Who is Supervising Our ‘Cousins?'

Another point of view part 2

by Gino Chirila

We are what we do. And we, the GRT bus drivers, are the best drivers the Region could have! This is not hot air. This is reality.

Since 2000, the Region of Waterloo has been hiring bus drivers non-stop. While a lot of GRT operators are retiring, at the same time, GRT's service is growing, covering more routes in Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge.

Out there on the street, everybody knows from the media that to work at GRT means to have a good job with decent pay. However, not too many know exactly what it means to do this job.

Thousands of applications are sent by mail, online, or in person to Human Resources at Frederick Street, but only those who meet the qualifications are called in. First, an interview, an exam with questions and answers, another interview, another exam . . . you name it. All of us went through it, but only people with the required skills reach the training program.

And then at last comes the challenging moment when we go on the job by ourselves with the bus and with the public! We are not super heroes. We are just humans. Sometimes we fail, and it is painful. Sometimes we make mistakes. But we always get back on track, always learn from our mistakes, and progress from good to much better.

It takes a while for everyone to find his way, a safe way, to carry out this job.

We have learned to be more patient in traffic. We have learned to be more tolerant with our brothers and sisters. Most importantly, we have learned to control ourselves in relations with our customers, sometimes in situations in which not many people would be able to do so. From one year to another, we have become not only better bus operators, but also exceptional drivers in any meteorological condition when nobody else wants to be on the road . . . and we carried our customers safely home.

We do this every day of the year from as early as January 1 st to very late on New Year's Eve. In all these years of working together, we have learned that none of us is “the smartest guy in the room.” If anybody is to be considered number one, it is CAW Local 4304 and each of its members! Rick is doing an excellent job as president, followed by all of the Union reps.

And now that we know who we are, and what we do here, I have two questions:

While trying to carry out our daily responsibilities, do Operators get all the support they need from management?

Do our Supervisors do their jobs properly when Operators need their assistance?

Not always. They make a lot of mistakes. The problem is not that they make mistakes – this happens to everybody – the real problem is that they don't even know they are wrong! They repeat the same mistakes again and again, inflicting unnecessary stress upon our brothers and sisters.

Because we are talking about a specific segment of management, let's call our supervisors “cousins.” Why cousins ? Because we are related. We get money from the same “mother,” GRT, but they are not our brothers. They do not do the same job we do. It is true for our cousins that GRT is a natural mother, but for us, sometimes it looks like GRT is a mother-in-law !

For the sake of time, let's consider only three different situations.

Scenario 1 : It's one of those days – busy, large volume of traffic, icy roads, winter storm, customers unhappy that you are late, and your bus has some problems. You call for a change-off bus. The answer comes shortly from the “cousin” in control: “We have no buses. If your bus is not safe, pull over.”

Excuse me, cousin. What do you mean by “We have no buses?” Are we in the business of watermelons, and you are telling me we are sold out? Of course we have buses, but you, cousin, don't want to or don't know how to do the job you are paid to do. The correct answer sounds like this: We have a bus going out of service in 40 minutes at Fairview Park mall, another one going out of service at Highland in 55 minutes. Meanwhile, I'm going to check out the garage. Maybe we have something from Transit 6 .

That wasn't so hard, was it? But you would have had to check the system, and it was easier to say no. Cousin, you are pushing me into a situation with no exit. You don't know that after so many years of service to the public, we, the GRT drivers, have altered our human self-defence instinct. We put our customers' comfort before our own safety. We have become a GRT product. I can make any trip safe with any bus for a limited time with an excessive effort. But you have no right to take away the hope that you will do your best to exchange this bus for me. This means you need to do your job properly.

Scenario 2 : You have to take over a high-floor bus for the second part of the night shift, and you call the “super-cousin” for a change of bus. The answer is, and you won't believe it, “What's wrong with this bus?”

What's wrong with you, ”cousin?” Don't you know that for more than three years, after 6:30 p.m., we take all the high-floor buses off the road and trade them for low-floor buses so that we can provide service to customers with special needs? What reason has the Region to spend millions of dollars on these beautiful NOVA buses if we do not use them, and instead let them sit parked in the garage all afternoon? Next time, I'm not going to call you. I am not getting paid to do your job. I am going to take over what is coming, low or high-floor bus. But if I cannot pick up a customer with needs late at night in winter time, I'm going to make the call. No, I'm not going to actually call the mayor. In my last article, I used “calling the mayor” as a figure of speech. I'm going to call a cab, and I'm going to pay for their trip. Let's see who's going to foot the bill!

Scenario 3 : You call for a change of bus, and the “cousin-dispatch” answers: “I am sorry. I have no spare operator to drive the bus for you to Fairview, and in twenty minutes, I am done with my shift, and I am going home. Call another supervisor later and ask for a change-off. ”

Why don't you, cousin, call another supervisor and solve the problem? So what if you are10 minutes late getting home? It happens all the time to many of us. Did you ever hear about a bus driver stopping his bus, saying to his customer that he is sorry, but he is done for the day, and he has to go home now, and that they should get off the bus and wait for the next one?

There is something else.

As a GRT driver, I do not bother when the kids put their feet on the seats in my bus. Why should I? Over the past years, I have seen two senior cousins and a cousin-dispatch sitting with their feet on their desks and their hands behind their head in a very comfortable position while they were discussing GRT business with me. Maybe I am missing something from their education! Can you hear me now, good!

Believing in an

Organization that Works for You

by Monica Menner

As a former ATU member and current CAW representative, I often wondered why GRT employees belonged to what traditionally is considered a manufacturing sector union. So I asked some questions and did some research and learned the following:

When the Region of Waterloo assumed control of Cambridge and Kitchener Transit, workers were under the certification of two separate unions; ATU Local 1608 representing Cambridge Transit and CAW Local 4304 representing Kitchener Transit. CAW 4304 made an application to the Ministry of Labour for a representation vote.

