not surprising. It's just bad management. Cutting service and limiting pay for workers is really wrong especially true when you are sitting on $1.949 million more than last year in resources. Driving our system into the ground to build the BRT and then think they will come is not proven and in fact it is probably foolish.
LTD needs to bargain truely in good faith! There are some real unfair things at LTD. Start by remembering that we are people, with families, loved ones and events that we like to be part of too. Other places are more flexible - LTD could be too. It certainly is for admin employees. A little creativity and fair hearted thinking on your part would be nice. You won't find it with highly paid Portland lawyers who will likely get as much money in fees as it would cost to improve our life and disability insurance would cost.
The retirement differences between admin and the union employees are outrageous. Our jobs are physically demanding - much more than admin jobs. There just does not seem to be any fair explanation that admin employees should get 101% more than union empoyees with 25 years of service! At a minimum, you should fix retirement or be ashamed.
Solidarity Forever,
Joe Hill
Joe Hill 3
Saturday, June 12, 2004
#2 -Hamm's Hokey Budget
Joe Hill Takes a look at the Budget Message From Ken Hamm.
LTD Management does not understand what's happening around them now, because they have their eyes fixed on the spotlight they want to stand in, for the BRT Money Pit supposed technical accomplishment. There are a lot of contradictions in this message, and some very interesting conclusions by the District. We, the workers, have targets on our backs for sure. Want to look into their minds, or even scarier, their hearts? Then read this years budget message. It predicts our near future. I have decided to make this kind of dialog review of the budget message. Since Hamm and Helleson signed it together, I will refer to their part as "Hamm from Hell." Commentary by Joe Hill is my part. Use Rish Text, because the fonts are in color.
This is a long read, but if you want to know what they're thinking, then read what they write to themselves. Check it out!
Solidarity forever,
Joe Hill
April 28, 2004
TO: Lane Transit District Budget Committee
FROM: Kenneth P. Hamm, General Manager
Diane W. Hellekson, Budget Officer
SUBJECT: FY 2004-2005 Budget Message
INTRODUCTION
Hamm From Hell: Fiscal year 2003-2004 has been challenging for Lane Transit District and for its partners in community service. Despite some small signs that the economy might start to grow, unemployment remained relatively high and revenues that support Lane Transit District operations continue to be flat.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (If the operations fund was able to retain the $7 million it had in 2001, this period of flat revenues could rely on "the rainy day fund." In 1981, LTD laid off 20% of the workers. The management at that time said that this was unacceptable to the service delivery and employees. Too bad the current management squandered away the rainy day fund, and doesn't care about our mission today of "being at your service" or care about employees
Hamm From Hell: The task of balancing operating expenses to the resources available has become more difficult. Long-term financial viability requires that operating expenses grow at a rate less than or equal to tax revenues.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (sometimes you have to use what you save up, and not rely on current revenues. Rainy day planning expects the ups and downs of the economy. But these Bush supporters refused to admit the economy was in a recession)
Hamm From Hell: Tax revenues have been flat for the last three years.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Well yeah, Bush destroyed the economy! Sorry Walt, but it is true. By the way, how big was your tax cut? Bet Hamm’s was bigger! His tax cut, that is.)
Hamm From Hell: At the same time, wages, health benefit costs, and fuel expenses have increased. The result has been a need to make difficult decisions about service levels, staffing levels, and the level of investment in employee development.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yes, because Team LTD is an employer of choice. What this means to the team is that some employees get chosen for different roles. "Choice cut" employees get the goodies, and union employee get ground for hamburger.)
Hamm From Hell: Balance is the budget theme for FY 2004-2005. Not only must LTD balance each of its separate funds in accordance with state law, we also must balance the needs of the present with those of the future, a challenging assignment in the face of constrained resources.
Commentary by Joe Hill: ((Not if you believe in what you are doing already! When the management talks about the future, they are talking about the money pit BRT plan, the loss leader Breeze Shuttle (a route but just by another name), two tiered pay plans, big benefit cuts, less time off, more control of your life by canceling days off for football, and taking the employees for granted).
Hamm From Hell: With the payroll tax as the primary revenue source, LTD has had to trim service, as local payrolls declined and leveled off.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Not if you had kept the rainy day fund intact)
Hamm From Hell: Demand for a fixed-route and demand-response service increases every year, particularly during times of economic downturns and high fuel prices, both conditions that exist in Lane County.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So let me get this right; fuel prices are up – good for getting more riders –oh, oops guests - you would think. The economy is down, with fewer jobs, and congestion is up. Huh? Ridership is up and we are going to cut service by 4%??!!! You have got to be kidding)
Hamm From Hell: Balancing the community's immediate transportation needs with the community's long-term needs is an ongoing, challenging exercise, even in the best of times. Making no investment in the future is not an option.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Translation, BRT, the money pit, is more important than anything, since "NO INVESTMENT IS NOT OPTION." Sure it is. It's called 'delaying the future' because the present economy has slowed down, including jobs and community growth. Maybe delay or even cancel BRT. Maybe delay or not buy Ride Source facilities. Is it our fault that the Ride Source subcontractor has crappy facilities? Maybe we buy less fancy buses for the future – like consider some that work, or donut catch on fire, for starters)
Hamm From Hell: As road congestion increases, it will cost more to provide a static level of service. The only answer is to increase capacity on major travel corridors.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (I guess this why the #11 bus frequency was cut, and other service frequencies have been cut.)
Hamm From Hell: New roads are not an option. Widening existing roads is not an option. Efforts to discourage single-occupant motor vehicles could help but will not solve the problem, nor prevent it from getting worse over time. In the long-term, a significant capital investment will be needed to prevent the consequences of neglecting the regional transportation system and avoid the gridlock, smog, noise, and lengthy travel times found in many cities.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Johnny Carson's 'Carnak' could predict better than these managers. NO kidding we can't widen or make more roads. I did not know LTD could do that anyway. Capacity is the ONLY answer. Wow, are these folks smart. They cut service (you know –capacity) and plan for the future. Excuse me, but this seems dumb. But then, I'm "just a dumb ol’ bus driver")
Hamm From Hell: The challenges will continue. Controlling the growth of operating expenses, while continuing to provide essential service, will require new approaches. Long-term financial viability will require strict control of all expenditures while actively pursuing opportunities to increase revenues.
