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I live up in Coon Rapids and witness daily the unbelievabletraffic congestion for those who live in the vicinity of Hwy 10(not to mention the Minnesotans that go up to their cabinsthis way every week-end.) The basically-unchanged Hwy. 10has been ripe for a makeover between Foley and Elk Riverfor decades.

Recently, I got a chance to sit with Brian Lamb and talk aboutthe Northstar Corridor and the new commuter rail line thatwill enter into downtown Minneapolis at the new Twins ballpark site. The name of this new station is being referredto as the “Multi-Modal Station.”

It is exciting to see that with the cooperation among MetroTransit, the Met Council, MnDOT, the Minnesota Legislature,Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) and the Federal TransitAdministration, Northstar is becoming a reality...finally! Thisteam has moved forward in a combined effort toward a newtype of transportation for Minnesota.

This past February, BNSF signed a 10-year operating agree-ment to provide the engineers and crew aboard the trains, whowill be represented by the United Transportation Union(UTU).

Continued on page 5

Northstar…What does itmean for Metro Transit?

Dorothy Maki

An aerial shot of how the new Twins stadium will fit intothe downtown landscape.

The Financial Secretary/Treasurer (hereinafter FST) position has beendescribed to me by one of our Local 1005 Union Officers as "the chiefcook and bottle washer" in the union office. Recently, at a FinancialSecretary/Treasurer conference I attended, an ATU International Officerdescribed this position as a "should-be prerequisite to a President's posi-tion" at the Local level. The truth probably lies somewhere in between,but after being in this position for more than a year, I can see how eachportrayal came about.

Even though it would be a daunting task to describe in detail what thisposition requires on a daily, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annualbasis, let me describe for you some of the duties of the FST in Local1005.

As you might guess, the FST records and deposits all revenues, whichinclude member dues, assessments, initiation fees, interest, and miscella-neous income. The FST records and pays all expenses of the local, someof which are: per capita taxes, legal fees, audit and accounting expenses,rent, arbitration expenses, equipment, insurance, office expenses, person-nel costs, political contributions, and convention and delegate expenses.After each payroll period and after each payment to members for author-ized lost time, the FST makes a deposit to 1) the Federal Government forFederal withholding, Social Security, and Medicare taxes, and 2) theState of Minnesota for State withholding. Prior to the union meetingeach month, the FST prepares the financial statements of the previousmonth for distribution at the union meeting.

Besides fiduciary responsibilities, the FST is responsible for all member-ship functions, which includes keeping two membership programs (onefor active members, one for retiree members) up to date regarding new

Union Office Phone612-379-2914

e-mail:[email protected]

website:www.atu1005.com

OFFICER’SCORNER

LOCAL 1005OFFICERS

President/BusinessAgentMichelleSommers

Vice-PresidentJerry Ewald

RecordingSecretary/Asst.Business AgentScott Tollin

FinancialSecretary/TreasurerChuckGudknecht

Calendar

EducationCommittee 2:30 pmJuly 17 Aug 21 Union Office

Executive Board& Union MeetingJune 26 - Mpls.July 24 - St. Paul10:00 AM / 7:30 PM

Union OfficePhone612-379-2914email:[email protected]:www.atu1005.com

Chuck Gudknecht

FINANCIAL SECRETARY/TREASURER

The FinancialSecretary/Treasurer Position

in ATU Local 1005

Continued on Page 16

Education Committee

AdvisorScott Tollin

Chair Members Rotate

SouthLiz Goldberg

(Vice Chair)

Heywood OfficeOpen

NicolletDorothy MakiMelanie Benson

Overhaul BaseTom Campbell

RuterScott Lundquist

East MetroOpen

Heywood GarageOpen

LRTOpen

725 Bldg.Stephen Babcock

(Layout)

Editorial BoardKen DolneyDan AbramowiczChuck Feucht

Union Meeting HighlightsApril 24, 2007 Meeting

President's ReportDiscussions continue with AFSCME concerning the Payroll positions.The Bureau of Mediation Services(BMS) has heard the case, but the casehas been reopened to let AFSCME enter their history. Our union's stanceis that all Payroll positions should be ATU. This is far from being set-tled.

The Republican National Convention in St. Paul in 2008 is being dis-cussed in meetings of the ATU, the Teamsters, the St. Paul BuildingTrades unions and the Minneapolis Central Labor Union(CLU). ATeamsters representative told the Republican Committee that if theyattempt to bring non-union buses across state lines, they should be pre-pared to have them stopped at the border.

Michelle and Jerry have met with Sam Jacobs on retirees coming back towork, but there are legal considerations. There are dicussions aboutretirees driving during the Republican National Convention.

A new absenteeism policy is being discussed for non-driving depart-ments. The union has expressed our concerns. We'll see if they listened.

On computer use: Three employees are in discharge status at themoment for inappropriate computer use. Short e-mails might be OK, butif there are many pages of inappropriate sites on your work computer, itcould be a problem.

When a member passes away, the family can choose between receiving amemorial or $100 from the union.

The Local's Organizing Committee is being reactivated. Interested mem-bers went through an intense two-day training course on organizing.

Maintenance employees must scan in and out near the foreman's office.

We're still waiting for the results of the Gloria Watkins arbitration. Welost Latisha Eaddy's arbitration.

Results of Union Meeting VotesMotions:Two reduced-service days for this year - PASSED

Requests for ArbitrationSouth Operator: Terminated for gross misconduct, violation of LastChance Agreement (LCA), falsification to a manager’s inquiry, misuse ofMetro Transit rules and policies and overall record - Yes to arbitration.

May 27, 2007 Meeting

President's ReportMichelle, Marlin Jensen and Deb Sievers met with a possible organizingtarget with a positive outcome. All six members of the OrganizingCommittee will probably be geared up to meet with contacts. A posting

Continued on Page 4

is up requesting more participation on the Organizing Committee.

MV has lost their contract with the Met Council and will be out on July1st. Scott Tollin has talked with the new company, Transit Team, whowere not real enthused to meet with us. Scott brought Metro Transitapplications to current ATU members at MV.

A posting was put up this week to request your proposals for the newcontract. The deadline for submitting them is July 18. Each proposalmust be signed and each on a separate piece of paper.

There is a new short-term policy regarding Mechanics going under buses:Steering wheel covers are being used to warn of a Mechanic being underthe bus. IF YOU GET ON A BUS WITH A STEERING WHEELCOVER, DO NOT TAKE IT OFF AND DRIVE THE BUS. This is ashort-term safety feature until a more comprehensive policy can bedesigned.

We're still waiting for some arbitration awards. In one case, two ATUmembers and a supervisor were fired after being honest, yet when man-agers lie and cover up, they are still employed. We have gone directly toBrian Lamb about this. We will push this as far as we have to.

The session at the Capitol is wrapping up and a veto override on thetransportation bill looks less and less likely.

Computer use and misuse are being taken seriously, as are extendedbreaks. Be aware: The Council can monitor every keystroke on yourCouncil computer even when you think you're going into a password-pro-tected site.

The 2nd Annual Local 1005 Picnic is Sunday, July 8, starting at 11:00a.m. in Battle Creek Park. Basic foods will be provided, but you supplybeverages and extras. There will be nice door prizes and the "dunk tank"again, so you can dunk Michelle, Jerry and maybe some board members.Money collected at the dunk tank will be given as a door prize. Markyour calendars.

Results of Union Meeting Votes:Motions:On Maintenance Recognition Program - FAILED

Requests for arbitrationLRT Track Maintainer: Terminated for inappropriate computer use - Yesto arbitration

Nicollet Operator: Terminated for violating Last Chance Agreement - Noto arbitration

East Metro Operator: Terminated for accident and falsification - No toarbitration

Office Employee: Terminated for inappropriate computer use - Yes toarbitration

Highlights (from p. 3)

At the GarageSouth

Contact Liz Goldberg

South Reconstruction to BeginJuly 1st.

The $1.6 million dollar recon-struction of South Garage origi-nally scheduled for April will nowtentatively begin this July. Officialgroundbreaking will kick offphase one, and will initiallyinvolve the removal of tons ofearth packed against the westwall, as well as the laying downof the concrete foundation.Completion is expected by the endof this year.