If Local 4304 had been successful in swallowing up ATU 1608 in a representation vote (which was guaranteed as CAW outnumbered ATU approximately 6 to 1) ATU 1608's Collective Agreement would have been null and void and Local 1608 would have lost all of their negotiated seniority benefits under ATU's contract. Rick Lonergan, then the President of ATU 1608, negotiated a better deal for his members with the Region, the representation vote was withdrawn, and CAW Local 4304 gained approximately 40 new members who were able to keep their seniority and benefits intact.

Occasionally I hear the same question from members today. Why do we not belong to the ATU, a “driver's” union? Please consider the following facts:

Diversity is a key factor to building strength and ensuring union survival. Canada's largest National Unions, for example CUPE and CAW, represent a variety of workplace sectors.

The CAW is one of the most diverse and democratic union bodies, giving us full voice and full vote during bargaining. The gains of our Local are a result of member unity and a strong executive committed to safeguarding the rights of individual members.

The “top dog” in Canada is the Canadian Labour Congress [CLC] which brings together Canada's national and international unions, provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils. Regardless of which parent union a local belongs to, the intent is that we all serve a common goal and purpose under the CLC Constitution.

Changing unions through the de-certification process means: the Collective Agreement will no longer exist and the Employer is only legally required to operate under The Employment Standards Act. This means that the Employer can legally fire you without reason, at any time, provided they pay you the amount of money which represents your notice period. The Employer can also legally schedule your work week to determine when, where and how long you work. Your seniority means nothing. Your hourly rate can be reduced to the minimum wage as provided under the Employment Standards Act. Paid vacation entitlement after each twelve months of service will be two weeks and the Employer legally has the right to pick your vacation for you and whether or not the two weeks will be taken together. Your benefit plan can be eliminated as the Employer is not legally required to carry or pay towards a pension plan over and above contributions to the Canada Pension Plan. The Employer is not legally required to maintain wages, benefits or the working conditions that were previously negotiated.

The CLC has strict rules on corporate raiding, and the majority of CLC affiliates will not take on another union. If employees are deemed eligible by the labour board to re-certify, let's say that again: IF employees are deemed eligible by the labour to re-certify, and another union is willing to take them on, a weakened union will have to negotiate a collective agreement from scratch. Joining up with another union will not give you back any of the benefits under your old contract, or under the contract of another local belonging to the union you are joining. There is no likelihood of achieving any of the gains in the previous contract for a very long time.

On a final note, anyone considering an executive position should not make this decision lightly. They would most certainly need to understand past practice, our Collective Agreement, the history of this local, the type of Employer we are dealing with and the importance of our investments and financial responsibility. They better understand their statutory duties under the Labour Relations Act and key pieces of labour legislation, such as the Employment Standards Act. They need to understand OMERS, WSIB, the Return to Work Process, and the Human Rights Code. And they better understand all of this on the first day they sit in their executive chair.

Local 4304 is made up of 555 Full time and Part time Bus Operators, Service Attendants, Certified Motor Vehicle Trade Technicians, Specialized Transit Vehicle Operators, Specialized Transit Dispatchers/Reservationists and their families who are dependent upon a strong and dedicated executive to not only uphold their hard won rights and freedoms, but to also represent their best interests.

A letter from the new Bereavement Committee

By Pam Martin

By Russ Davis

As we know we lost 2 amazing drivers, and more important, friends. Both John Klein, and Don Gauvin will be missed by their families, and by our family at Transit. Pam Martin and myself have been granted the opportunity to start this committee. We really hope that we will not be called upon too often, but if needed you can bet everyone will be treated with the respect they deserve.

So far in this committee, we have Pam, and myself, from dept. 1 north. Barb Soper from mobility plus. Colleen Caines-Leslie from dept. 2. Kerry McGrath and Dave Seebach to set up the honour guard, Marlene McCracken to play the ever popular bag pipes, and Dan MacEwen from dept. 1 south. and hopefully Mike Hogue will be our driver for the bus that GRT sends. We are still looking for a 3 rd person to help out in the north, if interested let myself or Pam know.

The final draft will be done and presented at the next union meeting, and we hope we will still have your support.

We are here to represent you, so if you have ideas or questions please pass them on to one of the above listed names.

Des Fitzgerald Retires

By John A. McDonald

After over 36 years of service, Des Fitzgerald decided to retire, and began the next chapter of his life. In fact, the next chapter commenced on Jan. 27 th when Des headed out West to drive for Whistler Transit during the Olympics! What a way to begin retirement!

His career began on Oct. 1 st , 1973, when the City of Kitchener took over Transit from the P.U.C. Des was part of the first mass hiring, as Transit went through a huge expansion. In fact, now Ned Tatich is the only driver left from that group.

So why retire now? Des said that he spoke to Dale Boyd and Steve Remias, two retirees, and they explained that after you calculate your OMERS pension and Canada Pension, and subtract both of them from your yearly salary, if you continue to work, you will be working for $3 per hour. At 35 years, his OMERS pension was maximized. Having just turned 61, and after getting our annual raise, he decided it made financial sense to make the move now.

Des's idea of retirement is to slow down, but not to come to a dead stop. After the Olympics, Des would like to come back and drive part-time at Transit in order to stay active and keep in touch. But this could be a problem. For a little over a year now, GRT has been discriminating against GRT retirees, refusing to hire them. So, while we all ate cake, a petition was passed around, asking management to resume the hiring of part-time retired drivers who haven't reached age 65. We still hire retired drivers from other properties like Guelph, but not the really experienced drivers from our Region. Besides, the new contract even excludes retired drivers from the 20% cap on part-time staff. So, go get them, Des! Hopefully you will be the first driver who sees justice restored in the Region's hiring practices!