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (The blah, blah, blah section)
Budget development is a year-round activity. Almost as soon as a new budget is adopted, work begins on the components of the next one. Capital projects lists are reviewed and revised in early fall, and operating trend analyses and projections are prepared for a senior management two-day work session. This year, the staff Leadership Council work session was held in October, and the product framed the issues and next steps, and prepared the Board of Directors and Leadership Council work session held in November. (Yada Yada Yada)
Hamm From Hell: At the November Board and Leadership Council work session, participants considered opportunities possible for increasing General Fund revenue, as well as opportunities to reduce expenses without affecting service.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Ah, now we know who formed the conspiracy to sock it to the workers. That's right, bosses who make twice as much as the highest paid union employee, and Board members who are lead around by the nose by these highly paid planning disasters.)
Hamm From Hell: Members of the Board of Directors affirmed that maintaining stable fixed-route service during a period of uncertainty and transition was a high priority.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yes, we are so sure they did.)
Hamm From Hell: It also is important to keep public transportation accessible by maintaining both appropriate pricing and route scheduling policies. The focuses developed from the work session and from subsequent meetings include the following:
Commentary by Joe Hill: (WHAT? This is a direct contradiction to what Hamm will say in the paragraphs that follow.)
Hamm From Hell: Revenue
· Hold cash fare prices at FY 2003-2004 rates, which are the same as FY 2002-2003. The sharp increases implemented in FY 2002-2003 were intended to position fare prices for a multi-year period.
· Phase out the discounts on three-month pass sales, eventually eliminating this form of fare instrument.
· Eliminate five-count packaged token sales, but retain bulk packaged tokens for machine sales and for sales to social service agencies.
· Eliminate wholesale discounts to agencies.
· Analyze payroll tax compliance rates and pursue tax recovery.
· Recertify Reduced Fare Program participants.
· Increase group pass contract rates.
· Increase the Breeze shuttle service fare to $.50. (Why the discount, still?)
· Evaluate the possibility of increasing the payroll tax rate effective January 1, 2006, from .006 to .0062. The proposed budget assumes no rate increase for FY 2004-2005 and that total annual receipts will increase by 2 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So keep this number in your head – Revenues are projected to be up 2% with no tax increase. Remember 2% of total revenue…. That means an increase of about $260,000, as we follow the money)
Hamm From Hell: Expense
· Limit the growth of personnel services expenditures to 4 percent or less.
> For administrative employees, change the actuarial funding method for contributions to the defined benefit plan to three-year smoothing. Set the annual salary range adjustment for inflation at 1 percent.
> For Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) represented employees, negotiate a new contract effective July 1, 2004, that increases total contract-defined expenditures no more than 4 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So, this is bargaining in good faith? Draw a line in the sand and say "here and no further" regardless of the facts, the bad management decisions, and the inequitable treatment between union employees and administrative employees. Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that a department manager wanted more retirement benefits to be given for longer service administrative employees? Thought I read that somewhere. How long has Stef worked here… but divorce is expensive… Oh well, that's not the point anyway. But the number to remember here is "no more than 4%." That is about $400,000 in rounded numbers. And this includes the cost for benefits and pay increases. Watch closely what number this matches!)
Hamm From Hell: > Explore new ways to provide health insurance benefits that encourage informed benefit use and reduce annual premium cost increases.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (This is "the make employees pay for a part of their benefits, or not give them benefits if you are part-time," that could save the company. Lets say that the result of this action saves ½% of payroll costs, that's about $50,000)
Hamm From Hell: · Continue to curtail discretionary travel and training, and prioritize all materials and services expenditures to eliminate nonessential spending.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (No more trips to Holland, darn! Or management gang parties in Las Vegas. Where's the fun going at this place? Oh yeah, I forgot the potluck Bar-B-Q on July first. Yee Haw, sounds like loads of fun. But then who went to Holland for nothing, and who were most of the party goers to Las Vegas?)
Hamm From Hell: · Trim fixed-route service by 4 percent. Utilize the new automatic vehicle locator/automatic passenger counting (AVL/APC) technology to improve overall system efficiency and maximize productivity.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Now this is interesting. Cut service by 4% - now that's our work going away either all together, or by putting in cheap labor alternatives. So lets do the math. Cut Service by 4%. That is about $400,000 (There's that number again) or even as much as $500,000. Lets just say $400,000 so we donut get too rambunctious. So there is the 4% limit for the union settlement that Hamm from Hell mentioned above. The 'hold the line to 4% increase in union labor costs' will be held to about the exact amount of the service reduction. Some call this a coincidence, but me, I call it a plan.)
Hamm From Hell: The decision to maintain as much organizational stability as possible through FY 2003-2004, and to fund about the same net fixed-route service level by utilizing General Fund working capital reserves, was made with the knowledge that, if one or more of the revenue uncertainties is not resolved in LTD’s favor, FY 2004-2005 will see major expenditure reductions with broad organizational impact.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (S’cuse me, but what the hell does this paragraph mean? It's gibberish, except for the veiled threat at the end.)
Hamm From Hell: Many of the revenue uncertainties have not been resolved.
· The payroll Tax Court case, in which LTD challenged a large refund granted by the Oregon Department of Revenue to a taxpayer last year, has not been decided, and no information is available on when a decision might be made.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (But they are counting on winning the law suit, or they are hiding even more money)
· Two of the most visible and highest cost local construction projects have slowed or stalled. Plans for the new federal courthouse are moving ahead slowly. The proposed new University of Oregon basketball arena has been shelved indefinitely due to design and cost issues.
· Few of the jobs lost due to plant closures in the last three years have been replaced by new local businesses.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Notice that the focus on this past years' highlights coming up, is on the BRT money pit.)