Instructor RecognitionService and storage facility opera-tions involve hundreds of ATUunion members: Dispatchers,Operators, Mechanics, SkilledHelpers, Janitors, Fuelers, VaultPullers, Farebox Techs - and theInstruction Department.Committed to the serious andchallenging task of transformingdoe-eyed fresh recruits from thestreet into professional bus opera-tors, Instructors and ReliefInstructors must maintain impec-cable attendance and servicerecords as well as leadershipskills, just to name a few of themany qualifications required forthe position.

In view of their hard work, com-mitment and dedication, we com-mend and recognize their contri-butions to our facility and agency:Thank You! We appreciate you!

South Instructors: Ray Golding #9126 and John Marroquin #2612Relief Instructors: Randy Finch #128, Dale Patrin #715, Steve Leko #9201 and Keith Severson #7707

AT THE GARAGENicollet

Contact Melanie Bensonor Dorothy Maki

Nicollet Garage repaved the park-ing lots beginning on Wednesday,June 6th. It was an inconveniencefor the Operators, but they havebeen rewarded with a nice,smooth, freshly-marked surface.

Nicollet welcomed 20 new driversto the garage with this new pick. Some of them were forced overfrom other garages, but hopefullywill come to like their new homegarage.

Items are being collected alreadyfor the October Nicollet GarageSale near the front of A-bay.Please contact Jean Hammond,Dr. #1374 or Maria Flores, Dr. # 6942 for more informationor to volunteer your help.

Metro Transit plans to work side by side with BNSF in a shared partner-ship in the new transportation. For example: Should the line becomedisabled, bus bridges (similar to light rail) would be in place. BNSF is astrong professional union company and so is Metro Transit. We look for-ward to a good relationship with them.

Metro Transit awaits legislative approval because a portion of theNorthstar line will operate outside of the seven-county area.

Additional Info:* A large new facility in Big Lake will house six locomotives, withroom to add more.

* BNSF may move their tracks over a little bit at the ballpark site. Theoriginal design was that the seats would overhang the tracks.

North Star (from p.1)

A depiction of how the the heavy rail station will interface with theLRT station on 5th Street and 5th Ave. North. (In the backgroundyou can see the Heywood Garage and the garbage refuse facility.)

A depiction of the LRT station on the bridge providing intermodalaccess. The new stadium will be where the cars are in the pictures.

Death Benefits

When an ATU Local 1005 mem-ber in good standing passesaway, our Local provides thebeneficiary of the deceased thefollowing option:

* Receiving a $100.00memorial check in the name ofthe deceased; or

* Having a $100.00 flowerbouquet delivered to a church,synagogue, funeral home, cre-mation service, etc.

The family of a retiree in goodstanding at time of death alsoreceives a $1,000.00 benefitfrom the ATU InternationalOffice.

(This is in response to concernson the part of some members

Lizbeth Goldberg

Our world is a tapestry.There are 6,525,170,264 people in

194 countries with 6800 languages.80 million people are added to the globe each year.

People are our greatest asset.

Our very survival in this world rests on our abilityto accept and understand one another - and, even more importantly,

to accept not just our differences, but to realize our common-ground similarities.Our workplace is a microcosm of this great world we live in.

This series intends to introduce you to the unique members of our union who make up this amazing andexciting kaleidoscopic tapestry of diversity.

Mohamed IssaMohamed is a part-time South Operator and has been with Metro Transit for eightmonths. Originally introduced to the agency through friends who are alsoOperators, Mohamed is attracted by the good benefits and union wages, as well asthe fact that he really loves the job. “ I like people! I like meeting new people,getting around the city, being outside and out in the world. The money is verygood and I feel a sense of freedom - no office!” With excellent communicationskills and a magnetic personality, Mohamed has had a fairly easy time adjusting tohis driving position.

Originally from Mogadishu, Somalia, where he was born and raised with his sixbrothers and six sisters, Mohamed left his home in 1993 after receiving his four-year degree in Animal Husbandry from Gahayr University. In 1992 Africa experi-enced the worst drought in a century that killed an estimated 300,000 Somalis.Combined with internal civil war, Somali was engulfed in anarchy, violence andpoverty.

Because of the instability both politically and economically in his homeland, Mohamed fled to Nairobi, Kenyain 1993 where his aunt lived and living were conditions better. He was assigned to a farm camp, where heworked for two years, and helped to run a small video store that his aunt owned. He hoped desperately that thesituation in Somalia would improve and that he could return home, but they did not. In 1996, a brother wholived in Minnesota arranged to sponsor him. On his way to the U.S., he took advantage of the opportunity to sat-isfy his great desire to see the world and spent a brief time in London, England, Germany and Italy, which heenjoyed very much. After arriving in the states, Mohamed's first job was with a company that made surgical sup-plies, then on to assembling car phones, and he finally to BDI, where he assembled circuit boards for $10 anhour. "They liked me! …Then they laid me off." He enrolled at the Minneapolis Community Technical Collegeand earned a degree in Video Production. Mohamed feels that education is crucial for living. "I need alwaysschool! You always need education - that's why we are in war. We are here to be born…to learn…to do…anddie."

Mohamed speaks four languages: Italian, Somali, Swahili, English and some Arabic, which he said, is the moredifficult language to learn.

Mohamed currently does a lot of volunteer work for his community, where he helps people adjust to living in

Tapestry

Minnesota, and also does video projects for Ogaal Community Education. His dream is to establish his ownvideo production business, doing projects for businesses, communities and individuals (social functions, wed-dings, etc.)

Ambitious, intelligent, hardworking and with personality plus, Mohamed has made Minnesota his home, butwithout hesitation with great pride will tell you: "I am proud of where I am from. I am proud to be Somali."

Mohamed Issa South Operator #66230

Ghansam Ramnarain

“I found out about Metro Transit in 1999, when my neighbor's son-in-law, DickDay (retired Garage Manager from Snelling) noticed a school bus parked in frontof my house. He said to me ‘Ram, you need to drop the school bus and head forMetro Transit!’ I was hired in 1999, was an Operator for six months, and thenwent into the shop for the next seven and a half years.”

Ram worked at South as a Sweeper for six months, went to Heywood for threeyears as a Helper, on to Nicollet for three and a half years as a Skilled Helper -and he is presently at South, replacing “Frog”, who retired June 1st. He doesn’tseem to be offended in the least when introduced by grinning fellow mechanics as"Tadpole."

Metro Transit appealed to Ram because “School bus was part-time with no bene-fits and I wanted a full-time position. Metro Transit offered good benefits andfull-time work with great pay - and it was union!

“I really liked driving. I am a people person and I miss it, but at Nicollet I would work my nights and then signup for a piece of work as a miscellaneous driver when it was available. That was great for me.

“I've been with Metro Transit now for eight years and I couldn't be any happier than I am about being here.”Ram came to the United States in 1982 from Guyana, South America, 25 years ago. His parents lived in Guyana,but his grandparents came from India. Ram has a brother in Toronto, Canada, a brother in New York, a sister inMinnesota and family members in Guyana, where they have a family farm.

Ram’s hobbies: “ I like to work on cars, lawn mowers and motorcycles. I have a motorcycle, which I don't reallyride a lot. Once a year I ride around the block and park it for the rest of the year. I also love to play cricket. I'mpretty good, actually, and I'm an all-rounder (able to play any position). There are 21 cricket teams in Minnesotaand two of those teams are Guyana players. Most of the other players are from other countries: Pakistan, India,Sri Lanka, England, Australia, Jamaica and Trinidad. I guess it hasn't caught on here yet! Retire? I like Florida.I have friends there, it’s fun and I love the fishing. I would seriously consider retiring in Florida.”

Ram is married and has three children, two boys and one girl. With a great personality, a job he loves, enjoyable

Update on Driver Kidnapping/AssaultAlmost eight months after being assaulted on the 21-line by Paul Merrill Anderson, Diane Rude, Dr. 9204 ofEast Metro Garage, is still working with the Metro Transit Police and in the court system to see that Anderson isheld accountable for his attack and threats against her.