Some people don't realize how important it is for retirees to stay in touch with the workplace. When Des was hired, one of the questions he was asked in his interview was if he was willing to give up his social life and his family life for this job. After over 36 years, the job has become his family . To finally have to leave his family after being here for the majority of his working life would be extremely difficult.

Des said that yesterday on his last full day of service, he broke down right on the bus; tears rolled down his face. Being a Transit Operator is not just a job – it is a way of life.

As usual, on Jan. 22 nd , half of the room was filled with retirees who came out to congratulate Des. Two of them actually trained Des. It was very interesting listening to Wilf Mayer (who started in 1948) and Harvey Dessler explain how training used to happen before GRT days. Drivers did all the training! A new driver would go with a trainer for one whole week, and then with another trainer the next week. During the middle of training, Ross Stoner, the superintendent, would hop on the bus at some bus stop . . . which meant the new recruit was now undergoing a road test!

One of the telling traits of the older drivers is the deep relationships they have established with their passengers. Passengers become much more than customers. They become fans. One of Des's passengers, Mrs. Elli Sigmund, who has been riding his bus for 32 years, was present for the celebration. In all of Des's 36-plus years, he never received a customer complaint! New Operators take note: Get to know your passengers!

One of the most outspoken drivers in Transit rides off into the sunset. But something tells me we haven't seen the last of him yet!

Rick Lonergan and Des.

Mark Wigtman, Steve Mac Neil, Des and Jessica Wood

Harvey Dessler, Des and Wilf Meyer

Des is joined by retirees.

Ted Bate Retires

By John A. McDonald

When you are reading this, think of Ted Bate who will be sitting under a palm tree in Florida for the entire month of February!

Ted started with Transit in 1978. After 31½ years, Ted decided it was time to travel.

He plans to go camping on the East Coast for two weeks this summer with his eight-year old grand daughter, Avery. Ted's other grandchild, Hunter, who is five, helped celebrate his retirement on Jan. 20 th , 2010. Both are delightful children. Hunter will get his special trip when he turns eight.

September will be his wife Sandy's exciting three-week tour of France.

Ted made the wise decision to see the world while he and his family can still enjoy it. This is the kind of good planning younger Operators should take note of.

Ted remembers the old days when shifts were not so easy. In the beginning, he did the Day-Off-Shift . It was seven hours a day for six days, plus the seventh, if necessary. They rotated over 28 days, doing a different shift every day. It took Ted 27 years to get shifts with two Saturdays off, and 31 years to get every weekend off!

Which leads to some thoughts about where the Union should be aiming in terms of shift times. Ted thinks there should be more all-weekends-off shifts. It would give Operators something to work towards . It shouldn't take 31 years to finally earn this. Further, he thinks there should be a selection of 10-hour shifts, working four days per week.

On this note, I noticed that the 4-day-week shifts in Whistler Transit went first!!

In Ted's words, “There is room to improve.”

Ted is proud of his service at Transit, and always dressed sharply. He showed me the six gold bars on the lapel of his coat. Each bar represented five years of service. Make no mistake, Operator 115 was a good Transit ambassador!

I hope as Ted begins a well planned retirement, with a full pension and a raise, that he will send us some pictures as he tours the world.

Ted and Rick Lonergan

Ted and Family

Carole Garton Retires

By John A. McDonald

New Year's Eve was the beginning of Carole Garton's new life away from Transit! After ten years behind the wheel, Carole decided it was time to relax and enjoy her five, and soon to be six, grandchildren. To get retirement off to a good start, she left one week later on an Eastern Caribbean cruise.

Besides spoiling the grandchildren, Carole is involved in Seniors Helping Seniors. She has some neighbours who can't take care of themselves, and now Carole will have more time to be available. Her brother-in-law, Wayne, lives two doors away, and they will be able to help each other with snow blowing their driveways, etc. And, of course, there will be time for a lot more gardening. And did she mention that her daughter is about to deliver a sixth grandchild? That will make four boys and two girls to spoil rotten!

Relaxing will be a big boon for Carole. She always found the job a bit stressful, and is glad to have finally reached retirement. She said it will be nice not to be driving around, grinding her teeth! Her husband, Paul, will enjoy some extra attention, too.

All the best in retirement, Carole!

Harold Klooster and Carole

Ed Toncic and Carole

Des Fitzgerald

By Paul Wagler

Des is a man of
Passion and opinion
Truly unique, he was
One in a billion

"Watch my sensitivity"
Were the words he used to say
In fact we used to hear that
Once or twice every day

Now the time is come
To say goodbye
To make the workplace better
He sure did try

Now he is off
To enjoy the rest of his days
The reward from those giveaways
For his pension really pays.

Happy trails - May the tracks be with you!

Klaus Biemann

Ski-a-thon Committee

On February 23, we will be embarking on our 11th annual Ski-a-thon to Collingwood/Blue Mountain. After 10 years of involvement in this most noble cause, I have accumulated a lot of fond memories. Put simply, the whole day is pure FUN . Whether you choose to go downhill, or cross-country ski/snowshoe the numerous trails that criss-cross the Blue Mountain Ridge overlooking Georgian Bay, it's really worth the day away from work to enjoy the outdoors.