Hamm From Hell: FY 2003-2004 HIGHLIGHTS
Bus rapid transit remained a major focus in FY 2003-2004:
· The BRT component of future fixed-route service was named EmX.
· Engineering plans for the EmX Franklin Corridor were completed. This corridor is scheduled to be operational in the fall of 2006.
· The vehicle decision for the initial EmX corridor remained unresolved through most of the fiscal year. Due to cost issues, among other concerns, the Phileas vehicle from the Dutch
firm APTS was rejected in favor of a bus proposed by New Flyer, a U.S. manufacturer. This vehicle is a modified hybrid-electric (I hope that the modifications are made so that they will work) vehicle with doors on both sides and bridge plates to expedite boarding.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (With so much uncertainty, why don't we stick with what we do best- regular route service, greater frequencies, stronger driver input into the planning process, more attention to training and service increases with rising prices of fuel, and better marketing? Lets give up that AVL/APC system to do the job for our regular service, and let's try to be at their service.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Preliminary planning for the EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor continues. Funding for some of the EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor planning has been identified. Funding for build out (Jargon like "Build Out" is so much fun to use on special projects, makes you sound important) and for subsequent corridors has yet to be determined. Lane Transit District’s Board of Directors approved a fiscally constrained plan for the EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor limiting the investment to funds available or $38 million, whichever is less.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (What!? We have no federal fund commitment, and we have our Board planning $38 million on the come? Who rolls dice like that, but LTD managers? And where is this money coming from? All this poor mouthing means that our backs and butts will be financing the future of LTD. This seems hardly fair.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Construction began on a new Springfield Station, which will be the terminus of one end of the first EmX project phase. This important investment in downtown Springfield will be operational in September 2004.
· A third EmX corridor has undergone stakeholder review. Coburg Road was the focus, but that corridor has been put on hold for future consideration. Other capital projects included the following:
· Five new articulated buses were delivered by New Flyer, which went into service on March 8, 2004 ($2,360,500).
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Less one, that burned to the ground. Hey, I thought Andy Vobora said the burned bus cost $400,000, in the Register Guard. The real price is $472,100 each ($2,360,500 divided by 5). So what if we mislead the media by $360,500 or $72,500 each. But it seems truth is becoming more and more of a rare commodity at LTD.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Land was purchased at Third Avenue and Garfield Street for the construction of a new RideSource facility ($1,294,800). Facility design was completed, and the project will go out for bid before the end of the current fiscal year. The facility is expected to be complete no later than September 2005, and possibly as early as spring of that year.
· A renovation of the Fleet facility that will streamline service processes was completed. Redesigned bays will accommodate 60-foot vehicles.
FY 2004-2005 PROGRAM FOCUS
Fiscal year 2004-2005 promises to be another challenging benchmark year for Lane Transit District. Major objectives for FY 2003-2004 include the following:
· Complete final EmX Franklin Corridor engineering and vehicle specification.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Throwing good money after bad!)
Hamm From Hell:
· Hold groundbreaking for the EmX Franklin Corridor.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (We must have a special and yet again untested vehicle to showcase our leaders in this boondoggle. Berkshire doesn't care, he is retiring soon anyway.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Complete and open the new Springfield Station.
· Complete implementation of new technology, including AVL, APC, and computer-assisted dispatch (CAD), which has been installed on all revenue vehicles.
Springfield Station
· Continue efforts to assure federal and state transportation funding.
· Evaluate and implement a payroll tax rate increase of .0002 to be effective January 2006.
· Explore the potential for enhanced revenues from current and new sources. (More cuts for workers?)
· Implement LTD’s new vision, mission, and strategic plan, including the focus on safety, efficiency, guest service, and system image.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (except this strategic plan seems to include nothing short of making the workers pay for these strategies)
Hamm From Hell:
· Implement the new LTD marketing and public relations plan.
FY 2004-2005 BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS
General Fund Revenue
· Total passenger fare revenue will increase by approximately 3.7 percent due to modest ridership gains and the elimination of some fare discounts.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Here is another $129,000 or so, that we just found in the budget… check the message on this topic further down)
Hamm From Hell:
· Payroll tax revenues will increase by 2 percent over FY 2003-2004 estimated revenues when adjusted for receipt of tax case refund.
· Self-employment taxes will increase by approximately 2 percent over FY 2003-2004 estimated revenues.
· State-in-lieu revenue will increase by 2 percent over FY 2003-2004 estimated revenues.
· Interest earnings will decrease due to low rates.
· LTD will prevail in a state Tax Court appeal and approximately $1 million of additional tax revenue would be added to General Fund revenue. The decision will be made in FY 2004-2005.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (LTD is sure about winning this law suit – good, because now there seems no reason at all to cut service and make us pay for the settlement of our next agreement by service reductions! Plus, what about the $260,000 that revenue is going to increase by this year. We're not stupid you know.)
Hamm From Hell: General Fund Expense
Personnel Services
· It is assumed that a new contractual agreement with the ATU will be finalized in the next fiscal year and that it will add no more than 4 percent to current personnel services expenditures.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yeah yeah yeah, and we get to pay for it ourselves)
Hamm From Hell:
· The administrative employee wage and benefit package also will increase no more than 4 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Nothing here about cuts in administrative service…hmmm wonder why… oh yeah, they are better than the union people because they are Team LTD.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Administrative employees will receive annual increases, if individual performance so merits, within the established position ranges on the Administrative Salary Schedule. The Administrative Salary Schedule will increase by 1 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Oh those poor guys, guess they must be planning a new comp study)
· Net fixed-route service levels will decrease 4 percent from FY 2003-2004 levels.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (At your service!!!)
Hamm From Hell:
· Additional cost reduction measures may have to be considered for FY 2005-2006 in order to bring General Fund revenues and expenses into alignment.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (What the hell does alignment mean? I asked the guys in the shop but they could not figure out what this meant at all either. I am guessing that it is the "we get screwed again alignment plan")
Hamm From Hell:
· General Fund transfers to the Capital Projects Fund will resume in FY 2004-2005 in order to generate local match for federal formula funds available annually.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (ah-hah, so this is where the money we have just found in this message is going. Capital projects and grandiose plans. We found at least $1.3 million in the message above the service cuts which will go to pay for union worker contract settlement.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Future vehicle purchases may be financed with revenue bonds that will be retired using federal formula funds, requiring a local fund match of at least 20 percent of the annual debt service.