Many Metro Transit drivers and others were furious when they learned on April 9, 2007, that Anderson had beenreleased from custody, thinking the case was over. Anderson’s defense lawyer, however, had used a provision inMinnesota statute to get Anderson released pending trial on the basis of time he had already spent in custody andhis right to a speedy trial. Metro Transit immediately had a notice posted at all garages with Anderson’s photo,

Continued on page 20

Snowbird (sno` burd) n. Any of several persons seen leaving Minnesota under snowy winter conditions.

Part 2

Doug Zubick, #1106, came to Minnesota and started drivingfor Twin City Lines on 8/30/65. His grandfather was a streetcardriver (I think it was in his blood). Doug and his wonderfulspunky wife Phyllis live in Sun City, Arizona, a western suburb ofPhoenix. Their son Robert lives in Phoenix too, and it has been ablessing to be close to him since he has struggled with some healthissues.

When I asked Doug about some memorable stories, Phyllis giggledand said, "Oh, Dougie, tell about the oranges in the aisle! Or thepot smoking in the back!" Doug smiled, with his hands folded onhis belly, and said: "I think the weirdest day I had was when I sawa squad with his lights and siren on going full blast south onNicollet. I was sitting at the stoplight at 40th street heading northand watched a little old lady in a green car go east through thegreen light. BAM! She broadsided the squad, knocking him infront of me, where he wrapped around my bus like at bumper withlights and noise. It’s lucky the cop was okay."

Carol Springer, #1151, (9/79-10/99) and her husband

Mike live in Arizona full-time. They have two homes there, one in the Mesa/Apache Junction area, and a sum-mer home up in the mountains of Show Low. They call that “Minnesota” because of the little bit of snow it getsin the winter - and the fact that all the trees and beauty make it look a lot like Minnesota. Mike is really intofloor tiling, and has added beautiful tiled floors all over both of their homes, inside and out.

Retirees CornerDorothy Maki

This column will be devoted toour retirees. Our retirees havedeveloped a tradition of meetingat several locations throughoutthe Twin Cities on set days andtimes. Everyone is welcome.

Northside Breakfast ClubMeets the second Tuesday of each month, 8:30 AM at Barnacle Bill’s,located at Shingle Creek Parkway and Freeway Blvd in Brooklyn Center.

Southside Breakfast ClubMeets the first Wednesday and the fourth Thursday of each month atBridgemans, 800 W. 66th Street, Richfield.

St. Paul Retiree Lunch ClubMeets the second Wednesday of each month at 12:00 noon. The St. PaulRetiree Club has moved its meeting place from the Wells Lanes to theVFW Post #295, located at 111 So. Concord Exchange in South St. Paul.

Metro Transit Mechanic TeammateMeets the third Tuesday of the month at Old Country Buffet located at2000 South Robert.

_

This past February, my husband Brad and I stopped in on Andy and Judy Klein in Arizona. They are “snow-birds”, as are many retired transit workers. Here are the final stories from that wonderful list:

Carol loves pictures and has huge collections of paintings and tons of pictures of loved ones hung in all therooms. She has a little white dog that she adores and keeps her busy.

When I asked her if she had a story that stood out, she told me she worked mostly part-time at Metro Transitwith few or no “problems”, but that the story that sticks out is the fact that she never meant to drive bus! Hersister Sue begged her to come with her in 1979 to fill out an application. When they got there, the girl handingout the applications asked Carol, “Do you want one, too?” Carol said, “No, thanks.” “Are you sure?” She wassure. Then another guy came in and again she was asked. The third time everyone told her, “What the heck, fillone out,” so she did - and 20 years later..! Her sister, Pat Johnson, #2073, is still keeping the driving traditionalive at FTH.

Brad and I traveled to Arizona togetherto visit the “snowbirds.”

Brad Maki, #8608, worked forMetro Transit from 9/21/96-11/2/06,when he took a medical retirement.Brad has been battling nasopharyngealcancer since Thanksgiving of 2005, buthe is still his upbeat, funny self. He is thevice-president of our townhouse associa-tion, which keeps him quite busy, and hismost recent putt-putt project is a 1966Impala that he is making road-ready forour summer outings. I asked him torecall an old story:

“Our company was called MCTO at thetime, and they had us new full-time driv-ers take a course called ‘Making theCustomer Connection.’ It was about customer service, making good announcements, etc.

“I was forced to Shingle Creek (now called MJR) and I was at the absolute bottom of the barrel, lowest senioritydriver in the system. I remember my instructor, Dennis Blake, introduced me to an older guy, saying, ‘Highestseniority person in the system, meet the lowest seniority person in the system.’ This guy immediately put histhumb on his nose and wriggled his fingers, making a funny noise at me. This was a telling sign for my firstdays of full-time at Metropolitan Council Transit Operations.

“When it was my turn to pick, I had a choice of the 5-line until 2:05 am or the 5-line until 2:20 am. So I pickedthe 5-line until 2:05 am.

“It was my second day out on the street. I was northbound approaching Abbott Hospital. I heard 'catccchhh','catccchhh', a couple of cans opening in the back of the bus, and in the mirror, I could see passengers drinkingout of paper sacks.

“Remembering back to the great class I had just taken, and thinking ahead about what a good announcement ismade of, I said in my most professional tone, ‘This is a friendly reminder, there is no consuming beverages andfood on the MCTO buses, no food and drink on the buses. Thank you for riding MCTO.’

“The bus erupted in various colorful metaphors and forms of four-letter words. Empty cans, Kentucky FriedChicken boxes and chicken bones came flying at me. I kind of ducked and shrank down as best a six-feet,eleven-inch guy can do. I could hear the empty whiskey bottle as it rolled all the way down the aisle from theback, crashed into the farebox and broke.

“That's the last time I made a public service announcement on the 5-line - but I still called all my streets!”

At the GarageLRT

Contact Bob Boyle or M a r k A m m e n d

Congratulations to the Metro TransitRail Rodeo teams who placed 5thoverall at the competition in Toronto,Canada. Operator Mark Ammendplaced 6th out of 20, and our mainte -nance team of Chris Anderson, VernGoble, and Steve Cobb placed 9th outof 19.Preliminary work has begun on thenew station at the futureTwins stadium/Northstar platform,and to extending the Hiawatha line tomeet it. Ridership continues to beimpressive as the gas prices havesoared, and the Twins are staying inthe pennant race.

www.atu1005.comContact Jerry Ewald

Get the latest info from the unionwebsite: Meeting agendas, griev-ances coming before the member-ship, officers’ e-mail addresses,etc.

Get connected. Union strengththrough member involvement!

Get contract proposal formsonline.

Snapshot: A Century of Seniority"Hey, Melanie, did you

realize that between you,me and Jaycox, we havemore than a hundred yearsof seniority out there on38th Street?" Bob askedin the Nicollet lockerroom one morning earlythis spring. "Really?What a great idea for astory!" Of course therewas no time to talk aboutit just then. They wereboth getting ready to pullout at 4:59 and 5:01,respectively. As usual,both of them (especiallyBob) had slid in secondsbefore plug-in time.

Bob was right. Melanie Benson, Nicollet Driver 854, will have31 years on October 11, 2007 (see profile, April-May issue); Bob's 34thanniversary date was May 14, 2007; and Leonard Jaycox marked his 37thanniversary on May 20, 2007 - totaling over 101 years of driving experi-ence. During this pick only, from February to April, all three drove backand forth on 38th Street weekday mornings. Shortly after making hisobservation, Bob was injured and has been off work. The run Leonard isdriving doesn't exist in the June pick. So we'd better celebrate thisunique moment while we can.

Bob Seidel, Nicollet Driver 254, was born in Red Wing,Minnesota, where he lived until age nine, when his family moved toMinneapolis. His father, a lock-and-dam operator, would be working atthe St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. Bob's mother, a registered nurse,had spent five years in the Navy and was a First Lieutenant in Englandduring World War II. One of six siblings, with three sisters and twobrothers, Bob remembers everybody in the family working from the timethey were young, shoveling snow, mowing and taking whatever jobs theycould find.