Snow is certainly never an issue here. One year not long ago, we had 5 feet on the ground on the Ridge, and then some. And after skiing the many kilometres of groomed trails, imagine the comfort of a chalet-type lodge complete with fireplace and refreshments. Finally, the day is crowned with a get-together at a restaurant in Collingwood for good eating and beer, and the awarding of door prizes.

For those of you that are new here, I would especially like to invite you to join us in a day of fun, while at the same time helping our needy young people with donations through sponsorships that would go to The Children's Wish Foundation. For a minimum donation of $50 through sponsors, you can enjoy the day with discounted lift tickets, or participate in our cross-country/snowshoe adventure. If you raise $100 or more through sponsors you are automatically entered for several grand door prizes worth $100 each. You can pick up your sponsor sheets next to the ski-a-thon posters at the downtown terminals or at both garages.

For those of you that are interested in this worthy cause and who wish to be involved in a day of FUN take a look at the ski-a-thon posters for more information, or contact Paul Eckmier, Jacky Mckie, Janet St. Laurent, or myself, Klaus Biemann. Your involvement in this event will make the lives of our less fortunate children a much happier one. Happy trails everyone!

Retirees Club

By John Brown

What is the 4 th Monday of every month?

That is the time when retirees gather in the back room at Country Boy Restaurant to just sit back and relax over breakfast and a coffee to reconnect and get caught up on what's happening in each other's lives. When this little group was started by Paul Schmidt and Len Weber they never expected that it would last as long as it has, but here we are in our 16 th year.

So whether you are retired, or just want to catch up with some of your old friends, why don't you stop in some time and join us. Remember the 4thMonday of every month. You never know who you might see.

Spies and Lies

Klaus Biemann,

Political Education

Move over James Bond, we seem to have our very own mystery within our workplace. A reliable source (which will not be named in order to protect the identity) has stated that a "well-dressed" individual(s) in a civilian vehicle has been taking notes on transit activity at the malls, particularly Forest Glen Plaza, over the past several months. To most of us who are involved in the hustle and bustle of transit activity at these locations, we would certainly not notice such nefarious activity coming from adjacent parking lots. But apparently it's there.

Some operators have said that they've been followed by unmarked vehicles while doing their routes. People have been seen filming and photographing us while performing our duties from vantage points such as the Downtown Terminal. We have been followed by Supervisory vans until the ‘cows come home.' And the plot thickens.

Some operators feel that they are being "targeted". Is it possible that there are planted passengers on our buses for the sole purpose of harassment? It's the stuff of "cloak and dagger".

With these reports and suspicions in mind, can we separate truth from imagination? How much of these occurrences are true? And if there is some truth behind all this, who then is behind the cloak and dagger, and for what reasons? It is plausible that within the upper echelons of local government there exists a "black budget" that is set aside specifically for the above mentioned activities. Without doubt, if accusations were to be made, it would be met with denial from these echelons of power.

"Plausible deniability" - the big lie, is a technique often employed by power centres from corporations to government agencies. They engage in "discreet" surveillance of everything from employees to citizens, which, when confronted, is then categorically denied by the perpetrators, the true intent of the activity to be shared only with those with "the need to know".

Does Management have an agenda? It would certainly be prudent for operators to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to your Union. In an effort to safeguard your Rights, do not hesitate to report anything that you, as an operator, would feel to be of a threatening nature. The last time I checked we were still living within a democracy. Let's keep it so.

Trivia Question

By Wayne Cooper

Question: How many of these Southern Ontario cities or towns manufactured automobiles?

Hamilton

Woodstock

Walkerville

Welland

Petrolia

Orillia

Chatham

Preston

Galt

Kitchener

Windsor

ALL OF THE ELEVEN!

Hamilton made the Acme

Woodstock made the Every-Day

Walkerville made the Regal + Wagler

Welland made the Sager

Petrolia made the Superior

Orillia made the Tudhope

Chatham made the Anhut + Gray-Dort

Preston made the Kennedy

Galt made the Galt

Kitchener made the Nyburg

Windsor made the Menard

You are invited! Ski for, or donate to, a great cause

BY Paul Eckmier

If you used to ski downhill, cross-country, or snowshoed, why not

give it a try again on Tuesday, Feb.23 rd in Collingwood. Even if you are a first-timer*(see below), join some of your fellow drivers and friends as we tackle the slopes and trails of BLUE MOUNTAIN, or enjoy the spectacular scenery while cross-country skiing or snowshoeing on the many forested trails of the SCENIC CAVES NORDIC CENTRE. Then before coming home, we celebrate our fun and adventures with supper and door prizes at Kelsey's in Collingwood.

All you have to do is arrange the day off via trades or give-a-ways, sign up at one of the lunch room ski-a-thon displays, and pick up a sponsor sheet to raise the minimum $50.00 in donations for our cause, THE CHILDREN'S WISH FOUNDATION. (For every $100.00 you raise, you'll get 1 draw ticket for a chance to win a major prize.)

By doing some fundraising work, (or just making a $50.00 donation yourself), downhillers get a FANTASTIC DISCOUNT on lift tickets and rentals. You can ski Ontario's largest ski resort on a $25.00 lift fee (regular $57.00), rent skis or snowboard for $22.00 (regular $38.00). Thrills, speed, exhilaration, and stunning views are guaranteed! NOTE: * If YOU are a FIRST TIME BEGINNER, you can get a lift ticket for a beginner chairlift, rentals, AND A GROUP LESSON for $59.00 plus tax!

Cross-country skiers and snowshoers pay even less. A x-c trail pass is $14.00 and rentals are $18.00. Snowshoe rental and trail pass is $27.00. Smiles, laughter, great views, and scenery are a given at no extra charge. You'll want to bring your camera!