· For budget purposes, medical insurance costs are assumed to increase by 10 percent. Continuation of benefits in the form currently offered to employees would result in an increase of 20 percent or more. The proposed budget assumes that the current health insurance plans will be replaced on January 1, 2005, with plans that provide better cost controls.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Does anyone in the management even know what collective bargaining in good faith is? From this statement it is clear that Hamm from Hell has no clue. Negotiators don't bother, they just told us!!! It's take away time, everyone get ready to grab your ankles. This statement makes clear their intentions at the table. We need not even wait for their economic proposal at the table. They have announced already.)
Hamm From Hell:
Materials and Services
· Fuel prices will stabilize, but at an unprecedented high level, and are estimated to remain on average at $1.13 per gallon. Fuel for the current year is averaging $.9831 per gallon as of March 31, 2004.
· The new Springfield Station will require a net increase in operating expenses of $189,050 in FY 2004-2005 and $228,050 in FY 2005-2006. The increase is the result of additional security, maintenance costs, and utilities expense.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (What a marvelous investment… Maintenance costs that end-up costing the same as about 1.25% of the cost of providing fixed route service, without the BRT money pit)
Hamm From Hell:
· General insurance costs (workers’ compensation, vehicle, and general liability) will increase 1 percent. Non-Operating Requirements
· Capital transfers will resume in FY 2004-2005 in order to assure adequate local match for FY 2005 federal formula grant funds ($1,245,800).
Commentary by Joe Hill: ((See there it is; the $1.3 million. But why does this have to go to capital now? New bus equipment is going to be financed for the local share, according to Hamm from Hell. Why take it away from operations? Well, its ‘cause us monkeys have to pay for our own increases with cuts in service (layoffs?) and benefit cuts))
Hamm From Hell:
· Accessible Services Fund transfers will increase by approximately 15.8 percent to $1,221,730.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So the non-union folks that are scabbing our work are getting $1.2 million? Where the hell did this money come from?)
· A new fund has been created to account for Commuter Solutions program activities. This treatment is consistent with the use of an Accessible Services Fund for demand-response services programs. The General Fund annual contribution to this fund appears as a transfer ($5,000).
· Operating reserves still will exceed the Board-specified minimum of $3 million.
Capital (Blah Blah Blah)
· The new Springfield Station, which is fully funded by federal grants with a 20 percent match, will be completed in September 2004.
· EmX development will continue. Federal funds have been earmarked for the EmX Franklin Corridor construction. The Franklin Corridor construction funding has been fully identified,
and $14.8 million has been proposed for construction, although not all of this amount will be spent in FY 2004-2005. The EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor has been affirmed as the second project component, but funding has not yet been identified or secured.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yeah, we know, but you guys keep spending money in planning for it, the Money Pit BRT, with no certain federal funding. Money would be better spent on planning better, and increasing less expensive fixed route regular service. Something we have proved we are good at doing. C’mon managers. tuck your egos away, and do the right thing for the District, the riders, and the taxpayers!)
Hamm From Hell: Subsequent project phases and segments have not been finalized, (no kidding! Will they ever be?) and will require funding that has yet to be determined.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yes, Joe Hill has already made this observation)
Hamm From Hell: The amount of $2 million has been proposed for continued planning on the second corridor beginning in FY 2004-2005.
· A total of $5 million has been requested as an appropriation for five vehicles for the first EmX corridor. Delivery of these vehicles (and placement of the debt to fund them should grant funding not materialize) most likely will occur in FY 2005-2006.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (See, the first corridor is already looking like we are not getting further federal aid for the equipment. But it is hard to stop waste, once your management cajones and egos are committed.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Construction of the new RideSource facility will commence this fall. Estimated project costs total $3.9 million.
Long-Range Financial Projections
The Long-Range Financial Plan (LRFP) exists to provide the means by which to meet long-term goals and objectives. There are essentially three main goals:
· Deliver reliable public transit service. (yeah, right)
· Offer innovative service that reduces dependency on the automobile. (Not with frequency reductions!)
· Provide progressive leadership for the community’s transportation needs. (Don't you mean 'ego driven leadership?') The revised LRFP is scheduled for Board review and action on April 21, 2004. The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) will be presented at the same meeting. Since the proposed budget materials will be finalized before the Board of Directors can take action on the two plans, staff have included the plan versions that were part of materials presented to the Board at the April 21, 2004, Board meeting. The Board of Directors on February 26, 2004, voted to accept the assumptions included in the documents in this notebook. As part of the proposed budget presentation, staff will report on any Board action taken to approve or revise the LRFP and/or the CIP.
CONCLUSION
These are times that require careful analysis and decision making. Tightly constrained resources result in difficult choices. It is imperative that we continue to look for and develop attractive transportation alternatives. It also is imperative that we find ways to increase the capacity of existing corridors. LTD has to be proactive with our community partners in these efforts, or the Eugene/Springfield area ultimately will be forced to be reactive. How aggressively we pursue proposed alternatives to traditional fixed-route service such as bus rapid transit is an ongoing decision of LTD’s Board of Directors.
LTD is proceeding with plans for the second EmX corridor (Pioneer Parkway) while building and implementing service on the first corridor (Franklin).
Commentary by Joe Hill: ('Tightly constrained resources' only because your plans are unreasonable; sinking money in the BRT Money Pit; sending money to the work-for-less, non-union subcontractor RideSource; and making a bunch of very bad decisions.)
