BREAKING NEWS AND THEN SOME—>
SUPERSPREADER UPDATE
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THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND (5-21-2021) — Trade unionists and community supporters brave a typical balmy northern Nevada spring morning as the Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County votes to spend taxpayer money to pay strikebreakers. The three people nearest the camera are, right to left, Reno City Councilmembers Devon Reese and Jenny Brekhus (with hand on the banner's corner) and Local 533 President Gary Watson at Ms. Brekhus' right. [Read the full story] |
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MILKING
PROFITS: Teamsters protest Washoe RTC bus contractor
By Bob Conrad / ThisIsReno.com + Video 5-21-2021 |
1 July 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
GARY WATSON, President
Teamsters Union Local 533
(775) 348-6060 ext. 104
SUCK IT UP, RTC!
Now, to business —>
HOT AUGUST STRIKE 2.0 ? Union busters bust bus system
Reno-Sparks-Washoe transit drivers vote to strike
Teamsters Union sues for unpaid health insurance premiumsRENO, Nev. (1 July 2021) — Bus drivers in Nevada's second-largest county this week voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike.
"After more than a year of threats, intimidation and blatantly unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, our stressed-out members have had enough," stated Teamsters Union Local 533 President Gary Watson.
Teamsters Union Local 533
"Perhaps the last straw was the revelation that their health care insurance has not been paid going back to 2019," he added.
"With more than two dozen drivers having contracted COVID-19 and at least two in ICU, knowing that the for-profit management contractor has stiffed the union health and welfare fund was just too much," Watson said.
Today came news that Washoe County has recorded its first fatality from the new, more contagious and deadly Delta variant of COVID-19 with 34 additional cases already reported. The RTC Ride system services upwards of 20,000 passengers a day.
France-based Keolis Transit has failed to pay more than $50,000 in 2019 worker health insurance premiums. Union representatives filed action in federal court in June to force collection. Keolis also remains in arrears for premiums due as recently as May, 2021.
"Drivers have complained for more than a year about Keolis' outrageous disregard for federal, state and local COVID-19 safety standards with new strains of the virus now running wild," Watson said."Keolis, Regional Transportation Commissioners and their staff have all ignored the workers," he added, "but they have imported a professional union-busting consultant. These guys charge $500 to $2,000 an hour. Rather than paying their employees, Keolis is looking for scalps. Prepare for a very hairy fight," Watson said.
At its June meeting, the Northern Nevada Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO unanimously passed a strike sanction resolution in support of the RTC workers. The umbrella organization is comprised of 34 unions serving the region.
Central Labor Council President Mike Pilcher criticized Keolis' current contract proposal "which calls for dissolving the workers' health care trust fund."
The CLC and rank-and-file votes empower Teamsters officials to call a work stoppage at any time.
Watson has accused Keolis of bad-faith surface bargaining as a prelude to forcing a walkout and wholesale worker replacement. The union's current contract expired on June 30. The only previous strike happened 19 years ago. (2002 Hot August Strike archive)
"In May, RTC commissioners amended Keolis' contract giving them a blank check to import strikebreakers," Watson said.
Union drivers have reported that strikebreakers came to town earlier this week and began surveillance by following buses on their routes. Union lawyers will review filing federal charges of illegal unfair labor practices.
In 1999, RTC paid $113,841.32 to import 36 Cincinnati strikebreakers for a strike which never happened.
"That's $3,162.26 per strikebreaker for zero work," Watson noted.
"The system is much larger today and there is a serious labor shortage nationally and locally. Nevada is trying to recover from the Coronavirus-fueled recession but Keolis wants to set us back and make the taxpayers pay for their scorched-earth tactics," Watson said.
"More laughable, Keolis has proposed to eliminate 30 jobs and gut employee protections which union solidarity has achieved over 40 years. Blink and you're fired," he quipped.
In a letter to his members, Watson noted that "we have 40 pending arbitrations, most of which Keolis ignores. Some involve workers sitting at home not being paid and fighting for their livelihoods for over year."
Additionally, the union has 38 pending charges of illegal unfair labor practices before the National Labor Relations Board and three pending lawsuits, including the demand that Keolis pay what it owes for health insurance.
"Keolis says they want arbitration, but they physically threatened a court-appointed arbitrator earlier in this process," the longtime labor leader noted.
The only strike in RTC's four-decade history happened in summer of 2002. (2002 Hot August Strike archive)
"The Keolis bargaining strategy is right out of union busting 101: Claim that the workers and the union are victimizing the poor multi-national corporation," Watson added.
"Who's been the victim when Keolis has been hiring 'permanent temps' with no benefits in violation of union contracts all over the country?" Watson asked.