Bob's grandfather, John G.Seidel, had been a streetcar operatorfor 25 years and was elected for two terms of office as President of ATULocal 1005 from 1948-1954. Known as being strict and politicallyknowledgeable, John Seidel died in 1970.

Bob had taken the city bus to and from DeLaSalle while in ninthgrade, and he finished school at Roosevelt High, graduating in 1968.After serving two years in the Army (1969-71), he was working for avending company when his dad saw an ad for bus drivers. Mel Schultzhired Bob on May 14, 1973. Bob still remains friends with Rick Walker,also a member of his training class. Jon Uzpen, now Nicollet's Safety

At the GarageOHBContact:

Tom Campbell Bob Schaller

At the GarageEast Metro

Looking for someone to let usknow what is going on

Supervisor, was hired a week later. For the first nine years, Bob workedthe extra board and then settled onto the 18-line for many years, alsodriving the 9 and, more recently, the 46 and, finally, the 23-line on 38th.

An avid trapper and hunter of deer, moose and bear, who lovesreading books and magazines about the outdoors, Bob was thinking aboutretiring January 30 of this year. After taking ten weeks of vacation, how-ever, he decided he wasn't ready to retire and came back to work. Then,in April, on his first turkey-hunting trip ever, he fell down a steep inclineinto a creek bottom, landing on his left arm, injuring his shoulder badly.After being diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff and bicep damage andspending four weeks in painful physical therapy and home exercise, anMRI showed that Bob's shoulder was actually broken and should havebeen immobilized instead. The good news is that now he may notrequire surgery and should be able to return to driving.

That's not only good news for him, but for his passengers, whomiss him terribly. "Where's Bob? Is he O.K? Is he coming back?" arequestions that other 23 - line drivers hear - no doubt because Bob takes areal interest in his passengers: "I love talking to people. You find outstuff you'd never know. One of my riders played with Lamont Cranston."Bob looks forward to seeing his passengers every day as much as theylook forward to seeing him. "You open up a little, they open up a little,"he says.

To Bob's passengers, he's a friendly, personable driver with a bigsmile, although some of the other drivers think of him as "the quiet guy."Bob admits that he's quiet around the garage (where he doesn't spendmuch time), adding that he was kind of a "shadow" in high school, too,but he's recently become more outgoing. (In fact, his cheerfulness is con-tagious.) He loves meeting new people and socializes with some of hispassengers.

Bob's special pal is his cat, Buster, found at his lake place up byPine River on June 30, 2003. His first cat ever, Buster is a white, brownand peach Maine coon cat with a ruff and a striped tail who "does whathe wants to do."

And what Bob wants to do is to get back out on the line.

Leonard Jaycox, Nicollet Driver 494, on the other hand, is justabout ready to retire after 37 years. When he does, all the drivers in thesystem will move up on the seniority list because Leonard is #1, and hesays: "It feels good."

Born and raised in Tennessee, Leonard graduated from CentralHigh School in Alamo, Tennessee. After spending four years in the AirForce, he came to Minnesota, where he worked at the arsenal in NewBrighton until he was laid off. He applied with Twin City Lines as adriver and was hired in the first fifteen minutes of his interview on May20, 1970. The Metropolitan Transit Commission had just been estab-lished then, and there had been a strike in 1969. Twin City Lines washiring drivers for MTC's future needs, receiving $900 for every traineddriver.

Continued on Page 17

For complete details please see theSafety and Security Board located inevery garage.

TCC REPORTJim Chisholm in attendance.The March blizzard, which causedcancellation of the March TSSCmeeting, had minor impact onservice. There were approx. atotal of 27 minor bus related acci-dents and approx. 140 stuckbuses for both 3/1/07 and 3/2/07.As many artic buses as possiblewere taken out of service as a pre-caution.

MAINTENANCE REPORTChuck Wurzinger in attendance.Testing of knee pads on steeringcolumns was delayed. OHB was

Transit Safety and Security Committee Meeting Minutes

Members:Jim Chisholm, Management Advisor, TCC David Rogers, Chair, RailJerry Larsen, HeywoodMary Vasterling, South Theresa Collins, NicolletDennis Engebretson, East MetroVan, Ruter Operator

AprilOthers in Attendance

Chad Loeffler TCC SupervisorOfficer AJ Olson, MTPDMike Conlon - Director of Busand Rail SafetyLee Bennett, Asst. Manager,Street OpsFrank Stumpf - MJR GarageManagerDave Larrabe - Risk ManagementSam Jacobs - Director of BusTransportationBrenda Himrich - Manager ofBus & Rail SafetyScott Tollin - ATUDiane Rude - East Metro Op.Cheryl Alonzo - Heywood Op.

not sure what committee wanteduntil Theresa volunteered asguinea pig to demo concerns. The'Douglas' column is thicker thanthe TRW column, which has aproblem with the horn sticking.The shop will experiment withself-adhesive padding forcolumns. Gillig vent covers havehad foam added to seal better.

The Council awarded the bid for314 new buses to Gillig perMaintenance and Training specifi-cations for delivery later this year.A protest filed by New Flyer hasinterrupted the order going for-ward.85 buses have mirrors installed toview the seats directly behind thedriver. Mirror mounted aboveglass shield. New Flyer is addressing defroster/ venting issues. Re: Bus 7101,the add-on seats over front wheelwell have been removed.Concern about reduced seatingdue to future low-floor bus order.

STREET OPERATIONSNo representative in attendance:

SAFETYBrenda Himrich in attendance:Automatic external defibrillators(AEDs) are in place at all garagesand office spaces.Demonstrations have taken placeat all locations except Nicollet andRuter. Transit now has its owndemo unit, so it can be used inter-nally without waiting for outside.Note: Sadly the East Metro AEDwas of no help in a recent tragedythere, it was too late. It was reas-suring that the AED was availableif it could have assisted.In February we were over goalaccidents, helped by East Metro's

seven days accident free. Still working on handout re: howto avoid falling accidents.Scooter manufacturers were con-tacted re: tie-downs; one sales-man's solution was buy exten-sions.

David Larrabee, Risk Claims, inattendance:The March blizzard resulted injust a few major accidents. Theincrease in missing accidentreports and customer courtesycards is a huge problem. Promptreports of incidents are necessaryto capture video which often pro-tects the agency from false oroverstated claims. When opera-tors communicate with customers,issues can be avoided. A simple"Are you okay?" when someonestumbles may be all the concernneeded.

POLICE REPORTOfficer A.J. Olson in attendance. Several minor operator assaultslast month and two more seriousassaults: A large 2x4 board waschucked through the open busdoor; driver sustained slight injuryto arm. A 40 oz. beer tossed at atrain shattered the cab window,spraying operator with glass.

Shooting victim in March 'GoodSamaritan' incident on Route 5still in critical condition; arrestshave been made. Just a few dayslater, a fight on Route 10 resultedin a fatality and an arrest.Saturation details for 2 ½ weeksin March, mostly Route 5 withsome on Route 10.

Three officers were assigned ride-alongs for their full shift begin-ning March 5.

January rides = 280 hours,February = 290 hours, March = 324 regular squad on-board hours and 310 full-shifthours. Monthly on-board hours in2006 averaged 270 hours.

Uniformed officers ride between 2pm and 10 pm; all Mpls. ride-alongs will be on routes 5 & 10.

MTPD is discussing shift changeswith unions, positive so far andhope to implement in July. Ten-hour shifts will allow overlapthrough PM rush and will helpmanage overtime. Days off to bescheduled so all staff will beworking same weekday (Wed) forcontinuity and training. All thesechanges are all pending unionapproval.

Summary of calls are availableagain. Please solicit feedback tosee if monthly summary is highlyvalued or if quarterly summariesare adequate. MTPD is now fullystaffed, but these reports still taketime and resources.

Chief Indrehus is committed toride-alongs. "The most effectivesecurity is onboard uniformedofficers."