Despite ongoing fiscal challenges, (Don't you mean 'your crappy decisions and leadership?') it has been an exciting year. The new Springfield Station will be a signature facility in downtown Springfield. New vehicles, including articulated buses, have been added to the fixed-route fleet. The Maintenance facility was remodeled. LTD is about to break ground on the EmX Franklin Corridor. LTD is closer to providing a long-term, fully adequate facility for RideSource, our demand-response service provider. LTD’s team of outstanding volunteers, fully committed staff, and dedicated community partners understand the challenges we face in delivering a vital and viable public transportation system to our service area. We believe that the budget proposed here provides the optimal balance of preserving current essential services in FY 2004-2005 while developing investments for the future.
Kenneth P. Hamm
General Manager
Diane W. Hellekson
Budget Officer
LTD Management does not understand what's happening around them now, because they have their eyes fixed on the spotlight they want to stand in, for the BRT Money Pit supposed technical accomplishment. There are a lot of contradictions in this message, and some very interesting conclusions by the District. We, the workers, have targets on our backs for sure. Want to look into their minds, or even scarier, their hearts? Then read this years budget message. It predicts our near future. I have decided to make this kind of dialog review of the budget message. Since Hamm and Helleson signed it together, I will refer to their part as "Hamm from Hell." Commentary by Joe Hill is my part. Use Rish Text, because the fonts are in color.
This is a long read, but if you want to know what they're thinking, then read what they write to themselves. Check it out!
Solidarity forever,
Joe Hill
April 28, 2004
TO: Lane Transit District Budget Committee
FROM: Kenneth P. Hamm, General Manager
Diane W. Hellekson, Budget Officer
SUBJECT: FY 2004-2005 Budget Message
INTRODUCTION
Hamm From Hell: Fiscal year 2003-2004 has been challenging for Lane Transit District and for its partners in community service. Despite some small signs that the economy might start to grow, unemployment remained relatively high and revenues that support Lane Transit District operations continue to be flat.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (If the operations fund was able to retain the $7 million it had in 2001, this period of flat revenues could rely on "the rainy day fund." In 1981, LTD laid off 20% of the workers. The management at that time said that this was unacceptable to the service delivery and employees. Too bad the current management squandered away the rainy day fund, and doesn't care about our mission today of "being at your service" or care about employees
Hamm From Hell: The task of balancing operating expenses to the resources available has become more difficult. Long-term financial viability requires that operating expenses grow at a rate less than or equal to tax revenues.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (sometimes you have to use what you save up, and not rely on current revenues. Rainy day planning expects the ups and downs of the economy. But these Bush supporters refused to admit the economy was in a recession)
Hamm From Hell: Tax revenues have been flat for the last three years.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Well yeah, Bush destroyed the economy! Sorry Walt, but it is true. By the way, how big was your tax cut? Bet Hamm’s was bigger! His tax cut, that is.)
Hamm From Hell: At the same time, wages, health benefit costs, and fuel expenses have increased. The result has been a need to make difficult decisions about service levels, staffing levels, and the level of investment in employee development.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yes, because Team LTD is an employer of choice. What this means to the team is that some employees get chosen for different roles. "Choice cut" employees get the goodies, and union employee get ground for hamburger.)
Hamm From Hell: Balance is the budget theme for FY 2004-2005. Not only must LTD balance each of its separate funds in accordance with state law, we also must balance the needs of the present with those of the future, a challenging assignment in the face of constrained resources.
Commentary by Joe Hill: ((Not if you believe in what you are doing already! When the management talks about the future, they are talking about the money pit BRT plan, the loss leader Breeze Shuttle (a route but just by another name), two tiered pay plans, big benefit cuts, less time off, more control of your life by canceling days off for football, and taking the employees for granted).
Hamm From Hell: With the payroll tax as the primary revenue source, LTD has had to trim service, as local payrolls declined and leveled off.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Not if you had kept the rainy day fund intact)
Hamm From Hell: Demand for a fixed-route and demand-response service increases every year, particularly during times of economic downturns and high fuel prices, both conditions that exist in Lane County.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So let me get this right; fuel prices are up – good for getting more riders –oh, oops guests - you would think. The economy is down, with fewer jobs, and congestion is up. Huh? Ridership is up and we are going to cut service by 4%??!!! You have got to be kidding)
Hamm From Hell: Balancing the community's immediate transportation needs with the community's long-term needs is an ongoing, challenging exercise, even in the best of times. Making no investment in the future is not an option.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Translation, BRT, the money pit, is more important than anything, since "NO INVESTMENT IS NOT OPTION." Sure it is. It's called 'delaying the future' because the present economy has slowed down, including jobs and community growth. Maybe delay or even cancel BRT. Maybe delay or not buy Ride Source facilities. Is it our fault that the Ride Source subcontractor has crappy facilities? Maybe we buy less fancy buses for the future – like consider some that work, or donut catch on fire, for starters)
Hamm From Hell: As road congestion increases, it will cost more to provide a static level of service. The only answer is to increase capacity on major travel corridors.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (I guess this why the #11 bus frequency was cut, and other service frequencies have been cut.)
Hamm From Hell: New roads are not an option. Widening existing roads is not an option. Efforts to discourage single-occupant motor vehicles could help but will not solve the problem, nor prevent it from getting worse over time. In the long-term, a significant capital investment will be needed to prevent the consequences of neglecting the regional transportation system and avoid the gridlock, smog, noise, and lengthy travel times found in many cities.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Johnny Carson's 'Carnak' could predict better than these managers. NO kidding we can't widen or make more roads. I did not know LTD could do that anyway. Capacity is the ONLY answer. Wow, are these folks smart. They cut service (you know –capacity) and plan for the future. Excuse me, but this seems dumb. But then, I'm "just a dumb ol’ bus driver")
Hamm From Hell: The challenges will continue. Controlling the growth of operating expenses, while continuing to provide essential service, will require new approaches. Long-term financial viability will require strict control of all expenditures while actively pursuing opportunities to increase revenues.