Last year, RTC received $26.2 million in federal relief funds. RTC Washoe provided billing from Keolis which showed they spent only $338,000 on COVID-19 precautions.
"The five elected Regional Transportation Commission officials are acting in concert with foreign-owned Keolis to endanger the public and break the employees' union. They even abused a nursing mother," Watson concluded.
The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County is comprised of Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson (R), Washoe County Commissioners Vaughn Hartung (R) [1] and Bob Lucey (R); Reno City Councilmembers Oscar Delgado (D) and Neoma Jardon, board chair. Mr. Delgado and his wife both tested positive for COVID-19 in December. He is currently CEO of the Community Health Alliance of Washoe County. RTC board e-mail <rtcpubliccomments@rtcwashoe.com>
See NevadaLabor.com for links, references, photos and complete background on these issues and Teamsters/RTC history including the 2002 Hot August Strike.
Chartered in 1934, Teamsters Local 533 represents about 2,200 workers in various trades throughout northern Nevada and eastern California, including about 200 RTC/Keolis workers.
FACTS AND FIGGERS
- The strike motion passed
overwhelmingly at a meeting last Sunday, June 27 .
- REMEMBER, it is NOT certain
that the union will go on strike although it's now free to do so at
any time. In 1999, rats were brought
in for over $100k and no strike happened. .
- Bringing in strikebreakers
before the fact is a very expensive bargaining tactic but hey, since
the taxpayers are fully funding it, what the hell, may as well. The
1999 contractor did so without RTC permission and the commission voted
to pay them retroactively over union objections. Again — THERE
WAS NO 1999 STRIKE.
- We have told the 1999 story
many times in the current news flow which is most probably why Keolis
came to RTC for a blank check
in May.
- The union wants a decent
contract and safe working conditions for a change — not another
lesson in the Union Busting 101 handbook which Keolis is following to
the letter.
- These kinds of tactics are
typical of a contractor looking to bust out the mighty Teamsters in
Reno, a small market, to give it a calling card to pick up business
in other cities and countries. It's cheap to test-market your strategy
in a small town, an old story.
- Keolis has now accused the
union of "dilatory behavior," which Keolis has been guilty
of for years. Witness the workers sitting at home as noted in the above
story.
Psychologists, especially those that dwell on Czar Donaldov, call the malady projection. (Remember how Trump called the Bidens a crime family?)
The crime here is the superspreader bus system as the Delta variant descends.
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An
imported strikebreaker tailing an RTC Ride bus on its route. Federal
offenses, anyone?
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Megabucks union-busting consultant John Prior scratching his head as he tries to grasp the irony in this photo. (Hint: The sign on the bus says "out of service.") |
Regional
Union Council Passes Strike Sanction
Bus contractor sued for unpaid health insurance premiums
RENO, NV (Monday, 6-14-2021)— The Northern Nevada Central Labor Council has unanimously passed a strike sanction resolution against the for-profit operator of the Washoe County mass transit system.
Teamsters Union Local 533
"We waited as long as we could to take this action but local elected officials have left us no choice," stated Teamsters Local 533 President Gary Watson.
"We must protect our workers and the public they serve," he added.
"The five elected Regional Transportation Commission officials are acting in concert with foreign-owned Keolis Transit to endanger the public and break the employees' union," Watson said.
Central Labor Council President Mike Pilcher said that Keolis Transit's current contract proposal "includes dissolving the workers' health care trust fund and reducing their pay and benefits. The bus operators have given their all for the community and the contractor throughout the pandemic," Pilcher said.
"If this is how Keolis intends to thank them, we can do better," the retired firefighter added.Watson accuses the France-based company of not bargaining in good faith with the union.
"Keolis proposals intend to diminish federally protected rights and almost 40 years of bargaining history all because they want to further profit at the expense of Washoe County taxpayers,” Watson said.
The union's current contract expires on June 30. The only previous walkout happened in 2002.The Northern Nevada Central Labor Council/AFL-CIO is comprised of 34 unions in building trades, services and government, including first responders. Council delegates voted the strike sanction on June 9.
"Our resolution empowers all our member unions to support the transit system workers in any and every way possible," Pilcher said.
"We further encourage union retirees, families, friends, suppliers, signatory companies and our constituency groups to do the same," Pilcher added.
Reno City Councilmember Jenny Brekhus and former Sparks City Councilmember John Mayer have advocated eliminating the middleman by ending four decades of hiring for-profit contractors and instead making transit system workers RTC employees.
"The current system is demonstrably wasteful and unaccountable," Watson said.
TIGHTENING THE SCREWS — A HISTORY OF FRICTION AND DERELICTION
[] France-based Keolis Transit has failed to pay more than $50,000 in 2019 worker health insurance premiums. The Northern California General Teamsters Security Fund filed action in federal court earlier this month to force payment. Keolis also remains in arrears for premiums due as recently as May, 2021.