The CHILDREN'S WISH FOUNDATION works with the community to provide children with life-threatening illnesses the opportunity to realize their most heart-felt dreams. That's why we call our event the “Skiing for Dreams” Charity Ski-a-thon. Feb.23 rd will be our 11 th annual event. SO PLEASE JOIN US whether you're new to GRT or a long- serving veteran. WE WELCOME YOU! You can invite a friend or family member (minimum age 12) and get them a sponsor sheet too, as each participant is to raise the $50.00 minimum in donations.

And… for those not skiing, please sponsor someone who is, by making a donation. THANK YOU… FOR EVERYONE'S SUPPORT!

Election Committee Election

By John A. McDonald

The race to join the Election Committee is on! This year, we set a new record for the nomination of candidates at the January Union meeting. There are 12 people running for six positions. They are:

Elizabeth Allan , # 311 (C)

Richard Fondacaro , # 409 (K)

Hubert Kump , # 294 (K)

John Livingstone , # 139 (C)

Pam Martin , # 375 (K)

James Newstead , # 431 (C)

Linda Paluveer , # 322 (K)

Barb Soper , Mobility Plus Kitchener

Pedro Sousa , # 432 (K)

Brad Sweiger , # 299 (K)

Gord Whyte , # 136 (C)

John Wilson , # 394 (K)

The election of the Election Committee will be held at both Union meetings on Wed. Feb. 17, 2010. Polls will open at 10:30 for the morning meeting, and again at 7:30 p.m. for the evening meeting. The location, as usual, is the CAW offices at 5 Executive Place in Kitchener. Voting will be done by secret ballot. The results will be announced by the President, following the evening meeting. Results will also be posted online by Wayne Bell the following day.

Please do not spoil your ballot by selecting more than six names. You may select less than six names, but not more than six. You must register with the sergeant at arms at the door before you will be allowed to vote.

Candidates are encouraged to send their election platform and photo to Wayne Bell at webmaster@caw4304.ca as soon as possible. All election platforms will be posted on the Election page at caw4304.ca/elections . You are also encouraged to post these platforms on the bulletin boards, and bring them to the Union meeting to hand out. The goal is to have intelligent voting by our members so that the best candidates are selected.

Well, this concludes my final duty as the chairperson for the past six years of the Election Committee. It has been an honour to serve the membership in this capacity. I hope my tenure has encouraged integrity and improved organization of elections. Upholding democracy within this Local is a high and worthy calling. Rest assured that I will be there to assist the new Election Committee in any way I can.

Mouse riding a bus… on the driver's seat!

By Fernando Bralha & Janet St. Laurent

It started like any other ordinary winter morning - the only difference was that the driver was a little more organized that day. She had taken the time to prepare the most awesome lunch for herself, and stored it securely in the compartment behind her head.

She was partway down the route when she felt a bite on the left side of her neck. She thought an insect had bitten her – but an insect in the middle of winter?!! She put her hand to her neck and felt a big, round, round furry lump. It was too big for an insect. Perhaps she was imagining this, she thought.

Suddenly, she saw the critter scampering all over her. “A mouse! A mouse!” she screamed, as she braked. A gentleman passenger laughed!! She stood up to get the little creature off of her lap, while still calling for help. The mouse jumped from the driver's lap and kept running in circles on the driver's seat.

A lady passenger, with gloves on, tried to catch the mouse. At that point, the mouse jumped down and took cover under the accelerator pedal. Finally, a gentleman came and stuck transfers down the hole to trap the mouse under the dash.

After finally securing the bus, the driver phoned for help from the supervisor. Brad Quirt and Al Maine were on the scene in record time!!

No… this story isn't from my imagination, neither is it a dream, nor a nightmare. Although it sounds bizarre and incredible, it is true! It happened on Wednesday, December 30 th to Janet St. Laurent, a fellow driver in Cambridge, when she was driving bus #2307 on route #58.

During seven years of driving for GRT, I have never heard a story like this before, and I believe you haven't either, even if you have been driving for 20 years or more!

A couple days after this terrifying incident, Janet finally recovered from the shock, and was able to share her incredible story. She was glad it was just a small mouse and not a big one! Thinking back, maybe what attracted the little rodent to her bus was the lunch she had put inside the storage compartment behind the driver's seat!

Janet's advice to other drivers: “Never leave your lunch bag inside your parked bus. You never know what it might attract… a little mouse, or even a big bear!”

As I mentioned, this happened just before New Year's. We all had a happy holiday… and we hope the mouse had a happy holiday too!

Health and Safety

By Darlene Wilson

Bill 168 amendments to the OHSA receive Royal Assent - Workplace Violence and Harassment provisions to come into force June 2010

What does this mean for us at GRT? This means that the employer now has a direct legal obligation to conduct risk assessments and develop policies and implement Violent Prevention Programs. The implemented programs must reflect the risk we face at our workplace. No longer can they rely on the fact that many of our violent occurrences go without being reported, and therefore claim that GRT operators do not face a risk of Violent Incidents occurring. The Bill also requires our employer to take reasonable precautions to protect an employee from violence in the workplace and allow workers to remove themselves from harmful situations if they have reason to believe that they are at risk of imminent danger due to workplace violence. Previously, legislation did not directly allow for a work refusal on the grounds of Violence Prevention.

What does this mean for me? It is significantly important that all incidents of violence be reported and documented. Currently, our Violent Incident Reporting Form has been removed from our buses, and is under review. The employer has stated that all violent incidents reported to a supervisor will be recorded on an HR 18. If you have experienced any incident of violence (verbal abuse or threat, threatening gestures, spitting, physical assault, etc) PLEASE ENSURE A SUPERVISOR TAKES YOU OFF OF YOUR BUS TO COMPLETE AN HR18 !! This is very important. Without these incidents properly documented, the employer continues to state that the incidents are not occurring.