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (The blah, blah, blah section)
Budget development is a year-round activity. Almost as soon as a new budget is adopted, work begins on the components of the next one. Capital projects lists are reviewed and revised in early fall, and operating trend analyses and projections are prepared for a senior management two-day work session. This year, the staff Leadership Council work session was held in October, and the product framed the issues and next steps, and prepared the Board of Directors and Leadership Council work session held in November. (Yada Yada Yada)
Hamm From Hell: At the November Board and Leadership Council work session, participants considered opportunities possible for increasing General Fund revenue, as well as opportunities to reduce expenses without affecting service.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Ah, now we know who formed the conspiracy to sock it to the workers. That's right, bosses who make twice as much as the highest paid union employee, and Board members who are lead around by the nose by these highly paid planning disasters.)
Hamm From Hell: Members of the Board of Directors affirmed that maintaining stable fixed-route service during a period of uncertainty and transition was a high priority.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yes, we are so sure they did.)
Hamm From Hell: It also is important to keep public transportation accessible by maintaining both appropriate pricing and route scheduling policies. The focuses developed from the work session and from subsequent meetings include the following:
Commentary by Joe Hill: (WHAT? This is a direct contradiction to what Hamm will say in the paragraphs that follow.)
Hamm From Hell: Revenue
· Hold cash fare prices at FY 2003-2004 rates, which are the same as FY 2002-2003. The sharp increases implemented in FY 2002-2003 were intended to position fare prices for a multi-year period.
· Phase out the discounts on three-month pass sales, eventually eliminating this form of fare instrument.
· Eliminate five-count packaged token sales, but retain bulk packaged tokens for machine sales and for sales to social service agencies.
· Eliminate wholesale discounts to agencies.
· Analyze payroll tax compliance rates and pursue tax recovery.
· Recertify Reduced Fare Program participants.
· Increase group pass contract rates.
· Increase the Breeze shuttle service fare to $.50. (Why the discount, still?)
· Evaluate the possibility of increasing the payroll tax rate effective January 1, 2006, from .006 to .0062. The proposed budget assumes no rate increase for FY 2004-2005 and that total annual receipts will increase by 2 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So keep this number in your head – Revenues are projected to be up 2% with no tax increase. Remember 2% of total revenue…. That means an increase of about $260,000, as we follow the money)
Hamm From Hell: Expense
· Limit the growth of personnel services expenditures to 4 percent or less.
> For administrative employees, change the actuarial funding method for contributions to the defined benefit plan to three-year smoothing. Set the annual salary range adjustment for inflation at 1 percent.
> For Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) represented employees, negotiate a new contract effective July 1, 2004, that increases total contract-defined expenditures no more than 4 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So, this is bargaining in good faith? Draw a line in the sand and say "here and no further" regardless of the facts, the bad management decisions, and the inequitable treatment between union employees and administrative employees. Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago that a department manager wanted more retirement benefits to be given for longer service administrative employees? Thought I read that somewhere. How long has Stef worked here… but divorce is expensive… Oh well, that's not the point anyway. But the number to remember here is "no more than 4%." That is about $400,000 in rounded numbers. And this includes the cost for benefits and pay increases. Watch closely what number this matches!)
Hamm From Hell: > Explore new ways to provide health insurance benefits that encourage informed benefit use and reduce annual premium cost increases.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (This is "the make employees pay for a part of their benefits, or not give them benefits if you are part-time," that could save the company. Lets say that the result of this action saves ½% of payroll costs, that's about $50,000)
Hamm From Hell: · Continue to curtail discretionary travel and training, and prioritize all materials and services expenditures to eliminate nonessential spending.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (No more trips to Holland, darn! Or management gang parties in Las Vegas. Where's the fun going at this place? Oh yeah, I forgot the potluck Bar-B-Q on July first. Yee Haw, sounds like loads of fun. But then who went to Holland for nothing, and who were most of the party goers to Las Vegas?)
Hamm From Hell: · Trim fixed-route service by 4 percent. Utilize the new automatic vehicle locator/automatic passenger counting (AVL/APC) technology to improve overall system efficiency and maximize productivity.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Now this is interesting. Cut service by 4% - now that's our work going away either all together, or by putting in cheap labor alternatives. So lets do the math. Cut Service by 4%. That is about $400,000 (There's that number again) or even as much as $500,000. Lets just say $400,000 so we donut get too rambunctious. So there is the 4% limit for the union settlement that Hamm from Hell mentioned above. The 'hold the line to 4% increase in union labor costs' will be held to about the exact amount of the service reduction. Some call this a coincidence, but me, I call it a plan.)
Hamm From Hell: The decision to maintain as much organizational stability as possible through FY 2003-2004, and to fund about the same net fixed-route service level by utilizing General Fund working capital reserves, was made with the knowledge that, if one or more of the revenue uncertainties is not resolved in LTD’s favor, FY 2004-2005 will see major expenditure reductions with broad organizational impact.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (S’cuse me, but what the hell does this paragraph mean? It's gibberish, except for the veiled threat at the end.)
Hamm From Hell: Many of the revenue uncertainties have not been resolved.
· The payroll Tax Court case, in which LTD challenged a large refund granted by the Oregon Department of Revenue to a taxpayer last year, has not been decided, and no information is available on when a decision might be made.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (But they are counting on winning the law suit, or they are hiding even more money)
· Two of the most visible and highest cost local construction projects have slowed or stalled. Plans for the new federal courthouse are moving ahead slowly. The proposed new University of Oregon basketball arena has been shelved indefinitely due to design and cost issues.
· Few of the jobs lost due to plant closures in the last three years have been replaced by new local businesses.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Notice that the focus on this past years' highlights coming up, is on the BRT money pit.)
Hamm From Hell: FY 2003-2004 HIGHLIGHTS
Bus rapid transit remained a major focus in FY 2003-2004:
· The BRT component of future fixed-route service was named EmX.
· Engineering plans for the EmX Franklin Corridor were completed. This corridor is scheduled to be operational in the fall of 2006.