[] Keolis received permission from RTC on May 21 to pay strikebreakers, something a long list of for-profit contractors have not had power to do. (See the 1999 archive at NevadaLabor.com/ )
[] Keolis has consistently refused to implement local, state and federal mask and social distancing requirements and ordered drivers not to enforce under threat of firing. (Written proof at NevadaLabor.com/)
[] In contravention of the union contract, Keolis has refused to give the union information on the dozens of drivers and support staff who have been infected with COVID-19. At least two were admitted to intensive care.
[] The union has filed 37 National Labor Relations Board charges of illegal and unfair labor practices and has 38 binding arbitrations pending, some over a year old. Keolis has not only delayed but has personally threatened federal arbitrators after they have been selected. Local 533 also has two additional legal filings pending in federal court.
[] Among the union's legal actions is the case of Athena Duffy, a Latinx young mother who was illegally denied mandatory lactation breaks and access to sanitary facilities mandated by the union contract.The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County is comprised of Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, Washoe County Commissioners Vaughn Hartung [1] and Bob Lucey; Reno City Councilmembers Oscar Delgado and Neoma Jardon, board chair. Mr. Delgado and his wife both tested positive for COVID-19 in December. He is currently CEO of the Community Health Alliance of Washoe County. RTC board e-mail <rtcpubliccomments@rtcwashoe.com>
See NevadaLabor.com for links, references, photos and complete background on these issues and Teamsters/RTC history including the 2002 Hot August Strike.
Chartered in 1934, Teamsters Local 533 represents about 2,200 workers in various trades throughout northern Nevada and eastern California.
________________
[1] "Isn't there something we can do for the bus operators?"— RTC Commissioner Vaughn Hartung, 5-21-2021, in the same meeting where he voted to sanction hiring of strikebreakers.Keolis' sham proposal...
* takes legal requirements out of the union contract
* is silent on economic issues
* does not explain their rationale for cutbacks
* removes existing language on uniforms, appearance guidelines and drug & alcohol insurance coverage
* would exclude temps from a new collective bargaining agreement, making an unlimited number of new-hires not subject to the union contract. (They have made a habit of hiriing "permanent temps," a practice begun under a front company owned by the wife of their former Reno general manager, Abul Hassan.)
* rewrites all discipline provisions making any union contract worthless as it would make all workers "fire-at-will" employees who may be terminated at any time for any reason or no reason, like most other Nevada workers. Keolis is still hiring "permanent temps" with no benefits even though the current contract calls for formal hiring after 90 days.
* eliminates the shuttle from the Villanova/US 395 center to downtown Reno, forcing drivers to take their own cars and look for and pay for parking downtown. (This creates more air pollution, cars on the road and expense for the drivers.)
* gets rid of workers comp language and eliminates temporary alternative work provisions (e.g., if an injured driver gets temp work making phone calls while recovering). Keolis would instead follow Nevada law which is much weaker.
* gets rid of Teamsters health insurance (which they have not been paying) and goes to the deficient company plan.
Read it for yourself
Here's a verbatim order from Keolis Operations Manager Taquan Jackson: "Effective 12:00AM (midnight), February 2, 2021 there will be a federal mandate for masks to be worn on public transportation. This is a requirement the local team and RTC have been encouraging and adhering to for some time now. Although the mandate was (sic) been escalated our operators are not to enforce this policy whatsoever."
Mr. Jackson expects his employees to be acrobats, adhering while ignoring.
This is nothing new. Mr. Hassan ordered this on June 26, 2020: "We are not to deny ridership for not having a mask, do not refuse riders."
A driver can refuse to board a pantsless passenger but not a maskless one. (That sitcom scenario actually happened last year.)
The transit system's bedrock customers are the least among us: The elderly, the very young, minorities, the disabled, homeless and those of low income who cannot afford autos or don't drive.
Some employees are allowed to work sick. Health, safety and COVID-19 test results have been withheld in violation of the union contract. Why won't RTC let the union know how many safety complaints come in from passengers?
Last year, RTC received $26.2 million in federal relief funds.
RTC Washoe provided billing from Keolis which showed they spent only $338,000 on COVID-19 safety.
RTC further informed the union that Keolis swept much of the rest directly to corporate profit.
On August 17, 2021, a National Labor Relations Board judge will review why Keolis refuses to disclose how many union members contracted COVID-19, among other union-busting charges.
Please contact your five commissioners and advocate for endangered passengers and workers.CWA 9413/AFL-CIO
RTC: "We are world-class virus smiters" Teamsters: "And world-renowned liars"
By Kristen Hackbarth / This Is Reno 2-3-2021