New Driver's Open House

By Phil Whitehead

During the initial months after being hired by GRT, a bus operator can feel overwhelmed by the all of the information and procedures that need to be assimilated. Although the classroom sessions and the driving of routes with another operator on board are valuable, a new operator is not be prepared for the variety of challenges that will be encountered once in service. The result for a new operator can be fatigue and discouragement.

Dan Pope and Pamela Martin saw the need for a new operators committee because they believed that one of the roles of a union is to assist new operators in becoming familiar and oriented with all aspects of life in a unionized transit operations environment.

Dan stated the need for such a committee: “After you leave the class, reality sets in.” An operator then has difficulty applying the large quantity of information received during the short duration of the training.

The committee is guided by the philosophy that a strong union is not inimical to a transit system fulfilling its mission. When people do not feel overwhelmed, as a result of receiving assistance from other union members, they can do their job better. Therefore, Dan holds to the ideal that the committee will strengthen both the union and management/labour relations.

The new members committee is intended to relieve pressure from the local executive by answering those questions that are urgent from the perspective of a new member, but that are routine from the perspective of a senior member.

Dan has found that numerous new members want to get involved, but they don't know how. He suggested that the initial steps to overcoming their uncertainty can be taken by attending the monthly union meetings, by registering for access to the member's area of the CAW 4304 web site and by posting a photo.

Klaus Biemann is assisting the committee because he believes that new members need to be informed about both the benefits and the responsibilities of union membership. He stated that the word “union” could be substituted aptly for the term “your country” in JFK's famous dictum, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Open House

While the activity of the new operators committee has been limited mainly to addressing new operators in classes during training, the need was recognized for a planned event. An open house was organized for January 13 in the training room at 250 Strasburg Rd. between 09:00 to 16:00. New operators could drop by and discuss whatever was on their mind about CAW 4304 and its relationship to its individual members. Approximately 75 operators availed themselves of the opportunity.

In addition to providing a forum for new operators to have their say, the open house was intended to motivate new members to become more involved in union life.

John A. McDonald loaned his computer to the committee for the duration of the open house in order to facilitate the immediate inclusion of information about new members onto the member's directory.

Tentative plans exist for a similar event in Cambridge.

Intimidation

While new operators were quick to praise the majority of senior operators for their willingness to be of assistance, a recurring topic raised by new operators during the open house was that of intimidation, both inadvertent and intentional.

The inadvertent intimidation occurs when senior operators demonstrate their ability gained from experience to handle routinely a wide variety of situations in a professional manner. As a result, some new members become hesitant to address their concerns to others. However, as Pam Martin stated, “No question is a stupid question if the answer makes you feel comfortable on the road.” The new members committee is meant to assure new operators that someone is available to address their concerns in a respectful manner.

The intentional intimidation usually takes the form of cheap shot remarks over the radio system. Certain operators have invested themselves with the implied authority to belittle other operators publicly. They persist in their mistaken assumption that they are a Don Rickles or a Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. As a result, many operators “clam up”, as one new operator said, and refuse to use the radio to request assistance when they find themselves facing difficulty while on the road. Whatever problem that they are encountering then seems to be beyond resolution.

The inappropriate personal remarks over the radio usually emanate from senior operators. One junior operator summarized the attitude of these operators with the hypothetical quote: “'I went through hell when I started here, so the new guys should too.'” The new operators committee was initiated because the days have long past for prolonging this mentality.

Although the demeaning remarks usually come from senior operators, a few recently hired operators have demonstrated their readiness to preserve this unfortunate tradition.

Regardless of whether or not the intimidation is intentional, a union has mandates to integrate new members into union life and to demonstrate its strength as a union to management. As one new operator said at the open house, “You can't have one without the other.”

Preparing for the Future

More new people need to get involved in union activities, including by seeking elected office. Dan Pope said that he was pleasantly surprised by the number of new operators who ran for various positions in previous elections.

The reality for CAW 4304 is that the continued viability of the local eventually will rest upon those who are currently not involved or only minimally involved. As Klaus Biemann remarked, “The torch inevitably will be passed, and a new generation needs to be ready.”

Pamela Martin, Klaus Biemann and Dan Pope.

John A. McDonald, Klaus Biemann and joe Ferneyhough.

John Lukezic and Richar Fondacaro.

And ..…. They're Off!

By John A. McDonald, January 26, 2010

After a couple of months of online applications and cramming lots of new information into our craniums, the 17-member Team GRT is off to Whistler! The final count is 14 drivers and 3 mechanics who will be attending the Olympics as part of Whistler Transit. Most of us leave Jan. 27 th and return Feb. 28 th or March 1 st . The excitement is building, and I just can't wait until I arrive on the West coast as part of the Olympic team, transporting the world to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver!

BC Transit services will increase five-fold in Whistler. The bus fleet will expand from 39 to 135 buses to serve the estimated 2.1 million customers expected during the month of February. Existing Whistler routes will run more often, augmented by eight new routes. Some routes, like the Squamish and Pemberton connectors, will run 24/7. Most routes will run every 10 to 30 minutes. The enhanced transit service plan will start February 1 and run until February 28, 2010. Altogether, there will be 330 drivers employed by Whistler Transit during February.

The 17 days of the Winter Games begin on Fri. Feb. 12 and end on Sun. Feb. 28. We've signed for two shifts, with Feb. 1 to 7 being the Week 1 Shift, and the Feb. 8 to 28 shifts being the Week 2, 3, 4 Shift. Bid lists were emailed to us daily, and we had to call out to Vancouver at bid time. I must say that all of the staff that I've dealt with over the phone and by email has been extremely friendly and helpful.