OTHERCovert alarm discussion.Should a switch be added toCovert Alarm to change overheadsign to read: CALL POLICEwhen activated? Sam: The sign option for CODE2000 was removed when somepolice depts. threatened to bill theagency for false alarms orresolved situations.AJ: When there are too manyalarms, it's the 'boy who criedwolf' syndrome and responsemight suffer.

Jim: In the past 6 months therewere 28 false alarms. Total for

2006 not known.AJ: Could a dash light indicatoror a MDT message indicate thatthe Covert Alarm is activated?Jerry: The MDT does have anactivation code on the screen.

Jim: Reminder: Pressing thecovert alarm re-sets the systemeach time, so it interrupts themonitoring capability. CovertAlarm Will Not work in fallbackmode.

Mark Johnson thanked outgoingmember Jerry Larsen for his serv-ice as FTH representative andintroduced newly elected repre-sentative Jeff Thompson, #9826.Jeff has almost ten years of serv-ice and is a relief instructor.

Sam will issue a bulletin regard-ing Covert Alarm use and capabil-ity.Respectfully submitted,Sheila Miller, Relief RecordingSecretary

At the GarageRuter

Contact Dan Abramowicz #[email protected] or Scott Lundquist Dr. #6401

We had a Rhubarb Feed lastmonth, thanks to MarnellWilbur #1157. Drivers wereencouraged to bring rhubarbdishes to share. All was gonebefore noon. Next time we needmore submissions.

Along with the good news ofRuter getting five, more routesfrom Maple Grove Transit weare now awaiting 13 buses fromFirst Student. Some of those arealmost brand-new 40ft. NewFlyer low-floor buses. We havenot had low-floors here before,so all are encouraged to checkthem out. They will be used onlyon Maple Grove work for now.

Our work has increased by 15runs this June pick. We havemany drivers who are brand-new to Ruter garage. Please wel-come all the new faces - isspe-cially those brand new full-timers who got forced here! It isnot yet known if we will againbe losing all this new work comethe winter. Remember, last yearwe lost out because of a require-ment to have all buses parkedinside the bays during the coldmonths.

MayOthers in Attendance

Wayne Babcock, TCC ManagerDave Larrabee, Risk ManagementLee Bennett, Asst Manager StreetOperationsChad Loeffler, TCC Supervisor Dan Bullock, Electronic RepairManagerLt. AJ Olson, MTPDJerry Gudim, Nicollet GarageManagerGeorgia Stinson, Asst. Dir BusTransportationMichael Guse, RailTransportation ManagerFrank Stumpf, MJR GarageManagerBrenda Himrich, Manager of Bus& Rail SafetyScott Tollin, ATUMark Johnson, FTH GarageManagerJeff Woestrel, East Metro GarageManager

At the OfficeHeywood


At the GarageHeywood


May Metting Notes continued on P.14

TCC REPORTChad Loeffler in attendance.Nothing new to report.

MAINTENANCE REPORTChuck Wurzinger in attendance.Steering column wrap test hasbeen approved for a Nicollet Bus.Unknown bus number at this time.Small mirror installation update(mirror mounted above front doorarea that views seat directlybehind Operator) - 312 buses havebeen installed so far.Test seat in bus 7101 will beremoved from front curb sidewheel well.In regards to window glare in lowfloor buses - all South low floorshave had a piece of metal installedby Gillig to reduce glare. NewGillig low floors have had wind-shield changes made and glare isimproved on both. Concerning windshield integrity -Gillig windshields meet all DOTrequirements. No information on where newbuses will come from yet. Noinformation on steering wheelreplacement.Metro Transit has a grant to retro-fit up to 240 buses with digitalvideo cameras. Project will startsometime during the summer onthe newest 40 ft buses receiving 4cameras inside and 1 pointing outthe front windshield.

STREET OPERATIONSLee Bennett in attendance:Nicollet Mall detour between 7thand 8th Sts was changed due tosafety concerns with pedestrianactivity while making turns.Nicollet Mall buses will be onHennepin between Washingtonand 12th Streets. Buses willremain on detour through annualNicollet Mall paving project.Would it make sense to have anybuses detour onto 3rd Ave S?

Customers on PM express tripshave requested detours changeonto 3rd Ave.5th St has a 120 year old sewerline running underneath it and theTwins ballpark transportation can-not proceed until sewer getsreplaced. 5th St will be closedbeginning May 7 in both direc-tions. Look for packet describingmost detours for pullouts, pullins,doubleovers. FTH will run shut-tle from approximately 11am until345pm to transport relief opera-tors back and forth.

SAFETYBrenda Himrich in attendance:MJR Garage will be celebrating11 consecutive accident free daysMay 8.Safety department is pushingpedestrian safety in the month ofMay. Videos will be shown inDriver's room. Bulletin regardingpedestrian laws has been issued.March accident data passed out.

RISK MANAGEMENTDavid Larrabe in attendance:Concerning last month's inquiryabout trip and fall accidents inMpls area: In all 2006, 588events took place. 274 in the last6 months. Slips and falls, 26events at MJR garage in the last 6months.

LRT REPORTMichael Guse in attendance.LRV 104A has had forward facingcamera looking out window. Goalis to have cameras in all LRVs.

POLICE REPORTLt. A.J. Olson in attendance. Concerning courtesy cards - IfTransit Police are onsite; it isacceptable to ask police to assistin collecting courtesy cards atincidents. If there is only oneofficer onsite it may be more chal-lenging for the officer to assist.

Forward facing cameras - Policeare looking forward to cameras asa means of defending ourselves inaccidents. Cameras assist indefending citations.Suspect in bus homicide wasarrested later the same day. Videofrom bus confirms suspect was onbus.Op assaults - only 1 assault in lastmonth. Op waiting for relief atNicollet/Franklin was assaultedwhile waiting for bus.MTPD continue added onboardpresence, including 1200 hours inApril. Summer initiative to increasepolice presence onboard buses andat bus stops.Four more police officer shiftshave been approved for activationfor July 1 and through the end ofsummer.Increased Downtown St. Paul footbeat officers have been imple-mented temporarily to addressproblems in the downtown area.Mpls Police department has askedcity council for extra funds toassist patrols in bus stops andelsewhere in the city.Part time officers will continue tobe a vital part of the securityonboard buses and filling extrasecurity shifts.

OTHERJim: What are the thoughts orinstalling a plastic cover over thesilent alarm in hopes of prevent-ing false alarms?Curt: Switch or something maybe nice when you are trying tofind the bottom, it would be easierto find. TSSC votes 4-1 in favor of rec-ommending a test bus and will askabout switch idea at garage.Concerning Signs on buses - pro-posal to change wording from"May be recorded" to "are beingrecorded" and include language

* Purchase is complete ofSparkling Wash. Metro Transitnow owns the six acres ofRagstock and Sparkling Wash.This property is being looked at asa bus expansion facility. It willhouse approximately 166 busesand is scheduled to be built in2011. (This timeline will hopeful-ly be moved up.)

* Old Snelling Garage site nego-tiations are still not done. Theoriginal site where Metro Transitwas going to rebuild was met withmuch unrest in the neighborhood.Metro Transit has looked at 'swap-ping' land that is right by theOverhaul base. This looks prom-ising, but is held up due toappraisal differences. The land atthe Snelling site is much morevaluable than the land at theVandalia site.

about assaults on buses are felonies, including spitting. TSSC approves changes with 3-2 vote, 1 memberabstaining. Stroller Policy - 5 points concerning stroller policy: 1) are ops are intimidated to enforce, 2) waivers have beenissued. 3) More complaints about new policy, 4) Police are not in a position to enforce, 5) Claims related tostrollers has been constant over the past fouryears. 3-4 a year per Risk Mgt.

Respectfully submitted, Chad Loeffler

For complete details please see the Safety and SecurityBoard located in every garage.

Miscellaneous Info:

CRYPTO by PAT KELEHANEach letter stands for another. If you think X=O, for example, it would equal O throughout the puzzle. Clue: T = E

O Y T O A Z B X X T C W X W X B T D V A T F T

W F F T V O T S Z D O Y T G J V. O Y T K A T F T O A B D V

. . . M F Z N S J G X B D!