· The vehicle decision for the initial EmX corridor remained unresolved through most of the fiscal year. Due to cost issues, among other concerns, the Phileas vehicle from the Dutch
firm APTS was rejected in favor of a bus proposed by New Flyer, a U.S. manufacturer. This vehicle is a modified hybrid-electric (I hope that the modifications are made so that they will work) vehicle with doors on both sides and bridge plates to expedite boarding.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (With so much uncertainty, why don't we stick with what we do best- regular route service, greater frequencies, stronger driver input into the planning process, more attention to training and service increases with rising prices of fuel, and better marketing? Lets give up that AVL/APC system to do the job for our regular service, and let's try to be at their service.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Preliminary planning for the EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor continues. Funding for some of the EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor planning has been identified. Funding for build out (Jargon like "Build Out" is so much fun to use on special projects, makes you sound important) and for subsequent corridors has yet to be determined. Lane Transit District’s Board of Directors approved a fiscally constrained plan for the EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor limiting the investment to funds available or $38 million, whichever is less.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (What!? We have no federal fund commitment, and we have our Board planning $38 million on the come? Who rolls dice like that, but LTD managers? And where is this money coming from? All this poor mouthing means that our backs and butts will be financing the future of LTD. This seems hardly fair.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Construction began on a new Springfield Station, which will be the terminus of one end of the first EmX project phase. This important investment in downtown Springfield will be operational in September 2004.
· A third EmX corridor has undergone stakeholder review. Coburg Road was the focus, but that corridor has been put on hold for future consideration. Other capital projects included the following:
· Five new articulated buses were delivered by New Flyer, which went into service on March 8, 2004 ($2,360,500).
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Less one, that burned to the ground. Hey, I thought Andy Vobora said the burned bus cost $400,000, in the Register Guard. The real price is $472,100 each ($2,360,500 divided by 5). So what if we mislead the media by $360,500 or $72,500 each. But it seems truth is becoming more and more of a rare commodity at LTD.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Land was purchased at Third Avenue and Garfield Street for the construction of a new RideSource facility ($1,294,800). Facility design was completed, and the project will go out for bid before the end of the current fiscal year. The facility is expected to be complete no later than September 2005, and possibly as early as spring of that year.
· A renovation of the Fleet facility that will streamline service processes was completed. Redesigned bays will accommodate 60-foot vehicles.
FY 2004-2005 PROGRAM FOCUS
Fiscal year 2004-2005 promises to be another challenging benchmark year for Lane Transit District. Major objectives for FY 2003-2004 include the following:
· Complete final EmX Franklin Corridor engineering and vehicle specification.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Throwing good money after bad!)
Hamm From Hell:
· Hold groundbreaking for the EmX Franklin Corridor.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (We must have a special and yet again untested vehicle to showcase our leaders in this boondoggle. Berkshire doesn't care, he is retiring soon anyway.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Complete and open the new Springfield Station.
· Complete implementation of new technology, including AVL, APC, and computer-assisted dispatch (CAD), which has been installed on all revenue vehicles.
Springfield Station
· Continue efforts to assure federal and state transportation funding.
· Evaluate and implement a payroll tax rate increase of .0002 to be effective January 2006.
· Explore the potential for enhanced revenues from current and new sources. (More cuts for workers?)
· Implement LTD’s new vision, mission, and strategic plan, including the focus on safety, efficiency, guest service, and system image.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (except this strategic plan seems to include nothing short of making the workers pay for these strategies)
Hamm From Hell:
· Implement the new LTD marketing and public relations plan.
FY 2004-2005 BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS
General Fund Revenue
· Total passenger fare revenue will increase by approximately 3.7 percent due to modest ridership gains and the elimination of some fare discounts.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Here is another $129,000 or so, that we just found in the budget… check the message on this topic further down)
Hamm From Hell:
· Payroll tax revenues will increase by 2 percent over FY 2003-2004 estimated revenues when adjusted for receipt of tax case refund.
· Self-employment taxes will increase by approximately 2 percent over FY 2003-2004 estimated revenues.
· State-in-lieu revenue will increase by 2 percent over FY 2003-2004 estimated revenues.
· Interest earnings will decrease due to low rates.
· LTD will prevail in a state Tax Court appeal and approximately $1 million of additional tax revenue would be added to General Fund revenue. The decision will be made in FY 2004-2005.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (LTD is sure about winning this law suit – good, because now there seems no reason at all to cut service and make us pay for the settlement of our next agreement by service reductions! Plus, what about the $260,000 that revenue is going to increase by this year. We're not stupid you know.)
Hamm From Hell: General Fund Expense
Personnel Services
· It is assumed that a new contractual agreement with the ATU will be finalized in the next fiscal year and that it will add no more than 4 percent to current personnel services expenditures.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yeah yeah yeah, and we get to pay for it ourselves)
Hamm From Hell:
· The administrative employee wage and benefit package also will increase no more than 4 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Nothing here about cuts in administrative service…hmmm wonder why… oh yeah, they are better than the union people because they are Team LTD.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Administrative employees will receive annual increases, if individual performance so merits, within the established position ranges on the Administrative Salary Schedule. The Administrative Salary Schedule will increase by 1 percent.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Oh those poor guys, guess they must be planning a new comp study)
· Net fixed-route service levels will decrease 4 percent from FY 2003-2004 levels.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (At your service!!!)
Hamm From Hell:
· Additional cost reduction measures may have to be considered for FY 2005-2006 in order to bring General Fund revenues and expenses into alignment.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (What the hell does alignment mean? I asked the guys in the shop but they could not figure out what this meant at all either. I am guessing that it is the "we get screwed again alignment plan")
Hamm From Hell:
· General Fund transfers to the Capital Projects Fund will resume in FY 2004-2005 in order to generate local match for federal formula funds available annually.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (ah-hah, so this is where the money we have just found in this message is going. Capital projects and grandiose plans. We found at least $1.3 million in the message above the service cuts which will go to pay for union worker contract settlement.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Future vehicle purchases may be financed with revenue bonds that will be retired using federal formula funds, requiring a local fund match of at least 20 percent of the annual debt service.