They have also promised to take good care of us while we are out there. Our flights have been donated by Air Canada. We will be met at the airport and shuttled to our hotels where we will be issued cell phones. We will also be issued with an Olympic jacket, although we are to wear our own uniforms while at work. Then we will undergo at least three days of training. Our hotels sound wonderful, and are also part of the deal. Plus we receive a $30/day meal allowance. Week 1 shifts average about 32 hours for the week, while the Week 2, 3, 4 shifts average about 38 hours. The pay is $24.05 per hour.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be going to the Olympics realize that many of you would like to have come with us, if circumstances had permitted. We will do our best to provide you with live updates throughout our Olympic adventure. All of us have a login to the GRT Olympic Team Blog located at blog.caw4304.ca . It is here that each of us hopes to post photos, videos, and comments for you. Please add your comments to the blog. That will encourage us to continue posting them. Remember, we are representing you at the games!

Personally, I'll also be posting Tweets every chance I get at twitter.com/caw4304 .

The photos I can't fit into the team blog, I'll post here: picasaweb.google.com/sirjohnamcdonald .

Of course, I'm still available to text at 519-241-5623 .

I don't do much on Facebook, but you can find me there by searching my email: caw4304@rogers.com .

And, yes, I'll have my Smartphone with me, so I'll get your emails immediately.

As I mentioned in the last issue, I'll periodically be running a GPS tracking system on my cell called Google Latitude. It allows you to track me in real time as I drive around Whistler. If you want to follow me, send me an email, as I can add you to Latitude.

Finally, I'll likely be using Skype to call back home when I'm not relaxing by the pool at the hotel. My Skype ID is johna.mcdonald . (In case you were wondering, no, I don't lose a lot of sleep worrying about my privacy.)

If you'd like to check out our routes, go to caw4304.ca/olympics/routes .

The main CAW Olympic page is here: caw4304.ca/olympics .

The company running the scheduling for Whistler is BC Transit, with schedules posted here: bctransit.com/olympics .

We were actually hired by Pacific Western Transit, with the recruitment page here: pwtransit.ca . Olympic information is here: vancouver2010.com .

Thank you to all who have helped cover the give-aways, and who have generally been such a great encouragement to all of us. We are proud to represent our Union and GRT at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Games!

Don Gauvin; Another Ambassador is gone

By John Mac Kay

Don was a quiet brother and that is some of the reason a lot of you cannot place him driving.

Also he was battling cancer for almost three years.

His transit family was very important to him and so was his home , at his memorial, we learn he was a great family man and took that roll very personally. Paul Mennie, Rick Lonergan, Gerry Nagle, Russ Davis and myself were some of the GRT people in attendance.

Remember

Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land;

When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay,

This was part of a poem written by Christina G. Rossetti.

Environmental Issues

By Laszlo Bori

Since my last article a lot has happened. We are now hearing about ‘ climate gate ' which revolves around the University of East Anglia in England, and its scientists. From e-mails intercepted, it is clear that there was a plot by the Worlds' leading scientists to misdirect the World about climate change. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, headed by Rajendra Pachauri is taking this revelation very seriously.

The director of the Climate Research Unit of East Anglia University, Phil Jones, has resigned. The British Government does not want to release any information about climate change, citing National Security. Strangely, it is the British who are constantly seeding the sky's over England to create clouds. There are videos, showing military planes crisscrossing the sky, making clouds. As far as we know, clouds hold heat in. So why are the British holding in the heat and complaining about Global warming?

If you have been watching the news, you know that Europe was in the midst of a deep freeze. All air and land travel came to a halt. Pakistan and India recorded record low temperatures. China was covered in deep snow and had to send out the army to rescue buried trains and people and animals.

As you all know, the World leaders had a Climate change conference in Copenhagen. Mr. Harper was not very enthusiastic about going to this meeting, and the media gave it to him with both barrels. Even the President of the United States went to try and make a deal, but could not. Global Warming is nothing more than a money scam; the poor Nations, that can't afford pollution controls for their factories, want the rich Nations to give them money, so they will not increase production and pollution. In other words, they want to be paid for not working.

Over the past 7,000 years sea levels have been rising by as much as 300 feet. Proof of this can be seen around England, France, and the Mediterranean where ancient civilization prospered. There are numerous ancient Towns and villages that were built near the sea and are now under water. This is a clear indication that climate change did not start during the last 100 years, but is a long process involving nature.

Our Provincial totalitarian leader Dalton McGuinty has a new green plan for us. Our green dollars, 7 Billion of them, will now flow into Korea, because Canadian companies are not good enough. He has decided to invest into Samsung, to produce windmills and solar panels in Ontario. A bold step, but a stupid one, to produce green energy. An estimated 16,000 temporary jobs will be created for a little while, then they will be lost, and only about 1,400 full time positions will be left, most of which will be given to Korean Nationals.

McGuinty has plans to sell windmills to the Americans and Europeans. Good luck. One of the biggest producers of windmills in America is Mesa Power L.P. owned by a Mr. Boone Pickens. If he has anything to say, the Americans will not touch Korean windmills. The Europeans have their own producers of windmills so they will not buy ours. Not only that, but large multi national companies, like Royal Dutch Shell has stopped all investment in wind and solar power. Other European Countries have scaled back their wind generators because wind is unreliable and repair costs are very high. Just take a drive on Highway 89 by Shelburne. Hundreds of windmills are visible but only a few are working at one time. Ontario has lots of electrical power and is exporting it to the Americans. Why? Because we are loosing our large industries to third World industrial powers, where materials and wages are cheaper. Michael Ignatieff wrote a book, and in it, Ontario Hydro admitted that Ontario had enough power generating capacity for the next 50 years without the need for windmills.