(Answer on page 23 )

Greg Hoffman, Heywood Operator # 67091, takes the Oath ofMembership before the evening March membership meeting.

Transit HumorAmusing bumper stickers and T-shirts:

(printed over the yin-yang symbol) That was Zen, this is Tao.

Come the rapture, can I have your car?

I love my country, but we have to start seeing other people.

I'm out of my mind. Please leave a message.

You've got to be tough if you're going to be stupid.

If you have a funny, true and tasteful story please submit by interofficemail to Melanie Benson, Dr 854 at Nicollet Garage.

hires, discharges, retirements, suspensions, resignations, re-instatements, dues compliance, deaths, change ofaddress, and name change data. In the case of a member death, the FST acts as the liaison between the benefici-ary of the deceased and the ATU International.

At the end of each month, the FST must close the membership program, so that per capita taxes for the ATUInternational, Minnesota AFL-CIO, Minneapolis Central Labor Union, St. Paul Trades and Labor, St. CroixValley Central Labor Council, Eastern CAN-AM, and Northwest Conference can be computed and paid. Othermonthly responsibilities include the reconciliation of all bank statements, ordering refreshments for union meet-ings, the recording of member attendance at union meetings, and letters to recent retirees explaining the benefitsof maintaining retiree membership.

At the end of each calendar quarter, the FST must file:

* an Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return and submit a quarterly payment for Federal Unemployment;* an Employer's Quarterly State of Minnesota Withholding Tax Return; and * a Minnesota Unemployment Insurance Wage Detail Report and submit a quarterly payment for Minnesota Unemployment taxes.

Twice a year, primarily in February and August, the FST is responsible for compiling various information anddocumentation (financial and other) for a six-month financial audit required by the ATU International.

In November/December of each year, the FST prepares the annual budget, reserves rooms for union meetings,and begins preparing all of the files (computer and other) needed by the FST to record union business and infor-mation for the succeeding year.

At the beginning of the year it is the responsibility of the FST to:

* prepare Union Membership Cards and mail them to Active members, 50-year Retiree members, and Retiree members who have paid their dues for the current year;* prepare a list of ATU members who attended five Union meetings or more the previous year and pay those members $5.00 per union meeting attended;* prepare a sweatshirt list for ATU members who attended ten union meetings or more the previous year;* prepare W-2's and mail them;* prepare all Quarterly tax returns/reports and submit payments if needed; and* prepare and submit a State of Minnesota Campaign Finance Report.

Throughout the year, the FST:

* makes all travel and hotel reservations, pays registration fees, and pays authorized personnel costs for ATU Local 1005 members/delegates attending conventions, conferences, caucuses, seminars, personnel training, and/or labor education;* monitors all office supplies and makes purchases as needed; * is responsible for the execution of union elections and all of the details leading up to an election; and* keeps a record of all contributions made to political candidates and submits timely reports of all political contributions to the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.

There are other duties and tasks performed by the FST not mentioned here, but I hope my description of some ofthe responsibilities required of the FST position in the ATU Local 1005 gives you a better understanding of thejob.

Officer’s Corner (from p .2)

Leonard liked the job right away. He loved driving and said, "It was a lot of fun, especially the cama-raderie between the drivers," adding, "We got more respect from the public, then, too." He observed that someblack drivers had already been around for a long time, but the 70's really were the beginning of the influx ofblacks and women. At the time, there were only two women drivers and two women in the shop. One of thewomen drivers was Ruby Peterson, who had been driving since the streetcar days during WW II. "She didn'tplay" on the bus, he said. (Melanie remembers Ruby, too: "She was petite, but she commanded and demandedrespect. People still talk about her.")

Over the years, Leonard's driven a variety of routes including the 4, 6, 9, 18 and 24. In 2003, he drovethree picks on the 23-line and came back for this one pick in 2007 for the hours (6:50 a.m. to 3:11 p.m.).Leonard picks first for the hours, always studying the pick carefully; and, because runs keep being changed sooften, he hasn't gotten to know his passengers as well. He is looking forward to going back to the 24-line,which he drove when it first came over to Nicollet.

Leonard plans on retiring on September 10, when he turns 62, “...but you never know. I'm still adjustingto the thought of it. I'll be working another job when I leave here." Although 37 years seems like a long time,he points out that an East Metro driver who just retired had 41 years, and Andy Birnell and Martin Ruter had 47and 48 years when they retired.

When asked the secret to his longevity on the job, Leonard counsels: "Know why you're here. Eventhough it's a job and recognition is nice, you need to like people. Keep your own attitude correct. If your atti-tude is good, you'll stay healthy. Physical workouts are important as a stress reliever. If you're angry, hit apunching bag. If you're having trouble, talk it out with other drivers. We all have common experiences. Don'ttake the stress you encounter on the job home with you. Never forget that a sense of humor is primary. Withoutthat, it's a hard job to handle." Trim and fit with an easy-going manner, Leonard is the picture of serenity, so hemust be following his own advice.

Someone once said: "Take what you like and leave the rest." Whatever has gotten these drivers through- the camaraderie, the personal passenger interaction, the pay - it has all added up to a century of service - andthat deserves to be celebrated in this snapshot in time.

A Century of Senority (from p.11)

Remember when…

…the buses didn't have radios? We used to carry dimes in case we needed to call in about trouble on the busor a mechanical problem. Then we were reimbursed by the dispatcher when we pulled in: "Yeah, you owe me20 cents. I had to call twice."

Bob and Leonard (see Century article) shared these stories about pre-radio days:

Bob was driving a northbound 35-Express with a full passenger load one morning at 6:30 a.m. when hisbus broke down on the freeway at 35W and 76th Street, right by Wood Lake. "I ran across the freeway, jumpedthe fence, tore my pants," he remembers, "and asked someone watering his yard if I could use his phone. Then Iran back across the freeway and waved down another bus so I could transfer my passengers."

In the early 70's, Leonard's bus broke down at 27th and Washington St. NE, the old 18G terminal. Witha rail yard on one side and only a residential area on the other, the only choice he had was to start knocking ondoors. "I already knew I was in the wrong neighborhood," he said, noting that Northeast Minneapolis was quitewhite then. "Luckily, at the first house a little old lady trusted me enough to let me in her house to call theGarage. Good thing it was daylight. If it had been dark, I probably would have walked all the way up to Lowryto find a pay phone."

Those were the days!

725 / OSC Bldg.Contact

Stephen Babcock

The long-awaited asphalt pavingof the driveway is completed.The Electronic / Radio depart-ment has moved in.

The stockroom is in an ongoingtransition of operations. Storeis having a pick.

Education Committee members say goodbye to Theresa Collins, whohad to resign because of health concerns.

Did you ever wonder……what you do if you forget to enter the trip number before you leave the end ofthe line? Enter it as soon as you remember, or what? How often does somebodylook at these statistics, anyway?

Answer: According to Janet Hopper in Service Planning, rides are measured eachtrip, and the farebox creates a new record each time the trip number is changed.While it doesn't matter as much to the Revenue people, who look at overall revenue,Service Planning does use these figures. If you forget to set the trip number for onetrip (or more), set the correct trip number as soon as you remember and go fromthere. Because Service Planning goes by averaging ridership figures, an occasionalmistake is not a problem, but these statistics are important, so try to remember to setyour trip number at each terminal (or maybe at the last stoplight you have beforereaching your terminal, when there aren't as many things to do.)

Informal EmployeeGet-together

On Thursday evening, May 24,almost 75 Metro Transit employ-ees, retired and active, met atChampion's on Lake andBlaisdell "for no reason" - and forevery reason. The success of thisevent, organized by DonnaTuveson, Andy Klein, KathyCasey and Helen Jenkins, justshows how important it is for usto socialize. Hopefully, similargatherings will be organized peri-odically. (Wouldn’t it be nice ifall those people came to the unionpicnic?)