· For budget purposes, medical insurance costs are assumed to increase by 10 percent. Continuation of benefits in the form currently offered to employees would result in an increase of 20 percent or more. The proposed budget assumes that the current health insurance plans will be replaced on January 1, 2005, with plans that provide better cost controls.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Does anyone in the management even know what collective bargaining in good faith is? From this statement it is clear that Hamm from Hell has no clue. Negotiators don't bother, they just told us!!! It's take away time, everyone get ready to grab your ankles. This statement makes clear their intentions at the table. We need not even wait for their economic proposal at the table. They have announced already.)
Hamm From Hell:
Materials and Services
· Fuel prices will stabilize, but at an unprecedented high level, and are estimated to remain on average at $1.13 per gallon. Fuel for the current year is averaging $.9831 per gallon as of March 31, 2004.
· The new Springfield Station will require a net increase in operating expenses of $189,050 in FY 2004-2005 and $228,050 in FY 2005-2006. The increase is the result of additional security, maintenance costs, and utilities expense.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (What a marvelous investment… Maintenance costs that end-up costing the same as about 1.25% of the cost of providing fixed route service, without the BRT money pit)
Hamm From Hell:
· General insurance costs (workers’ compensation, vehicle, and general liability) will increase 1 percent. Non-Operating Requirements
· Capital transfers will resume in FY 2004-2005 in order to assure adequate local match for FY 2005 federal formula grant funds ($1,245,800).
Commentary by Joe Hill: ((See there it is; the $1.3 million. But why does this have to go to capital now? New bus equipment is going to be financed for the local share, according to Hamm from Hell. Why take it away from operations? Well, its ‘cause us monkeys have to pay for our own increases with cuts in service (layoffs?) and benefit cuts))
Hamm From Hell:
· Accessible Services Fund transfers will increase by approximately 15.8 percent to $1,221,730.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (So the non-union folks that are scabbing our work are getting $1.2 million? Where the hell did this money come from?)
· A new fund has been created to account for Commuter Solutions program activities. This treatment is consistent with the use of an Accessible Services Fund for demand-response services programs. The General Fund annual contribution to this fund appears as a transfer ($5,000).
· Operating reserves still will exceed the Board-specified minimum of $3 million.
Capital (Blah Blah Blah)
· The new Springfield Station, which is fully funded by federal grants with a 20 percent match, will be completed in September 2004.
· EmX development will continue. Federal funds have been earmarked for the EmX Franklin Corridor construction. The Franklin Corridor construction funding has been fully identified,
and $14.8 million has been proposed for construction, although not all of this amount will be spent in FY 2004-2005. The EmX Pioneer Parkway Corridor has been affirmed as the second project component, but funding has not yet been identified or secured.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yeah, we know, but you guys keep spending money in planning for it, the Money Pit BRT, with no certain federal funding. Money would be better spent on planning better, and increasing less expensive fixed route regular service. Something we have proved we are good at doing. C’mon managers. tuck your egos away, and do the right thing for the District, the riders, and the taxpayers!)
Hamm From Hell: Subsequent project phases and segments have not been finalized, (no kidding! Will they ever be?) and will require funding that has yet to be determined.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (Yes, Joe Hill has already made this observation)
Hamm From Hell: The amount of $2 million has been proposed for continued planning on the second corridor beginning in FY 2004-2005.
· A total of $5 million has been requested as an appropriation for five vehicles for the first EmX corridor. Delivery of these vehicles (and placement of the debt to fund them should grant funding not materialize) most likely will occur in FY 2005-2006.
Commentary by Joe Hill: (See, the first corridor is already looking like we are not getting further federal aid for the equipment. But it is hard to stop waste, once your management cajones and egos are committed.)
Hamm From Hell:
· Construction of the new RideSource facility will commence this fall. Estimated project costs total $3.9 million.
Long-Range Financial Projections
The Long-Range Financial Plan (LRFP) exists to provide the means by which to meet long-term goals and objectives. There are essentially three main goals:
· Deliver reliable public transit service. (yeah, right)
· Offer innovative service that reduces dependency on the automobile. (Not with frequency reductions!)
· Provide progressive leadership for the community’s transportation needs. (Don't you mean 'ego driven leadership?') The revised LRFP is scheduled for Board review and action on April 21, 2004. The Capital Improvements Program (CIP) will be presented at the same meeting. Since the proposed budget materials will be finalized before the Board of Directors can take action on the two plans, staff have included the plan versions that were part of materials presented to the Board at the April 21, 2004, Board meeting. The Board of Directors on February 26, 2004, voted to accept the assumptions included in the documents in this notebook. As part of the proposed budget presentation, staff will report on any Board action taken to approve or revise the LRFP and/or the CIP.
CONCLUSION
These are times that require careful analysis and decision making. Tightly constrained resources result in difficult choices. It is imperative that we continue to look for and develop attractive transportation alternatives. It also is imperative that we find ways to increase the capacity of existing corridors. LTD has to be proactive with our community partners in these efforts, or the Eugene/Springfield area ultimately will be forced to be reactive. How aggressively we pursue proposed alternatives to traditional fixed-route service such as bus rapid transit is an ongoing decision of LTD’s Board of Directors.
LTD is proceeding with plans for the second EmX corridor (Pioneer Parkway) while building and implementing service on the first corridor (Franklin).
Commentary by Joe Hill: ('Tightly constrained resources' only because your plans are unreasonable; sinking money in the BRT Money Pit; sending money to the work-for-less, non-union subcontractor RideSource; and making a bunch of very bad decisions.)
Despite ongoing fiscal challenges, (Don't you mean 'your crappy decisions and leadership?') it has been an exciting year. The new Springfield Station will be a signature facility in downtown Springfield. New vehicles, including articulated buses, have been added to the fixed-route fleet. The Maintenance facility was remodeled. LTD is about to break ground on the EmX Franklin Corridor. LTD is closer to providing a long-term, fully adequate facility for RideSource, our demand-response service provider. LTD’s team of outstanding volunteers, fully committed staff, and dedicated community partners understand the challenges we face in delivering a vital and viable public transportation system to our service area. We believe that the budget proposed here provides the optimal balance of preserving current essential services in FY 2004-2005 while developing investments for the future.
Kenneth P. Hamm
General Manager
Diane W. Hellekson
Budget Officer
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