The plan is to generate 2,500 mega watts of power with thousands of these ugly things all over Ontario. Darlington, a nuclear power plant produces 3,500 megawatts from just one location. The initial cost of windmill generated electricity will be about 1.4c per kilo watt hour, in other words our hydro bills will triple, because we now pay .05c to .07c per Kilowatt hour, and our taxes will go sky high to pay for the privilege of using green electricity. Isn't democracy wonderful, comrade?

Union Works

By Monica Menner

Spare board Issues are ongoing. Our Collective Agreement in Article 33.10 breaks down our shifts as follows: a.m. shifts commence from 04:30 hours, twilight shifts commence from 09:00 hours and p.m. shifts commence from 14:00 hours. Article 36.1 states: No changes in excess of sixty minutes in an individual permanent employees daily work assignment may occur after the sign-up work period has commenced and LOU#13 states the Employer agrees to make every effort to assign regular work where financially responsible such that the approximate finishing time is as close as reasonably possible to the time of the spare board crew for which the employee signed. The bottom of our bidlist states: Spareboard operators must check in daily to confirm 2 nd part and next day's assignment. Work assignments are subject to change due to service requirements. If you are on a spare board crew and have concerns about your daily work assignments, please report them to your union.

There have been some questions on our Woman's Advocate Role in the workplace. Our Collective Agreement under LOU# 22 states: Advocates will make themselves available to female employees to discuss problems and disseminate information about local services and supports. They refer women to appropriate support agencies for their issues, such as the EAP. Women's Advocates will not be involved in any step of the grievance or discipline procedure. If you have a workplace grievance or an interpersonal conduct complaint it can only be handled through the Union President, Vice President, Local Chair or Union Stewards.

Work Refusal Reprisals: Section 50(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act states; No discipline, dismissal, etc., by employer

50. (1) No employer or person acting on behalf of an employer shall,

(a) dismiss or threaten to dismiss a worker;

(b) discipline or suspend or threaten to discipline or suspend a worker;

(c) impose any penalty upon a worker; or

(d) intimidate or coerce a worker,

because the worker has acted in compliance with this Act or the regulations or an order made there under, has sought the enforcement of this Act or the regulations or has given evidence in a proceeding in respect of the enforcement of this Act or the regulations or in an inquest under the Coroners Act. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1, s. 50 (1).

Reprisals are of concern in our workplace, especially in D2. Once you've said the words “I refuse” the employer must follow the process as stated in the act. Unless the issue is resolved with your health and safety rep present, they should not be coercing you to change your mind. You do not need facts, your health and safety rep should assist you with that. All you need is a gut feeling that your health or safety will be affected.

“ROCKING THE BOAT” – An ongoing issue is a new employee's fear of talking to their union representatives concerning issues or practices that may be in violation of our contract. The concern seems to be that by rocking the boat, it will affect their ability to be hired on as a full time employee. You cannot be passed over for a full time position as a result of exercising your rights under our contract. A full time offer of employment is based on your seniority when a full time position becomes vacant.

This is not just an issue for new employees; it affects us all no matter what level of seniority we hold. Please remember, our Collective Agreement was agreed to be upheld by both management and our Union. In a unionized environment, it is when you don't report issues to your representatives that the boat gets rocked for you and your fellow brothers and sisters.

Happy Valentine's Day to all Local 4304 members and their families!

Picked up in Passing

By John Mac Kay

I attended my first union meeting this past Wednesday, January 20 and I was happy to see my fellow brothers and sisters there.

One issue was; should we be supporting arbitration that we knew we would lose. Especially when the member admits to falsifying a document for personal gain. Arbitrations cost the losing party $5000.00. That's money our union cannot and will not waste.

Another familiar story was trying to get a new member to write a story about feeling intimidated by supervisors while waiting to go from part time to full time. You will notice the story is not in the paper; not this issue anyway. The irony is that this member is now full time.

We are working on stories to better educate our membership as to what happens when a CAW4304 member dies suddenly and or has a critical long term illness. Real quickly, if you are married, or living together common law, always have your pay cheque in a joint account. When the GRT member dies suddenly; the estate is frozen along with all bank accounts and assets. If there is a joint bank account, the survivor has access to the bank account and the money in it.

According to chair at large, Harold Klooster, we still have about the same amount of grievances ongoing; so some things never change. It boggles the mind that we have a collective agreement and one or two people in middle management seem to believe they can change the wording in the contract. What would happen if their boss came along and said, “so sorry, about your raise and benefits, we are not going to honour that now.”

And the last thing, callouts; come on folks, $800 million for a train set or an inflated price for technology that's already partly installed in all the Nova buses for the call out system that all the other transit systems are installing. Nothing changes, just the players and they do not have a program.

Happy Valentine all you lovers out there!

Complete Archives

The Informer

February 2010

Who is Supervising Our ‘Cousins?'

Another point of view part 2

Believing in an

Organization that Works for You

A letter from the new Bereavement Committee

Des Fitzgerald Retires

Ted Bate Retires

Carole Garton Retires

Des Fitzgerald

Happy trails - May the tracks be with you!

Retirees Club

Spies and Lies

Trivia Question

You are invited! Ski for, or donate to, a great cause

Election Committee Election

Mouse riding a bus… on the driver's seat!

Health and Safety

New Driver's Open House

And ..…. They're Off!

Don Gauvin; Another Ambassador is gone

Environmental Issues

Union Works

Happy Valentine's Day to all Local 4304 members and their families!

Picked up in Passing

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