Calling All Contract ProposalsThe labor contract between ATU Local 1005 and Metro Transit, which determines our wages, benefits and work-ing conditions, expires on July 31, 2008. The membership voted to start negotiations early this time around.Proposals for the contract are submitted both by the Union Office and by individual members. IF YOU HAVEA PROPOSAL FOR THE CONTRACT, IT MUST BE SUBMITTED BY JULY 18, 2007.

The contract is available for viewing either by requesting a copy of the printed contract from your BoardMember or by visiting the union's website: www.atu1005.com/, click on “Contract” link then click on book.

All proposals must be signed, printed clearly, and include your name and Employee number, as well as a way tocontact you for clarification. It would be helpful if the proposal were referenced to Article and Section of thecontract, but it's not necessary. Please submit one proposal per page. Proposal forms may be printed from thethe union website.

Proposals may be emailed to: [email protected], but it would be best to mail them to or drop them off at theLocal 1005 office at 312 Central Avenue, RM 438, Minneapolis, MN 55414

Your Invited to The

ATU Local 1005 3rd AnnualCharity Motorcycle Run

ALL Facilities and Friends WelcomeCharity : Save: Suicide Awareness Voice of Education. Ride to SAVE a life.

Registration/Donation: $20.00 per bike.

When : Saturday, August 18th, 2007. Registration starts at 10:00 AM.Pull out at 11:00 AM. Ends approximately between 4:00 - 5:00 PM.If rained out, then Sunday, August 19th, 2007

Where: Meet at the lower Afton and Hwy 61 Park-N-Ride. Take 94 to Hwy 61 SB, P-N-R on left side. Try to get there early to register, and receive a raffle ticket, get a map, draw a poker card, and acquire any other information that may be needed.Registration starts at 10:00 AM.

Raffle: Prize give-aways. The registration of $20.00 automatically enters you in theRaffle. Prizes awarded at the end of the run. Winners must be present to win.

Poker Run : For an additional $5.00 per person, one card will be drawn at each stop and recorded.Best poker hand (5 cards) wins 50% of the pot. 2nd place wins 30%, and 3rd place wins 20% of the pot. Enter as many as you want, $5.00 each.

Title Run: Approximately 100 miles. Starting at the Lower Afton and Hwy 61 park-N-ride lot

ROUTING AND STOPS TO BE ANNOUNCED UPON REGISTRATION

Contacts:Jerry Larsen: 651-329-3581 - EMRuss Hoosline: 612-386-4318 - FTHRick Steffeis: 651-278-9651 - FTHTony Taylor: 612-791-9383 - NicDebbie Serrine: 763-464-1079 - RailLave: 763-957-2120 - MJRJerry Ewald: 651-748-8208 - ATU

www.atu1005.comLast years participants in the

Second ATU local 1005 Charity Run

WASHINGTON - A household with two cars that swaps one vehicle for public transportation for daily com-mutes would save about $6,200 a year even after paying transit fares, according to a study released on January10th, 2007.

The study, released by the nonprofit American Public Transportation Association, offers some relief to U.S. con-sumers who have taken a beating at the pump.

According to the study, conducted by consultants ICF International, a two-adult household where one adultrelies on public transit instead of a car for work commuting can save $6,251 a year compared with a householdwithout transit access.

That's more than the $5,781 the average U.S. household spent on food in 2004, and slightly less than the $6,848paid in yearly interest on the average home mortgage, the study said.

"Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?" said association President William Millar, calling for Congressand the Bush administration to boost incentives for public transportation.

Most of the savings comes from not paying for fees for maintenance, insurance, and loan payments on one auto-mobile, which comes to about $5,586 a year including depreciation, according to 2006 American AutomobileAssociation figures.

In all, current public transportation use has reduced U.S. gasoline consumption by 1.4 billion gallons a year, orabout 91,000 barrels per day. That's enough to fill the gas tanks of about 108 million cars, the report said.One barrel holds 42 gallons.The United States, the world's biggest oil user, burned about 9.3 million barrels per day of gasoline in 2006,according to U.S. government estimates. Source: (http://www.apta.com/research/info/online/)

Transit Study

warning drivers that he was not allowed anywhere on Metro Transit property. Police presence was heavy in thevicinity of Lake Street and the address to which Anderson was presumably returning.

Anderson was scheduled to return for trial on May 14th. With a long criminal record, Anderson had beenthrough the system for years and had even done time in the facility for offenders in St. Peter, Minnesota. OnMay 14th, Anderson was proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of kidnapping Diane and “Not leaving her ina safe place.” The second part of the trial in Ramsey County, to prove whether he was insane or not at the timeof the assualt, was not completed, and is now “on hold.”

Ramsey County has sent the case to Hennepin County for civil commitment proceedings, which will take placeon June 26th. This case is unlikely to be resolved this year. Anderson is currently in custody at St. Mary’sHospital.

Diane has shown extraordinary courage all along the way: She kept cool while he kidnapped her and threatenedher life; summoned the police so he could be apprehended; worked with Metro Transit Police; sought the helpshe needed for the emotional and psychological after-effects of the assualt; spoke to the Driver’s Safety andSecurity Committee about her experience: wrote an article for the ATU 1005 newsletter; suggested the installa-tion of mirrors to reflect the presence of passengers sitting in the “blind spot” behind the driver’s seat; and isstill working with victim advocates and the court system tirelessly to see that this terrifying experience doesn’thappen to anyone else. Although she knows that, if Anderson is found insane, he may spend time in a mentalfacility, she still wants to see him do time in a penal institution for his crime against her. With great determina-

“Kidnapping” from p. 7

Governor’s Veto Stalls Transportation BillDespite Strong Support for Transit

Despite strong public and legislative support for increased bus service, a metropolitan-wide transit system, andbetter transit service in Greater Minnesota, Governor Pawlenty’s veto of the transportation bill prevented thisvision from moving forward. The veto included a half-cent regional sales tax where up to 75 percent of rev-enues, or approximately $165 million per year, would have substantially increased funding for transit in bothmetro and greater Minnesota.

Even though the bill was vetoed, we accomplished a lot together this year. Transit received more support thisyear at the legislature than any previous year, mainly due to our collective efforts to raise awareness about transitneeds across the metro and in greater Minnesota. In fact, recent polling data showed that 72 percent of metroresidents support a ½ cent sales tax for transit and roads, and legislators supported our funding plan by a nearly2-to-1 ratio. We should be proud of our campaign and our efforts!

Veto Override Attempt FailsUnfortunately, the House defeated the veto override of the transportation funding bill late last night (5/23/07). 90votes were needed for an override and the “yeas” held strong at 86 votes, with a few hold outs, until the lastminute. In the end, the swing legislators voted “no” after realizing that the bill was a few votes short for an over-ride. The final vote (83 yeas and 50 nays) was almost strictly along party lines with no Republicans voting forthe override and two Democrats (Otremba and Wollschlager) voting “no”. We came within a few votes of a his-toric victory. The legislature can decide to take up the override vote again during a special session or next leg-islative session.

Bonding Bill Veto StandsAnother casualty of the governor’s veto pen was the capital bonding bill. Efforts to revive the projects supportedby the legislature did not make it in time to meet the midnight deadline. The bonding bill passed by the legisla-ture included $40 million for the Central Corridor and additional funding for a number of other transitways.Planning for these projects will continue, but the 2008 legislative session will be critical in securing the neces-sary state funding for the Central Corridor light rail transit project.

“Lights-On” Bill PassedEarlier in the day, both the House and Senate passed a “lights on” transportation funding bill that maintains thetransportation funding status quo. This bill was proposed to ensure that a failure to override GovernorPawlenty’s veto wouldn’t lead to a shutdown of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) andMetropolitan Area Transit. The bill contains a one-time additional appropriation of $20 million for MetropolitanArea Transit in fiscal year 2008 to prevent service cuts.

It is critical that we continue our collective efforts to ensure that the transit budget grows to provide a transporta-tion system that can make our communities more vibrant and successful, connecting our state and shaping com-munities that we are proud to call home.

