#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