Thank Your Legislators!Please take a minute and thank the legislators who supported transportation this session! 137 legislators sup-ported a comprehensive, long-term transportation funding bill this session. Two years ago, we struggled to get68 votes in the House for the Erhardt Amendment, which contained the proposed constitutional dedication of themotor vehicle sales tax, otherwise known as the Transportation Amendment funding. Before the Governor’sveto, 90 House members and 47 Senate members supported the transportation funding bill. This is a truly a leapin support, and these legislators deserve thanks for their courageous stand.Source: Transit for Liveable Communities mail 05/25/07

RetirementsCongratulations to March Retirees

3/2/2007, Achman, Samuel, Mech. Bldg. Maint.Nicollet 53493/3/2007, Henning, Charles, Bus Op. FT, Ruter 8814

Congratulations to April Retirees04/03/07, Schunk, Monty R, Op. FT., 154, South04/03/07, Bradley, Michael R, Op. FT., 3010, E. M.04/03/07, Steineman, Ronald J, Op. FT., 8907,Nicollet04/06/07, Nelson, Charles A, Op. FT., 8848, E. M.04/07/07, Peterson, Galen L, Op. FT., 8923, Ruter04/20/07, Davis, Bruce E, Op. FT., 9856, South

Congratulations to employees celebratingAnniversaries

June5 YEARS6/1/2002, Kramer, Chris D, Rail, Train Op. 067446/1/2002, Tsmpel, Chodak, Nic., Bus Op. FT 038436/3/2002, West, Michael P, Hey., Bus Op. FT 03846

10 YEARS 6/2/1997, Hernandez, Arlene J, So., Bus Op. PT 097916/7/1997, Bakassoulas, George, Hey., Bus Op. FT.097066/7/1997, Comerford, Joseph T, Nic., Bus Op. FT,097956/7/1997, Loehlein, Thomas J, So., Bus Op. FT 097946/28/1997, Bennett, Steven W, Hey., Bus Op. FT 077046/28/1997, Newman, Gary L, Hey., Bus Op. FT, 077056/30/1997, Bryand, Manuel, Hey., Bus Op. FT. 077086/30/1997, Burdick, Robert D, So., Bus Op. FT. 077066/30/1997, Severson, Keith M, So., Bus Op. FT. 07707

20 YEARS6/24/1987, Keegan, Thomas C, Nic., Bus Op. FT.010766/24/1987, Massie, Dale A, E.M., Bus Op. FT. 01101

30 YEARS6/12/1972, Kaczmarek, Jerome, Rail, Train Op. 01408

July5 YEARS7/8/2002, Haas, David B, E.M., Mech. 390257/13/2002, Chisholm, John A, So., Bus Op. FT. 038517/13/2002, Dodds, Lawrence J, So., Bus Op. PT. 038527/13/2002, Mexner, Michael J, E.M., Bus Op. FT.

038537/13/2002, Thao, Jouachao R, E.M., Bus Op. FT.03854

10 YEARS 7/12/1997, Bernard,Shirmela, Ruter, Helper III 055487/12/1997, Wagner,Daniel B, Nic., Bus Op. FT. 077137/14/1997, Anderson,Richard E, Rev.Eq. Elec. Tech055467/14/1997, Beamish, Lael A, Hey., Bus Op. FT. 077167/14/1997, Chatman, Eddie F, Hey., Bus Op. FT. 077157/14/1997, Drexler, Daniel P, Ruter, Bus Op. PT. 077217/14/1997, Fife, Elizabeth A, Hey., Bus Op. PT. 077177/21/1997, Lee, Steven, So., Bus Op. PT. 077227/26/1997, Berry, David R, E.M., Bus Op. FT. 077307/26/1997, Heard, Marylee, E.M., Bus Op. FT., 077317/26/1997, Snavely, Kevyn E, Hey., Bus Op. FT. 07725

15 YEARS7/18/1992, Hanson, Darell W, Nic., Bus Op. FT. 092897/18/1992, Schultz, Frederick A, Nic., Bus Op. FT.092907/20/1992, Kost, Arthur D, E.M., Instr. 092997/20/1992, Krenner, Cecilia I, E.M., Bus Op. FT.092987/20/1992, Peek, Kevin A, Ruter, Bus Op. FT. 062017/20/1992, Wadell, William C, E.M., Mech. 092967/27/1992, Welter, Kent E, E.M., Bus Op. FT. 06204

20 YEARS7/27/1987, Bell, Timothy J, Hey., Gen. Dispt. 011537/27/1987, McKee, Kelly G, Nic., Bus Op. FT. 011397/30/1987, Clay, Terry L, Nic., Bus Op. FT. 01187

35 YEARS7/10/1972, Miller, Mark A, Rail, Train Op. 030057/26/1972, Ward, Dallas C, Nic., Bus Op. FT. 01446

Look for information on retirees on thewww.atu1005.com website, including:

*retirement parties*newsletter articles*retiree clubs*deaths of retired members

Submissions for Letters to the Editor are subject to approval of the EditorialBoard and space considerations. Letters to the Editor are solely the opinion ofthe author and do not represent endorsement by ATU Local 1005 or theEducation Committee. If you have an editorial to submit, please contact a com-mittee member or our advisor Scott Tollin at: [email protected] No Letters were submitted

LettersTo TheEditor

Answer To CRYPTO:THE TWO ILLEGAL ALIENS WERE ARRESTED ON THEBUS. THEY WERE TWINS...FROM DUBLIN!

Second Annual ATU 1005 Union Picnic!

Fun for the Entire FamilyJuly 8th, 11-3 pm Battle Creek Park

Take McKnight, south of I-94

We need volunteers!

If you can give a little time or a lot of time, even all day,contact us. We need burger flippers, prize givers, foodpreparers, people to run games, activities, pick upequipment, return equipment. If you have ideas, let thecommittee know!

Contact one of the following Executive Board Picnic Committeemembers to find out where you are needed or give your ideas:

Gary Bier, Heywood OfficeKen Dolney, East Metro DispatcherDan Abramowicz, Ruter OperatorMike Rossini, Nicollet Dispatcher Jerry Ewald, Vice President

Water Park and Moonwalk for children are some of themany activities.

And of course the “Dunk Tank” will be back. “Take Your Best Shot!”

In Memoriam

Randy Metzler, Mechanic 5371 Randy and Kay Metzler of Bloomington were killed while on a weekend ride.Their longtime friends witnessed the crash in Cottage Grove. As they oftendid on summer weekends, Rodger Moy and his wife, Kristie, joined theirlongtime friends Randy and Kay Metzler for a motorcycle ride through thecountryside. For nearly 20 years, the couples regularly set out on their fourbikes, going wherever they could find an open road. After they logged morethan 100 miles, including a stop for dinner in Pepin, Wis., their leisurely dayon their bikes came to a deadly ending when a car turning left on Hwy. 61 at120th Street in Cottage Grove cut in front of the Metzlers, who hit the vehicleand were thrown from their bikes. Both Metzlers died at the scene. Theywere not wearing helmets.

Randy had worked as a mechanic for 27 years for Metro Transit, South garage and most recently ran R & KRepair, an auto repair business, in Bloomington. Burial took place in Tekamah, Nebraska.

In Memoriam

Bruce E. Davis, Operator 9856Davis, Bruce E., Sr., age 63, of Minneapolis, passed away peacefully at hishome May 7, 2007, from aggressive terminal stomach cancer.

Bruce was a full-time driver out of South Garage with nine years of seniority.Low-key and soft-spoken, Bruce had a great sense of humor and enjoyed thecamaraderie with his fellow workers. Bruce was a devoted family man andvery close to his seven children and 13 grandchildren.

Although Bruce's health had deteriorated very quickly and he became bed-rid-den before his retirement party at South Garage, he insisted on attending theparty (complete with cake) in uniform. In a hastily-prepared and unforgettablelast-minute gathering, surrounded by his family and friends, Bruce said good-bye to a place that he had called home - South Garage.

For everyone there, it was an emotional and heart-breaking goodbye to a man totally committed to his co-workersand workplace. Not one person in attendance was able to maintain a dry eye. Bruce passed away just days after-wards.

2007_jun_jul

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